drooboy
Jane Asher
Too good for Nancy
Posts: 110
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Post by drooboy on Jul 11, 2007 13:32:52 GMT
I passed on my 4th test when I was 18. The first test I just went to pieces and failed on just about everything (though I didn't maim anyone), the second test I screwed up the reverse park and the third test I got into the wrong lane turning right at a roundabout (plus a few too many minors). Somehow on the 4th test I managed to get through with only about 4 minors.
I'm now 27. The last time I drove I was 18 and a half. I am now absolutely terrified about taking refresher lessons and getting behind a wheel again. I feel I should apologise to my parents for funding all those lessons and tests really.
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Tacye Marley
Su Pollard
O Hai. I iz Homofobe nao.
Posts: 404
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Post by Tacye Marley on Jul 11, 2007 13:44:49 GMT
My problems were mainly roundabout based- I once nearly ran into a lorry on one, or I just don't have a clue which lane I need to be in- or speed related- I never seem to be going fast enough, apart from when I'm 10 mph over the speed limit.
My mum failed about six times before she passed (she never did like being told she was wrong) so I think being a bad driver may be genetic. Well. My sister passed first time. She gets really upset during these conversations- it really is unusual to pass first time, and those odd ones that do just get abused. She is a good driver, and not at all 'practical' as Nicholas put it. I think she was maybe just lucky.
My best mate passed on her fourth attempt and got the same examiner the first three times. The second time she told him he was talking bullshit when he said that she failed, so it's not that much of a surprise she failed the third time. When she finally passed she hugged the examiner though, thereby altering her examiner karma.
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Post by pauliepoos on Jul 11, 2007 14:47:09 GMT
I passed third time lucky. I had a series of lessons with a horrible little Scottish man who used to shout a lot and I wasn't really confident enough to say I wanted to stop learning with him. I failed twice with him.
I had a break for about a year and then for Christmas had a present of 10 lessons and the test itself, with BSM. The instructor was really patient (what he didn't know about musicals was no one's business) and I had a mock test which I failed, and then passed the proper one.
And a few years later the first horrible little Scottish man was sent to prison for setting fire to his wife and her clothes. He had anger issues.
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Post by Steven on Jul 11, 2007 14:49:08 GMT
Where I lived, there were two places you could go to take your test: Broadstairs (hilly, full of blind corners) or Folkestone (one of the most evil one-way systems known to man). There were several examiners in Folkestone who were plainly evil, and generally only passed you if you were a pretty girl in a short skirt.
I was lucky enough to take my test in Broadstairs.
Out of interest, just thinking about Paul's most recent post, has anyone ever actually passed a mock test? I failed all of mine spectacularly.
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Post by Elly on Jul 11, 2007 15:20:15 GMT
Oh God, you're all making me really nervous. I'm 23, started learning to drive WELL over a year ago (I tell people it's been a year, though I think they're going to suss it out soon) and have never felt the need for any great hurry. Apart from, now I'm a grown-up, with a grown-up teaching job to start in September, not being able to drive is seriously diminishing my choice of living location to a select one (right outside the school, basically, as it's not near the train station, and only has one shitty bus line anywhere near it.) I can get a lift with a member of staff there, but she obviously resents it, and if she's ever not going in I will be stranded.
So I basically need to pass by September. I haven't even passed my theory test yet. I need to pass both first time, really, or I'm a bit screwed. I will prove you all wrong! I will pass first time!
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Post by David on Jul 11, 2007 15:20:18 GMT
I've failed twice.
However, here in Ireland, you can drive away by yourself after failing the test, due to a long-running issue over test scheduling. So there are thousands of drivers who have been driving for years without having done either a written or practical test.
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Lisa
Su Pollard
Campaigning for the ghostly return of Toby - always my favourite serial killer
Posts: 454
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Post by Lisa on Jul 11, 2007 15:29:12 GMT
So I basically need to pass by September. I haven't even passed my theory test yet. I need to pass both first time, really, or I'm a bit screwed. I will prove you all wrong! I will pass first time! Oh Elly, I don't envy you at all - I'll be thinking good driving test thoughts for you too!
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Post by pauliepoos on Jul 11, 2007 15:34:56 GMT
I can understand adults who can't drive, what I can't understand is grown ups who never learned to ride a bike.
I was talking to a friend about it and it's not as if it's an economic or class issue.
I might be biased as the last guy I dated couldn't ride a bike and that was one of the many things I grew to dislike about him.
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Post by Nurse Dunkley on Jul 11, 2007 16:03:47 GMT
I can't ride a bike! My dad tried to make the 6 year old me learn, and I was quite happy until he took the stabilisers off and I tipped over. I haven't got back on one since. It may take longer but I'm happy to walk.
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Tacye Marley
Su Pollard
O Hai. I iz Homofobe nao.
Posts: 404
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Post by Tacye Marley on Jul 11, 2007 16:43:03 GMT
Is it really impossible to forget how to ride a bike? Cause I haven't ridden one in about five years and I'm scared I've forgotton.
It took me ages to learn to ride a bike, I was eight or nine I think. After years of my dad trying (and failing) I did it by myself. It took me ages to learn to swim as well. I think I'll just stick with walking.
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Post by Nurse Dunkley on Jul 11, 2007 17:29:01 GMT
Is it really impossible to forget how to ride a bike? Cause I haven't ridden one in about five years and I'm scared I've forgotton. I think so, otherwise people surely wouldn't say "it's like riding a bike" so much.
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melody
Slabface
Buddy!!!
