Words cannot discribe....
Discussion
..how I feel today, although suicidal comes close. As many PHer's know I had my first driving test on the 30th Janurary 2003 - which was cancelled due to bad weather. I was mildly miffed until I was sent a letter giving the re-test date of 1st april HA BLOODY HA. By this time I was fuming, and some serious shouting at the DSA main office secured me a test date of the 19th February. Which was slightly more acceptable.
So, here we are today, the test day. My test was at 8:40 - well, no it wasnt. THEY CANCELLED IT AGAIN DUE TO FROST!!!!!. Numerous phone calls later and I have no news on when my re-tests re-test is. It hasnt been a brilliant month all in anyway, but this is starting to take the p!ss.
Third time lucky? maybe, I hope so. Its annoying enough having to have one test cancelled, but two is beyond acceptable. Now, I have no choice but to wait and hope they can get me a test date within the next month.
I honestly cant believe how long it is taking to get me driving, its taken 5 months so far, 3 months of which have been spent waiting for tests that have been cancelled.
To add to the annoyance, my Instructor is leaving tomorrow to join the police full time. So now, I no longer have an instructor who knows me/has taught me and I may well have to adapt to a new BSM car.
Im absolutely gutted at everything, I have been waiting for 17 years already and this is beginning to really get to me. Getting through the test is becoming a painfully tedius experience and insurance is a joke.
Sorry for the long rant, I have just had enough of everything.
Ben "lucky" CA
*Not at any PH meets in the forseable future, depressed and without a car / instructor / hope.*
>>> Edited by BCA on Wednesday 19th February 16:50
So, here we are today, the test day. My test was at 8:40 - well, no it wasnt. THEY CANCELLED IT AGAIN DUE TO FROST!!!!!. Numerous phone calls later and I have no news on when my re-tests re-test is. It hasnt been a brilliant month all in anyway, but this is starting to take the p!ss.
Third time lucky? maybe, I hope so. Its annoying enough having to have one test cancelled, but two is beyond acceptable. Now, I have no choice but to wait and hope they can get me a test date within the next month.
I honestly cant believe how long it is taking to get me driving, its taken 5 months so far, 3 months of which have been spent waiting for tests that have been cancelled.
To add to the annoyance, my Instructor is leaving tomorrow to join the police full time. So now, I no longer have an instructor who knows me/has taught me and I may well have to adapt to a new BSM car.
Im absolutely gutted at everything, I have been waiting for 17 years already and this is beginning to really get to me. Getting through the test is becoming a painfully tedius experience and insurance is a joke.
Sorry for the long rant, I have just had enough of everything.
Ben "lucky" CA
*Not at any PH meets in the forseable future, depressed and without a car / instructor / hope.*
>>> Edited by BCA on Wednesday 19th February 16:50
Take it easy Ben ol'chap otherwise by the time you actually get a test you'll be so frustated you'll stuff it up and have to wait a month for the retest.
Go find something you can let your steam off at (playstation, 5knuckle baguette etc etc) - you'll feel better soon.
Little bro (littlegearl) had it tough on his test, and ended up having to wait yonks to pass - i think in all truth he wanted to pass too much, the examiner saw this i think and it may have counted against him.
Doesn't count for much, but we've all been there, so keep practising and you'll be cool!! (alternatvively you could always torch your local examination centre to prove your point at their inability) :justkiddingorrifcer:
Maybe you should go along to the PHer karting meet for a go behind the wheel to loose some frustration???
Go find something you can let your steam off at (playstation, 5knuckle baguette etc etc) - you'll feel better soon.
Little bro (littlegearl) had it tough on his test, and ended up having to wait yonks to pass - i think in all truth he wanted to pass too much, the examiner saw this i think and it may have counted against him.
Doesn't count for much, but we've all been there, so keep practising and you'll be cool!! (alternatvively you could always torch your local examination centre to prove your point at their inability) :justkiddingorrifcer:
Maybe you should go along to the PHer karting meet for a go behind the wheel to loose some frustration???
EXACTLY - the frost wasnt even too bad this morning, certainly by 8:40 it was fine. Even with the frost, there was still more grip everywhere than with it being raining - I had a short blat with the corsa to "get it all out of my system" - chucked it about without the slightest hint of it slipping.
Will have to wait and see, but am so depressed at the moment its just too much. Also tried sitting in a few cars, cant fit in a Ford Ka easily Polo is ok though, just a bit dull.
Currently listening to Rage Against The Machine "How I Could Just Kill A Man" on repeat, slowly feeling better... need to buy a punch bag tho.
Good luck to racegirl, I hope all goes well. With a bit of luck (about damn time) I may well get a test before that.
