A funny thing happened on the way to the test
Discussion
slightly off topic but my work mate knocked someone down on a crossing on his test (one of five he took in total)
this was his shortest as the ambulance then the police delays the instructor walked to the scene he had done less than 2 miles from the test centre.
Richard was not a born driver
this was his shortest as the ambulance then the police delays the instructor walked to the scene he had done less than 2 miles from the test centre.
Richard was not a born driver
Parking was at a premium at the test centre when my mother arrived to take her umpteenth test.
So, her instructor parallel parked into the only available space. It was a tight spot and the instructor left the steering on full lock in order to facilitate a smooth exit come test time.
Sadly, my mum was so concerned about missing the car parked in front that she panicked, shot out of the space, across the road and drove full square into another car parked opposite.
Another fail.........
So, her instructor parallel parked into the only available space. It was a tight spot and the instructor left the steering on full lock in order to facilitate a smooth exit come test time.
Sadly, my mum was so concerned about missing the car parked in front that she panicked, shot out of the space, across the road and drove full square into another car parked opposite.
Another fail.........
Despite living in Cardiff, booked my post-Covid test in Pembroke Dock as much shorter waiting list and also my partner lives nearby. Day of test, instructor turns up (with lots of time to spare thankfully) and has me drive the two hours there, following the Sat Nav which he'd set.
Only when we arrived in Haverfordwest did it become apparent that he'd set it to the wrong town's test centre. So reset to Pembroke Dock, and drove the further 20 minutes or so there, only to find Google didn't agree with the DVSA on the location of the test centre.
After about another 20 minutes of driving around a single postcode, eventually spotted the tiny sheet of A4 paper in the test centre window which identified it as such, and pulled up just in time to see the examiner emerge to start the test.
So after near enough 3 hours of solid driving including an hour of solid stress, went straight into the test with no break whatsoever. Resulted in a fairly resigned attitude to the test itself though, which obviously helped as passed with 3 minors.
Only when we arrived in Haverfordwest did it become apparent that he'd set it to the wrong town's test centre. So reset to Pembroke Dock, and drove the further 20 minutes or so there, only to find Google didn't agree with the DVSA on the location of the test centre.
After about another 20 minutes of driving around a single postcode, eventually spotted the tiny sheet of A4 paper in the test centre window which identified it as such, and pulled up just in time to see the examiner emerge to start the test.
So after near enough 3 hours of solid driving including an hour of solid stress, went straight into the test with no break whatsoever. Resulted in a fairly resigned attitude to the test itself though, which obviously helped as passed with 3 minors.
my driving instructor used to practice his AmDram performance once he was comfortable with my driving. Had an hours lesson before my test, to relax me, so had a preview of his part in HMS Pinafore, at full volume, before the examiner arrived for my test! 
I passed! Still get 'flashbacks' when I hear or see bits of that opera though and it was 40 odd years ago!
I passed! Still get 'flashbacks' when I hear or see bits of that opera though and it was 40 odd years ago!I got stuck in a traffic jam on mine for 20 minutes, scorching hot July day with no aircon. I did pass, but the tester looked a bit hacked off
Actually, no I agree with him. He should have failed.I see what you did there. Or maybe I didn’t…
KAgantua said:
J4CKO said:
My middle son failed his the other day, after the examiner telling him he had passed !
He told him and then a minute later changed his mind.
Thats not on, hope you complained.He told him and then a minute later changed his mind.
Actually, no I agree with him. He should have failed.
A day I shall never forget.
Firstly, I was desperate to pass; who isn’t?
I took my test in 1986 in the leafy northern town of Harrogate.
Arriving at the test centre in my mothers 957cc Fiesta, I got chatting in the waiting room with another young lad who had managed to hit an old lady who was crossing the road on his first attempt. Clearly this wasn’t funny to anyone else, except us, least of all the old woman, but the nervous tension was instantly broken and we ended up howling with inappropriate laughter.
My examiner was a small chap in a brown suit, with a substantial clipboard. In those days, this was used to slap the dashboard as part of the emergency stop procedure.
As we walked to the Fiesta, he was interrupted by a woman calling after him.
Seemingly, this woman was his boss, and was appraising him, so had to travel with us.
Sadly, this lady was colossal. Her rear end was like a shire horse, and the effort of her graceless entry into the rear of my three door Ford will live with me forever.
Once in, she struggled to get the seatbelt on ( in fact, I don’t think she did, she just held the end of it) and filled the whole vehicle with the pungent aroma of her perfume.
I’m guessing it was something like Tweed by Lentheric, but I may be just making that up.
Once underway, the route involved a substantial hill, soon after setting off.
The Fiesta Popular was not really up to the task, and a swift change into first gear was needed to maintain momentum.
The whole thing was a comedy, the bloke in the passenger seat was more nervous than I, and I had to open the window to avoid being sick with the intense smell.
Having satisfied the examiner, and his examiner I was awarded a pass. No further old ladies were injured as far as I know, and I became, in that instant, a driving God.
As you do.
Firstly, I was desperate to pass; who isn’t?
I took my test in 1986 in the leafy northern town of Harrogate.
Arriving at the test centre in my mothers 957cc Fiesta, I got chatting in the waiting room with another young lad who had managed to hit an old lady who was crossing the road on his first attempt. Clearly this wasn’t funny to anyone else, except us, least of all the old woman, but the nervous tension was instantly broken and we ended up howling with inappropriate laughter.
My examiner was a small chap in a brown suit, with a substantial clipboard. In those days, this was used to slap the dashboard as part of the emergency stop procedure.
As we walked to the Fiesta, he was interrupted by a woman calling after him.
Seemingly, this woman was his boss, and was appraising him, so had to travel with us.
