MSA GB Newslink July

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Comment A little more humility, a little less hubris Work is plentiful for ADIs at the moment – but as one member points out, let’s not let that fact go to our heads. I was forced to contact a plumber the other week. The first chap I spoke to was very clear about what he wanted paying: his call out fee was £70, and it was £45 an hour after that, plus parts if needed. £115 for the job, plus VAT. As the job involved sorting out some leaking pipework I knew it wasn’t going to take long; a seal or two under the bath had gone, and there was possibly a build-up of gunge in the pipes that needed clearing. It’s the type of job I’d fix myself but one thing was stopping me: an adhesive capsulitis. Now, there is a chance that there are one or two of you who are thinking, ‘is adhesive capsulitis a posh way of saying ‘I’m a lazy git’ or ‘the football’s on’. No, it’s actually easier to translate than you think: it means ‘frozen shoulder’. The adhesive part gives you the clue. If you’ve ever encountered a frozen shoulder, on you or on a loved one, you’ll know that it is a whole world of hurt. Basically, simple movements of the affected arm become impossible without considerable pain. And I mean pain; when you catch it wrong, it’s like a heavyweight boxer has thumped you with all his force on the arm. It’s the type of pain that makes you gasp and stop to catch your breath. It’s made worse by the fact that it doesn’t hurt all the time; it’s just that if you suddenly move your arm in certain directions, it’s astonishingly painful. In short, it’s nasty. Back to the plumbing. I took the bath panel off, lay down and contemplated the leaking area. I knew pretty instantly that the contortion I’d have to get myself into to fix it was one that was going to force my shoulder to rotate into positions that would have the frozen joint screaming. After giving it a moment or two’s thought I realised this time I’d need to call in a professional. I rang the plumber. 22 When I heard his pricing I was taken aback, and suggested that £115 an hour was on the steep side. “Yes, but I’ve been able to put my prices up, as there’s so much demand,” he replied. “So you’re taking advantage of people,” I suggested. “Yes,” he replied, without a modicum of guilt in his voice. I put the phone down. I don’t mind being ripped off but I’d prefer it if the chap doing the ripping didn’t make it too obvious. The secret of a good business deal is when both parties think they’ve come away with a bargain; this particular deal didn’t feel like that. To cut a long story short, while there’s only so much pain any man can take, that threshold is raised considerably ‘‘ Our pupils are not ‘fish in a barrel’. They are, in the main, young people who’ve had a rubbish 18 months, who have seen huge chunks of what makes life fun when you’re that age ripped away from them... ‘‘ when he’s comforted by the knowledge that he won’t be extracting £115 from his wallet. I took several pain killers, waited half an hour then did the work myself, amid much cursing. Afterwards my shoulder hurt like hell but I was content I’d got the right side of the bargain. Why am I telling you this? Because I got the distinct whiff of that plumber’s attitude in the last issue of Newslink when regular contributor Russell Jones was talking about ‘shooting fish in a barrel’ in regard to the current imbalance between ADIs and pupils. At present, it’s clear that ADIs have the upper hand in the Athenian confrontation that is pupils v instructors. There are NEWSLINK n JULY 2021
For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com more of them than we can ever service. That is not our fault, but while it may be nice to contemplate a full diary, Russell’s view seemed a little too crowing for my liking. Using phrases like ‘shooting fish in a barrel’ doesn’t project the image of a group of men and women who are keen to provide a professional service to learners; it sounds just a little too Del Boy for me, too much like the geezer down the pub boasting about making a few extra quid. Perhaps it’s a touch too gleeful. It might sit well in a Facebook chatroom for ADIs but I feel the MSA GB doesn’t look too great when one of its more prominent members appears to be saying ‘let’s take advantage of the current situation’. The phrase ‘shooting fish in a barrel’ conjures up a vision of a helpless, weak prey being dominated by a bullying overlord. Is that the image we want to convey? It’s certainly not how I like to view my relationship with my pupils. We’ve just come through a pandemic; do we really want the public knowing we refer to them in such insulting terms as simple trapped fish? Make hay, if you wish. Put your prices up, fine. A pound or two on a lesson since the restart seems fair, compensating for recent petrol price rises and off-setting some of the losses in 2020. Such a stance would be reasonable – but let’s not be seen to be taking advantage of the situation as an industry. During the pandemic it’s been clear that some people have seen the chaos as a chance to feather their own nests – think PPE suppliers or mates of government ministers, as a starter – and ‘‘ My pupils are not ‘fish in a barrel’... do we really want the public knowing we refer to them in such insulting terms...? ‘‘ I’ve seen plenty of people on news reports who sound like one of those spivvy characters from World War 2 films; you know, the ones who made a killing while others got killed. Let’s not be a sector that does that. Let’s think about the position this country now finds itself in and realise that there is a moral duty to be reasonable, fair and compassionate. Our pupils are not ‘fish in a barrel’. They are, in the main, young people who’ve had a rubbish 18 months, who have seen huge chunks of what makes life fun when you’re that age ripped away from them. Let’s not take advantage of a group that is genuinely struggling. Remember, which group has been hit hardest economically by the pandemic? It it late middle-aged men? No, it’s young people, our core business demographic. Which business sectors have been hit hardest? Tourism, leisure, hospitality… the areas where employees tend to be young. Does this group need an extra kicking? Charge a reasonable price by all means, but let’s not take advantage – and let’s moderate our language so it doesn’t sound like we’re screwing people over. One last thing. Just consider this. Imagine the minutes of a DVSA meeting were leaked to Newslink, and in them it’s recorded that chief executive Loveday Ryder said: “L-test candidates? There’s loads of them... it’s like shooting fish in a barrel, providing a service for them...” What image would that convey of the DVSA – and how long do you think she’d last in the job? Helping hand for ADIs and PDIs The panel at Helping ADI & PDIs recognise that there has been a significant rise in the Delta variant of Covid-19, and that many driving instructors are being required to isolate by Track and Trace. We have therefore decided to open applications for a one-off payment to any ADI or PDI who has been contacted by Track and Trace and told to isolate after our return to work on 12th April in England and Wales and 26th April in Scotland. Payment of a nominal amount will be paid on receipt of an application form and proof of an email from Track and Trace requiring you to isolate. Go to https://instructorfund.org for details. There is no need to complete the full financial questions on the application, simply state ‘Track and Trace’ in the area marked ‘Purpose’, complete the bank and personal details and send in the application. Emails from Track and Trace must show the name of the applicant and the dates of isolation. We cannot accept multiple applications from the same person. PLEASE NOTE – we are all working ADIs too and have our own businesses to run so we don’t have the time to chase up incomplete applications. Therefore, unfortunately, any incomplete applications will be rejected. You can still donate to the GoFundMe Page by following either the link to our website https://instructorfund.org/ or via the GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/67c82730 Susan & Bobbie NEWSLINK n JULY 2021 23
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MSA GB Newslink July

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