Edited to add - only paid for one so far, still havent had one yet though !!!!!!!!!!!! ARGH
Edited again to add - Getting too big for Karts now (6'3") Although, when is it/ where is it??? Was going to go for an airfield day soon (in dads Kartbera) but thats all gone downt he pan, so need some petrolheaded thrills...
>> Edited by BCA on Wednesday 19th February 17:13
>> Edited by BCA on Wednesday 19th February 17:16
Will have to wait and see, but am so depressed at the moment its just too much. Also tried sitting in a few cars, cant fit in a Ford Ka easily
Polo is ok though, just a bit dull. Currently listening to Rage Against The Machine "How I Could Just Kill A Man" on repeat, slowly feeling better... need to buy a punch bag tho.
Good luck to racegirl, I hope all goes well. With a bit of luck (about damn time) I may well get a test before that.
Edited to add - only paid for one so far, still havent had one yet though !!!!!!!!!!!! ARGH
Edited again to add - Getting too big for Karts now (6'3") Although, when is it/ where is it??? Was going to go for an airfield day soon (in dads Kartbera) but thats all gone downt he pan, so need some petrolheaded thrills...
>> Edited by BCA on Wednesday 19th February 17:13
>> Edited by BCA on Wednesday 19th February 17:16
I failed the first two times....
...beleive me that's worse.
I should cool off. If you make a big thing about it it will only be harder when the time comes....
...Kev, was there a knob gag in there? I think I half spotted it on the way past.
... To this day I beleive the only reason I passed the third time was that I thought I failed it very early on, so no longer gave a toss.
You've got treat as if it's nothing, 'cos like Buffalo says of you want it too much the examiner knows and that may count against you. The last thing he/she wants is to unleash a 17 y/o ph'er into it's natual habitat*.
Pretend to already be a "broken willed numptie" and you'll do fine.
Mouse.
*You want to be careful about doing that too. It's sound advice to get a lift away from the test station, whether you pass or not. I did.
...beleive me that's worse.
I should cool off. If you make a big thing about it it will only be harder when the time comes....
...Kev, was there a knob gag in there? I think I half spotted it on the way past.
... To this day I beleive the only reason I passed the third time was that I thought I failed it very early on, so no longer gave a toss.
You've got treat as if it's nothing, 'cos like Buffalo says of you want it too much the examiner knows and that may count against you. The last thing he/she wants is to unleash a 17 y/o ph'er into it's natual habitat*.
Pretend to already be a "broken willed numptie" and you'll do fine.
Mouse.
*You want to be careful about doing that too. It's sound advice to get a lift away from the test station, whether you pass or not. I did.
Buffalo said:
Little bro (littlegearl) had it tough on his test, and ended up having to wait yonks to pass - i think in all truth he wanted to pass too much, the examiner saw this i think and it may have counted against him.
yep i can agree with that!!!
i failed my first test due to a stupid error, but from then on it was just a case of the examiners thinking i was too confident...
i failed my second test for doing 28mph in a 30 FFS!!!
if i were you, i'd head down to the local test station and say "i'm not leaving until you give me a FREE driving test tomorrow!!! - this is beyond a joke!!!"
you could always try threatening to sue them from a loss of earnings perspective!!! - i don't know where you would stand from a legal point of view but you might be able to argue that due to there dicking around you have lost earnings or something due to having to have 2 days off work and the possibility of passing your test over a month ago...
worth a try!?!
CarZee said: Edit: What might be of consolation though is that I failed my first test, whereupon I went to bed and sulked for 2 days solid
>> Edited by CarZee (moderator) on Wednesday 19th February 17:03
After his test my brother came back saying he came second. As you might expect this caused us some puzzlement. However as he is a lawyer it didn't take us long to fall in. By definition if you come first you pass, if you come second you fail.
Get a test in an adjacent town. I took my first test in Cheltenham and failed. 
The re-test date was months in the future (like you are experiencing), however nearby Gloucester had a much shorter waiting list and I got a re-test scheduled for a matter of weeks, rather than months, in the future.
The re-test date was months in the future (like you are experiencing), however nearby Gloucester had a much shorter waiting list and I got a re-test scheduled for a matter of weeks, rather than months, in the future.
I failed the first two times....
Rather than the Second two times?
Hmm ... I did my test at 8.40 in the morning in November.. past first time
... and passed me theory test with full marks too.. Serves you right for going with BSM TBH ...
.. the cunts wanted me to buty 40 lessons in advance.. including 15 lessons on their special 'simulator' .. and some books .. for a measly cost of £550!! 
Ended up going with some local guy in a H-reg micra at £14 a lesson ... muuch better!
I would have thought the DSA would be keen to see how someone handles REAL world conditions. A light frost is nothing, infact, I would have been happy to have driven in the snow on the 30th.
