How would you know, though, if you can’t go?
What a small world you must inhabit.
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Part of my thinking for this attitude is to discourage places/businesses being designed for car dependence and prevent people who don’t have the ability to afford a car. Granted the are things like car hire and taxis however they still make it difficult for some people to access facilities.
How would a business that has a carpark prevent people who don’t have a car from visiting?
A place having a car park does not prevent it from having good public transport and walking/cycle infrastructure leading to it. Doesn’t need to be one or the other, all can be provided for.
I agree fully, but I assume you’ve made a typo as I’m not understanding your point - sorry 
I don’t see how having a car park stops people from walking or cycling to the business.
Are you referring to rural businesses, or those in shopping centres, or town centres? Could you give an example?
Being able to legally walk or cycle somewhere doesn’t mean that it is nice it safer to do so, especially with kids. For example although there is a national cycle network route to the next town, there are some busy roads and sections which are just a mud track making it an unpleasant journey, or not possible with kids and the cargo trike.
Rural locations are another example where public transport doesn’t exist or finding out the costs is near impossible. Again the cycle and walking routes are often poor or non existent.
This is going to be my last comment as I’m still struggling here. Probably because I’m tired so apologies if it’s obvious to everyone else 
I have my own business so I’m trying to understand. Basically you’re saying that I shouldn’t have a carpark and I should give my money to the council (even though I already do) to improve the road network? So that cyclists can get around safer otherwise you’re not going to visit it?
As what you’ve said above has nothing to do with me or my business. This is the council you need to be complaining to.
Talk about mission creep !
(This was about driving lessons). And I was learning so much, too 
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Perhaps we can have a separate topic for Lycra louts to talk about cycling. This one is about driving lessons.
ISTR reading a news article last month saying that a whole bunch of routes have been de-listed/removed/whatever the word is from the NCN for almost exactly that reason. The ‘road too busy’ one, specifically. I think Devon and Cornwall have lost stages of their NCN routes, and Norfolk has had their NCN routes more or less entirely removed.
Let’s…
This one?
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You raise a good point about the distinction between the journey to a business that a business has limited control over and what is available on or very close to the business premises that the business has more direct control over.
There are a lot of variables depending on the situation, having slept on it I think I’ve got some better examples, for each one think of 2 equivalent businesses where I could go to either.
Cycle parking, if one has cycle parking by the entrance and the other doesn’t I’ll go to the one with the cycle parking.
Some places expect you to walk through the car park to get to the entrance, whereas especially with kids, I’d prefer a separate path protecting me from the motor vehicles. Car parks can be designed similarly to minimise the mixing of motor vehicles and pedestrians which would increase the likelihood of me using the place, granted it would reduce the number of cars that can be parked but improves safety.
On the journey to the location, if it’s my local area I can contact my local council, however if it is something outside of my local area such as when I’m on holiday the the council and councillors will take more notice of the local businesses than a random person from far away.
Moving or locating your business in another location is an option. Supporting things like low traffic neighbourhoods, cycle tracks, etc can also work to encourage customers such as myself to your business over rivals. Contrary businesses that would object to those things I would avoid.
I have visited national trust properties where rather than charging for parking have a discount is you cycled.
For some people there’s a much wider consideration of what will make someone choose something.
Yes, it’s something that’s been much overdue, and good it’s happening finally. Hopefully the tires will be brought up to standard rather than being left to be forgotten.
Not 100% how many hours/lessons I did, but it took me a year before I finally passed my test. I only had 1 hour lessons a week and never had any private practice. I passed in a manual car and my immediate family are all driving automatics (they can drive manual but prefer auto) so even if I did practice in an auto it would’ve helped improve my driving but not help with gear change. I passed on my 3rd attempt. 1st attempt failed due to the fact I messed up the turn in the road (if I didn’t I would’ve passed), 2nd attempt was a disaster, didn’t help the fact that I unfortunately was assigned with an examiner who was being observed. 3rd attempt I passed with 6 minors. I’ve had my full licence since October 2016. 
With my theory though I passed 1st time .
So at the moment I’ve gone through 2 lockdowns since starting 
Just been able to start up again as of a fortnight ago. 1st lesson back was just getting used to been behind a wheel again as it’s been 3 months.
Got my test booked in to next available slot which is in August, just got to hope the next Corona wave stays away that long or if it does arrive they decide to keep on going with testing.
I’m not test ready as yet, instructor reckons July time I should be up to standard. That fits quite well to be fair with the August date as I’ve got a cushion built in as a just in case.
Are the seats really that uncomfortable?
Good luck 
with the lessons and hopefully you’ll be on the road driving by yourself 
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Ha ha, had to read what I’d written twice before I got that 
It’s taken a while with the clutch but it’s started to sink in now. That’s allowed me to focus on everything else other than wanting to rip the clutch out the engine and kick it around the street.
If you can drive ‘stick-shift’, you can drive anything.
Love manual gearboxes, hate automatics - no engine breaking into corners and always having to use the brakes.
EV’s are great for this, control the rolling resistance with the one pedal and recharge the battery a little too. Having one or two washing machine motors as the drives certainly beats a petrol/diesel fuelled engine mated to a complex gearbox with clutch and lever control for gear ratios. Chuck them all in the bin I say!
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My automatic uses engine breaking. It’s very clever in knowing if you’re on an incline and how much you’re pressing the accelerator etc. It then uses all this to select appropriate gears to control the speed.
For learning though, manual is a must.
I can only drive an auto as my brain had trouble with gears.