AlphaMale - Totally agree, what's the good of a PPL if you're not around to use it!
However I would have to say that from speaking to a mate who did his PPL out there; it does take a bit of common sense. If the aircraft looks like a bag of **** when pre-flighting then wait for a better one. After all, all those training aircraft get battered around from pillar to post and with the likes of OFT being a conveyorbelt of students they're never going to have a clean record. Im in 2 minds really.