Sadly, this lady was colossal. Her rear end was like a shire horse, and the effort of her graceless entry into the rear of my three door Ford will live with me forever.
Once in, she struggled to get the seatbelt on ( in fact, I don’t think she did, she just held the end of it) and filled the whole vehicle with the pungent aroma of her perfume.
I’m guessing it was something like Tweed by Lentheric, but I may be just making that up.
Once underway, the route involved a substantial hill, soon after setting off.
The Fiesta Popular was not really up to the task, and a swift change into first gear was needed to maintain momentum.
The whole thing was a comedy, the bloke in the passenger seat was more nervous than I, and I had to open the window to avoid being sick with the intense smell.
Having satisfied the examiner, and his examiner I was awarded a pass. No further old ladies were injured as far as I know, and I became, in that instant, a driving God.
As you do.
In 1985 you were still allowed to be taught by your dad (ie no formal lessons), especially if he was a serving Police officer. On the way to my test I did everything wrong: clipped kerbs, mucked up the parallel parking, stalled etc. My dad left me at the test centre with low expectations, my cosmetically-smart 1975 Morris Marina looking resplendent in its Sandglow paint.
The test was going well: I did stall, but recovered well and the examiner assured me that this would be put down to a mechanical issue.
Upon responding the regulation slap on the dashboard, the unrestrained can of underseal, which caused a surprise on the back seat flew forward and hit the examiner's seat, which raised an eyebrow. The remaining manoeuvres passed off without incident, although I had to park a short walk from the test centre due to not fancying my chances of slotting the car into one of the available gaps.
The Highway Code questions were progressing nicely, until I was asked how far I could venture into Common Land before it became an offence. Any idea? No, me neither. I glumly admitted as much and resigned myself to a fail
I passed.
I asked my dad (a serving Police officer, remember) the same question, and it took him two days to find the answer:
The test was going well: I did stall, but recovered well and the examiner assured me that this would be put down to a mechanical issue.
Upon responding the regulation slap on the dashboard, the unrestrained can of underseal, which caused a surprise on the back seat flew forward and hit the examiner's seat, which raised an eyebrow. The remaining manoeuvres passed off without incident, although I had to park a short walk from the test centre due to not fancying my chances of slotting the car into one of the available gaps.
The Highway Code questions were progressing nicely, until I was asked how far I could venture into Common Land before it became an offence. Any idea? No, me neither. I glumly admitted as much and resigned myself to a fail
I passed.
I asked my dad (a serving Police officer, remember) the same question, and it took him two days to find the answer:
Gov.uk which sadly wasn't available in 1985 said:
Common land
You may be committing an offence if you drive across common land to access your property without having a legal right to do so.
You’re committing an offence if you drive:
- without lawful authority on specific urban commons (known as ‘section 193 commons’) to which the public has a right of access
- on any land without lawful authority, except within 15 yards of a road in order to park on that land
You can acquire a legal right to drive over common land by prescription or an easement.
You may be committing an offence if you drive across common land to access your property without having a legal right to do so.
You’re committing an offence if you drive:
- without lawful authority on specific urban commons (known as ‘section 193 commons’) to which the public has a right of access
- on any land without lawful authority, except within 15 yards of a road in order to park on that land
You can acquire a legal right to drive over common land by prescription or an easement.
I failed mine pulling out of the test center if that counts?
Pulling out checked both ways, no traffic. Pulled out just as some knob came around the blind corner, sideways in a 3 series coupe before overtaking me on the wrong side of the road.
Apparently that was my fault
2nd test my examiner fell asleep!
Pulling out checked both ways, no traffic. Pulled out just as some knob came around the blind corner, sideways in a 3 series coupe before overtaking me on the wrong side of the road.
Apparently that was my fault
2nd test my examiner fell asleep!
Not funny as such but on my first test (of 3, I'm ashamed). The lady got into the car (E82 116d) and wanted to adjust the seat. She pulled the handle which dumper her rotund posterior on the floor. Not being familiar with the seating adjustments since my instructors position and I were identical, I didn't know how to move it back up (turns out you have to take your weight off the seat and lift it up, how stupid is that??) so she spent the entire test barely able to see over the dashboard. She then subsequently failed me for going through an amber light, going "too close" to a parked car (I still remain that they could've opened their door fully and we wouldn't have hit it) and a lack of observations on my reverse into a bay (I'll begrudgingly accept that one).
2nd one I managed to fail less than 10 metres from the end of my test. What a farce.
2nd one I managed to fail less than 10 metres from the end of my test. What a farce.
I passed my test first time on 30th Jan 1999. The practice test a few days before I failed with 4 majors, but wasn't expecting much.
The day before it had snowed, and hadn't fully cleared by the time i had my test. The examiner was more interested in discussing the millennium and what a big event it was, that my nerves disappeared and I just relaxed chatting my way round.
Ended up with 3 minors I think.
The day before it had snowed, and hadn't fully cleared by the time i had my test. The examiner was more interested in discussing the millennium and what a big event it was, that my nerves disappeared and I just relaxed chatting my way round.
Ended up with 3 minors I think.
Within the first 5 minutes of my test in Sutton, I approached a mini roundabout and gave way to the right. All clear so I started to set off, only for some berk who suddenly came into view from my left and shot straight over. Fortunately I reacted in time and hit the brakes.
Needless to say it didn't help the nerves for the next couple of minutes but at the end of the test the examiner said I had passed. I brought up the incident and he said well done - that was marked as your emergency stop
Needless to say it didn't help the nerves for the next couple of minutes but at the end of the test the examiner said I had passed. I brought up the incident and he said well done - that was marked as your emergency stop
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