General Chat

It was twice on the car and (I think) first on the motorcycle.

The car failure was down to the fact that the driving school turned up to the test with a different car to the one I'd been learning on.

That was many years ago and probably approaching a million miles in a car and a couple of hundred thousand miles on a motorbike ago.

I don't drive, never have driven.

OH took his test in Chester back in the '50s, when he was 16 or 17

He got a woman (!) examiner the first time, and failed.

A few weeks later he was contacted by the centre, and was asked to take the test again. This time it was the Chief Examiner .......... and he passed.

Later, his parents heard that the woman had been fired ............. she had never passed a young man on his first test!! Someone had finally complained, and all recent failures had been contacted and re-tested.




sylvia

Liz

I sat my test with every examiner at the Beford centre and I never blamed them. I knew all the routes and passed with the head examiner on the easier of the routes. Think they were glad to get rid of me. Strangely enough I am not a nervous driver but I could just not get past those tests.

I hope your son gets the break he needs to help him move on as it gets to be a vicious circle of retakes and refresher lessons. But as you say its all down to money. Its not fair is it? Fingers crossed for that lottery win.

Regards

Vera

Vera, it's over a year since he failed the second attempt and then his theory test ran out so he has to do that again first before taking more lessons. At the mo he doesn't have the money so it's all having to wait til he finds a job, I can't afford to help him any more sadly. Wish I could have a decent lottery or premium bond win to help him get his licence but no luck again this week.

My son is very anti drugs, even prescribed ones, so doubt he would take anything - when he took the test the second time he had a few refresher lessons and got a cancellation so he was within the theory test timing, but unfortunately he was also working overtime as well so was very tired. Bad timing all round and cost him over £100 just for that try. He has asked the Job Centre if they could help him with a loan for the lessons to widen his scope of jobs to go for if he has a licence but they keep saying no, not at the mo, keep asking us tho...... as if they expect the rules to change or something.

You must have been nervous to bolt before one test lol Glad you got there in the end, you must have been so pleased, did you kiss the examiner lol?

Lizx

I passed on test number 5! I think nerves got the better of me each time. I passed in a manual car but after a few years changed to automatic.

My Daughter passed her theory 1st time and her driving test 6th time. The Instructor could not understand why she kept failing and it was on different things each time. After test number 4 she took it at a different test centre and failed because she did 34 in a 30 mile zone. The last test was taken again at a different centre, she was put on a standby list if anyone else dropped out. This teast centre was not local to us, she didnt know the route and.... she passed :-D

She was mega excited and on the verge of hysteria. The examiner said he had never seen anyone quite so excited. Daughter told him it was her 6th test and what happened elsewhere. When he asked where she took the first 4 tests he said...Ah...... and that was all !!!!
A lot of her friends from School and College also failed at this particular place where she had failed and as soon as they went to other test centers they passed. Maybe somewhere less familiar my be helpful next time Mathew but keep trying its soooo worth it in the end.

Teresa

Oh my goodness thats a shame Liz. So he's paying how much now about £30 for an hours practice in effect. I'm sure he knows what he has to do.
May be that could go towards insurance instead if thats an option.

If his nerves get too much, his GP may help out but caution is needed on this. in order to get to the poiint where you are sufficiently relaxed but not too much so.

I sympathise. I'm only telling you this - I actually bolted before one of those 8 attempts.

Vera

Vera, I know some practice would help my son but as I only use o.h.'s car, I can't put son on insurance. It's such a shame.

I am hoping he will soon find a job and can then start having regular lessons.

Lizx

Me, first on a motorbike second on my car test.
My wife was first time on car and as I recall had two or three fails on her motorbike test. On her last attempt she rode out of the test centre and after a few hundred yards the bike spluttered to a halt, she had forgotten to turn the petrol tap on!
At that point she thought “Oh blow it” (or something like that, maybe a trifle stronger!) and convinced she had failed forgot her nerves and pottered around without worrying, as you can guess she passed with flying colours!
Good luck for next time!
Mayfield

When I took my test, I had been working for a forklift firm, so the steering/ gearchanging bit was not too bad............bearing in mind a forklift steers from the rear!!

It was the bit after I passed my test that I found particularly hairy. Out alone I just knew I was probably doing something wrong but didn't know what.

I thought that,if the police stopped me I would just apologize and tell them I was very new to driving.

Forty odd years on I am still not sure I am doing it right but I do seem to get away with it.

Jude, so nice to see you back.
Take Care

Julia in Derbyshire

Sharron.... :-0 :-D :-D

When I took mine you still did hand signals. I kind of thought I might have failed my second when I had one hand waving about outside and the other changing gear.

Third test I knew I had failed so just enjoyed the drive round.Passed that time.

Passed 1st time in 1974/5....you'll be fine next time:)

jude :-D

Liz although I don't wish to compare my 8 to your son's 2, I was surprised I kept failing but the instructor told me that rather than pay him I would be better to put petrol in someone's car and practice. I got incredibly nervous too which was out of character for me. It was only when I drove routinely as a learner that my confidence returned and I passed.

.Vera

I passed on the second attempt when in my early twenties but then didn't drive till I was 27 as I couldn't afford a car. I stopped driving in 1992ish to economise for a few months but never got the car out of the garage again (it was an old Avenger) Then I started driving again when I met o.h. (I was 50) he put me on his insurance and after a few scary tries I was ok and have since driven alone to Sussex from Norfolk and Buckingham from Norfolk and shared the driving to Wales and other places we have visited.

My son has sadly failed his test twice, surprising really as he cycles a lot and had a moped then a scooter for a few years. He just gets really nervous and makes silly mistakes, but can't afford to take more lessons etc at the mo as he is still out of work. It's so expensive now to put in for the theory test again and have more lessons etc etc.

I am really glad I got back on the road again, gives me so much freedom, but I only drive if I am feeling well and if my fm is a problem I won't get behind the wheel.

Lizx

I passed 2nd time ..Ist time the examiner said i failed because i did'nt look in my mirrors enough when i started off ...i mean how many times did he want me to look for goodness sake lol i looked in the wing mirror looked in the rear view mirror looked over my shoulder and again looked though the wing mirror nothing was comming down the road but he failed me :-D the 2nd time i was doing kanagroo jumps all along the road and he was sitting there rocking himself backwards and forwards until i stopped kanagrooing then he passed me :-S

Julie

and the same age when you finished. Unlike me :-(

Could never understand why I could not pass and only able to when I got help with daily routine driving.

Vera

I passed 1st time

Vera....Think i was the same age when i started

my instructor took me around the likely course, and advised caution on a railway bridge, there was a zebra crossing halfway up, and told me, if you have to stop here, you probably wont have to do a separate hill start!!

coincidentally.........thats what happened.......

Bob