Re: Congrats YC!
Quote:
Originally Posted by yorkie_chris
(Post 2475265)
At least you're fairly well protected if they do get it wrong :-P
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Oh and it went very very wrong one time. I was asked on a training ground to allow someone to drive who never even sat in the driver seat before. Didn't have a licence of any sort. I tried my best to explain all the controls and what they do. The last piece of advice I gave him was if all else failed and he lost control to hit the 'dead mans pedal'. This is a pedal that if pressed will instantly cut the fuel supply to the engine. He got in and off we went. He was doing okay until we went down a sharp decent which at the end of was a sharp left turn. His speed built up and I kept telling him to take his foot off the throttle but he panicked. We started swerving from one side to the other. Can you imagine 15 tons of steel on tracks, sliding broadside, first left then right hand sides. I had given up all hope of getting out of the situation without involving a crash into the trees at the end of the hill and subsequent steep bank. The only reason I stayed on board was because the young chap couldn't decide which side he was going to crash and I didn't fancy getting run over by the tank whilst jumping off. Somehow, and nothing to do with any driving skill, he got round the bend at the bottom of the hill and the following hill slowed him down enough for him to start listening again and hit the dead mans pedal. You have to bear in mind the 'commander' of the vehicle (me being the instructor) is stood behind the driver poking out of a cupola. There most certainly is not enough time to crawl back down into the safety of the bowels of the tank and get strapped in.
A pack of fags later I was able to continue. With me driving not him.
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