Went to Anand Driving school(Hanumantha Nagar, Bangalore) to get 4 wheeler driving license.
Got the license; but wanted to share some experience so that people are aware of how things happen.
I guess a variation of the below will play out at any of the driving schools in India.
- cost me about 2000 Rs officially towards fees(and another 800 as "mouth-shut" fees to instructor Mr. Lohith)
The "agreement" was that we would get to drive some 10 kms / 30minutes daily; but the instructor never allowed that much practice.
Instructor is impatient and keeps talking gloomily to instill fear in us.
- Third day onwards, the instructor pesters for "dakshina" and I commit the first mistake of giving him 300 Rs(primarily because I cant bear to continue the driving class with his impatient talk).
With 300 Rs now in his pocket, next day he instills more fear that I will never learn driving in the stipulated 18 classes and makes me pay another 500 Rs for "extra" 10 Kms each day. The TOTAL Kms practiced each day is never more than 9 Kms. I know I am being cheated, but now all I want his his silence from impatient talk.
Finally I get driving license without much hassle at the RTO and emerge a much wiser man.
Note:
All driving instructors are "extortionists". it is only the magnitude that varies across various school.
I say this as I see many reviews saying "cheats", "Horror story", "Never go to XYZ school" etc. If you dont like devil, you will end up going to deep sea.
The instructors create fear in our minds that we wont learn driving in 18 classes of 30 minutes each. I feel the time is quite sufficient for normal people who want to learn.
NEVER give them anything more than 100 initially(essentially to keep their mouth shut so that we can learn driving in peace)
NEVER fall to their tactics of "extra" kilometers. refuse such offers politely and firmly.