The test should go ahead no matter what the weather, its not as if im going to get up every morning and assess the amount of frost before I get into my car is it?
Anyway, cooling off slowly. Will be on the look out for a car from now on as im bored of waiting to pass before I get my car. I would rather have it waiting for me after my test with pistonheads/Bookatrack sticker showing proud.
Just waiting for the next test date now. Also need to sort out a new instructor with BSM, which will be difficult because im going to insist on a 5-door corsa 1.2 because I know the car.
If I do fail first time, rest assured my buisness will be taken elsewhere. BSM have been awful, which is one of the reason my instructor wanted to leave for the police. They cost far too much, I have to suffer a corsa and the organisation within BSM is appalling.
The only thing thats stopping me going elsewhere now is that im used to driving the corsa/ know check points for manouvers around the car and dont want to have to try and learn it all within the space of a few days.
As for the Karting thing, im in Birmingham, but will travel to get a lift in an elise if thats what you are implying
lovely car.
The test should go ahead no matter what the weather, its not as if im going to get up every morning and assess the amount of frost before I get into my car is it?
Anyway, cooling off slowly. Will be on the look out for a car from now on as im bored of waiting to pass before I get my car. I would rather have it waiting for me after my test with pistonheads/Bookatrack sticker showing proud.
Just waiting for the next test date now. Also need to sort out a new instructor with BSM, which will be difficult because im going to insist on a 5-door corsa 1.2 because I know the car.
If I do fail first time, rest assured my buisness will be taken elsewhere. BSM have been awful, which is one of the reason my instructor wanted to leave for the police. They cost far too much, I have to suffer a corsa and the organisation within BSM is appalling.
The only thing thats stopping me going elsewhere now is that im used to driving the corsa/ know check points for manouvers around the car and dont want to have to try and learn it all within the space of a few days.
As for the Karting thing, im in Birmingham, but will travel to get a lift in an elise if thats what you are implying
lovely car.
JonRB said: Get a test in an adjacent town. I took my first test in Cheltenham and failed.
The re-test date was months in the future (like you are experiencing), however nearby Gloucester had a much shorter waiting list and I got a re-test scheduled for a matter of weeks, rather than months, in the future.
Wow, more cheltenham people. I took (and passed) my test in Cheltenham, with one of the examiners from Gloucester. I booked a saturday test, and the saturday exeminer doens't do tests when the football's on (traffic, parking, season ticket etc.). So they get the guys from gloucester over who:
A) don't know the routes
b) just want to get home coz it's saturday.
Result. Costs more for a saturday test though.
BCA said:
If I do fail first time, rest assured my buisness will be taken elsewhere. BSM have been awful, which is one of the reason my instructor wanted to leave for the police. They cost far too much, I have to suffer a corsa and the organisation within BSM is appalling.
i don't know if i would do this, but as your having to change instructors you may as well... one of my mates failed twice in his learner car, then took the test in his own polo and passed...
i have to agree with your comments on BSM though, let me guess after your first lesson they said "ooh, your gonna need 30 hours..." as in, thats my holiday paid for...
one of my best memories about their organisation skills is being told i have paid for 2 (or 3 can't remember now) 2 hour lessons and have not booked them, so i say i'll book 'em now...
having booked them, i get told i have booked 3 (or 4) lessons i haven't paid for!!! chuffing brilliant!
littlegearl said:
i don't know if i would do this, but as your having to change instructors you may as well... one of my mates failed twice in his learner car, then took the test in his own polo and passed...
i have to agree with your comments on BSM though, let me guess after your first lesson they said "ooh, your gonna need 30 hours..." as in, thats my holiday paid for...
Chances are my test may be within a month and I dont want to have to learn how to do certain manouvers in a different car within such a small period of time, with the corsa reversing round a corner for example is a piece of cake.
BSM did actually say that at the start, but I got bored of having to talk to them and booked through my instructor instead, who was very insitant that I wouldnt need many lessons. The only reason I ended up having so many was to keep me used to the car as I waited for my tests.
Its been a very long and tedius few months, what I had guessed would take two months has taken five. One thing is for sure, I wont be taking any chances for a long time with Mr Gatso as im certainly not re-taking the bastard test any more.
Ben "Lucky" CA
If anyone knows of a 97 or newer blue/silver polo 1.3CL / 1.4CL for sale under 3.5k within the midlands, please let me know!!
***yes I know thats going to be harder to insure than a Ka, but I can fit in it and it will be dads second car for when the cerb goes in for services etc. Although I would like to add that the Cerb has been superb as an only car and will continue to be his daily driver. Utterly fabulous car.
Edited to add: there are HUGE waiting lists everywhere within 50 miles of here and I know the test routes here so I wont go elsewhere.
>> Edited by BCA on Wednesday 19th February 23:47
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