How many times did you try?
Discussion
? Did you smash up anything or anyone? 17th birthday 25th June 1993
Passed test 1st time 30th July 1993 - Couldn't get a test any earlier according to instructor.
Did 5 hours of lessons on how to pass the test with the instructor and about 2,000 miles with a (very brave) family friend between birthday and test. One trip was from Worcester to Pembray, avoiding M'ways!
Passed test 1st time 30th July 1993 - Couldn't get a test any earlier according to instructor.
Did 5 hours of lessons on how to pass the test with the instructor and about 2,000 miles with a (very brave) family friend between birthday and test. One trip was from Worcester to Pembray, avoiding M'ways!
I took my test and passed it first time with 3 minors, but I'd been learning for a year and gone through three driving instructors.
Why? Well, the first one had a MK2 Punto I was physically incapable of driving smoothly (pedals were too close together and the blobby plastic dashboard squeezed my knees together). He said 'you're a good driver but you need a bigger car'. Instructor number 2 was a superstar - rally driver, stunt driver for Le Mans with Steve McQueen, part of the original GT40 test team, taught the police to drive and owned several nice cars. Problem was, his Seat Ibiza was absolutely shagged. It has probably been rallied, the tracking was definately out, the gearbox was loose and the clutch slipped. All in all it made me look like a terrible driver.
Anyway, instructor number 3 had a Fiat Bravo (and a Westfield) - great car for passing a test in as it was huge compared to the pathetic little shoeboxes everyone else seems to use (then wonders why they can't park). Learnt and passed easily in that car.
Had me thinking though - IMO there should be a minimum size for driving instructor's cars. I think they should have a boot at the back and be no smaller than, say, a Ford Focus saloon, simply because the cars that people learn in to not encourage a sense of spatial awareness in other, more practical cars they'll no doubt get when they're older. Car park ettiquette is also needed IMO.
Why? Well, the first one had a MK2 Punto I was physically incapable of driving smoothly (pedals were too close together and the blobby plastic dashboard squeezed my knees together). He said 'you're a good driver but you need a bigger car'. Instructor number 2 was a superstar - rally driver, stunt driver for Le Mans with Steve McQueen, part of the original GT40 test team, taught the police to drive and owned several nice cars. Problem was, his Seat Ibiza was absolutely shagged. It has probably been rallied, the tracking was definately out, the gearbox was loose and the clutch slipped. All in all it made me look like a terrible driver.
Anyway, instructor number 3 had a Fiat Bravo (and a Westfield) - great car for passing a test in as it was huge compared to the pathetic little shoeboxes everyone else seems to use (then wonders why they can't park). Learnt and passed easily in that car.
Had me thinking though - IMO there should be a minimum size for driving instructor's cars. I think they should have a boot at the back and be no smaller than, say, a Ford Focus saloon, simply because the cars that people learn in to not encourage a sense of spatial awareness in other, more practical cars they'll no doubt get when they're older. Car park ettiquette is also needed IMO.
Third time -
First time, having driven tractors since I was 12, I was a bit cocky - dead on the speed limit, way too casual and quite rightly failed.
Second time I was terrified - how could I have failed? I put every ounce of concentration in and drove a near perfect test. Then the instructor told me to turn left and we were on the main road back to the test centre, will all of the parts of the test complete. I relaxed. Fatal mistake. Nearly literally - I zoned out enough to not notice the woman crossing at the zebra crossing from the other side of the road. Spotted her in time and screeched to a halt. She didn't twitch, but the examiner did. Failed again.
Third time, took it gently and passed. Easy. Lesson learned though.
First time, having driven tractors since I was 12, I was a bit cocky - dead on the speed limit, way too casual and quite rightly failed.
Second time I was terrified - how could I have failed? I put every ounce of concentration in and drove a near perfect test. Then the instructor told me to turn left and we were on the main road back to the test centre, will all of the parts of the test complete. I relaxed. Fatal mistake. Nearly literally - I zoned out enough to not notice the woman crossing at the zebra crossing from the other side of the road. Spotted her in time and screeched to a halt. She didn't twitch, but the examiner did. Failed again.
Third time, took it gently and passed. Easy. Lesson learned though.
Did you not know that you can have lessons before the test? 
I passed on my second attempt. My driving instructor was a bit of a card. If ever I did anything 'wrong' he would produce a plastic hammer from the glove-box and threaten to hit me with it if I made the same mistake again. 
His parting words to me were, "Think bike!" which, of course, I always did - and have done so ever since - as I was a biker's chick at the time.
His parting words to me were, "Think bike!" which, of course, I always did - and have done so ever since - as I was a biker's chick at the time.
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