Posts: 12
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Post by melody on Jul 11, 2007 17:59:18 GMT
I think I managed to forget. I had a bike when I was about 6, but then a few years back had to get a mate to teach me again. She ran along beside me holding the bike and everything. I can do it now though and get to cycle to work in a fetching tabard.
I'm also learning to drive a bit late at 31, I never got round to learning but lived in America for a bit a couple of years ago. I had a few lessons and passed their excellent 5 minute test when the man told me my left turns weren't very good so I should practice that and gave me a license. I'm now learning over here and its really scary. Not looking forward to failing my test in a few weeks.
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Post by Gordon on Jul 11, 2007 18:05:42 GMT
Well 2 out of my 3 instructors, 1 was a married, closeted gay who when I said I had a sore throat told me to "bend over and let me sort you out" (tsk!) who used to say "a man's work is never finished, a woman's is never started" and the other and final of all them I have suspicions had a foot fetish and used to 'pop into his Mothers' and go to the window and relieve himself (I thought I saw him peeking whilst sort of bopping, but I do have a rather silly imagination at times I guess). I passed second time around after over a year of learning, but my theory had only 2 mistakes.
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Post by boyboyboy on Jul 11, 2007 18:31:33 GMT
So I basically need to pass by September. I haven't even passed my theory test yet. I need to pass both first time, really, or I'm a bit screwed. I will prove you all wrong! I will pass first time! Book a theory test now. There's not too much to the theory test, so long as you spend enough time going through the book of example questions and the highway code. You can get friends to quiz you and it'll be like SAT practice in every brilliant american tv show ever. I'm a bit gutted it's on computer now. I wanted to fill the boxes in to make a skull pattern a la Claire from Six Feet Under. (I might be making that pattern up). The hazard perception test is a right bitch, mind. I lost a bunch of points for being too trigger-happy. It's definitely worth practicing this element of the theory test well in advance. Once you know what you're doing, it's a piece of piss. Until it all clicks together it can be a nightmare.
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Post by Bungle on Jul 11, 2007 20:51:45 GMT
I passed on my fifth attempt.
I'm a terrible driver. I also hate it almost pathologically. I drove for about two years and then gave up.
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Post by SweatShop on Jul 11, 2007 21:51:18 GMT
My dad is now accusing me of being lazy because I really don't give a toss about learning to drive and am not as keen as loads of other kids.
I love the prospect of owning a scooter. I reckon I could drive a scooter because it's more like a bike and not quite as big as a car. And despite me looking like a bit of a prat riding it, it would get me from A to B.
Unfortunately, my dad informed me that you really need to be able to drive an actual car to impress any potential employer.
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Post by jode* on Jul 12, 2007 10:09:26 GMT
I'm sorry to buck the trend, but I passed first time.
I'm a terrible driver - the only reason I passed was because they didn't take me on any of the massive roundabouts/dual carriageways, and the reverse around the corner was on a corner I had done at least 20 times before. I think I was lucky with the tester too.
With the driving test, as long as you don't make any major mistakes, you can make tons of little mistakes as long as they aren't the same mistake three times. I stalled the car twice and still passed.
I think it helps being older when taking the test. I was 23, but if I was 17 I would have been shit scared.
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Post by David Hunter on Jul 12, 2007 10:48:43 GMT
I can't drive.
Being self employed it took me till the age of 28 to have the money to take lessons. Never having had one lesson before I decided to do one of those courses where you start on the Monday at 9am and drive every day until the test on the Friday afternoon. Yes, I was completely mad.
The instructor plotted the course all round his favourite eateries and we'd often stop for a break so he could indulge in a cream tea or pie and chips.
Being a complete novice I wasn't very good and had no confidence. I thought I was doing okay until, on the Thursday afternoon, with the test the following afternoon, he said, 'We haven't done roundabouts yet' and took me to one of the biggest in Glasgow as rush hour approached.
It was so traumatic we both agreed I should cancel the test. He then tried to get me to book a further week, but I'd used up all the available money I had that year so couldn't do it. I think now he'd held me back in order to get more cash from me.
Wasn't long after that I took poorly and haven't had the chance to learn again. Still, in this age of global warming I don't mind taking the bus.
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Post by scallywagxx1 on Jul 12, 2007 11:55:41 GMT
It took me until my 4th test to pass, started having lessons on my 17th birthday and eventually passed just over 2 years ago when i was 23! My first test was a spectacular failure, I got 20 something minors and 4 majors, one of which was stalling in the middle of a box junction then wailing 'what do i do' as the cars i was holding up started beeping at me! I then burst into very noisy sobs and the cold mean man who was my examiner took no pity on me whatsoever and continued to bark instructions at me for another half an hour. I was a wreck when i eventually returned and cried so hard i made myself heave:( Im now a fairly decent driver (so i think, altho every time i have my bf in the car he breathes a sigh of 'thank god im safe' whenever i get to wherever we're going!) so take heart boyboyboy, you'll pass one day and get to achieve your goal of going to Alton Towers!! xxx
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Post by Nurse Dunkley on Jul 12, 2007 12:19:40 GMT
Oh dear, I've just had the worst driving lesson ever. I was doing things like pulling out in front of other people and going up to third instead of going down to one. The instructor told me I'd never driven so badly before and that I had 5 majors and fuckloads of minors.
All because I'm a big bag of nervous. I've got Rescue Remedy on hand for tomorrow, but I'm thinking I may have to do a George Michael to have any chance of being calm enough to pass.
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boxedjoy
Su Pollard
Don't you wish your snack was as tempting as this?
Posts: 369
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Post by boxedjoy on Jul 12, 2007 12:27:42 GMT
I used to live in the middle of nowhere and have to walk half a mile to the nearest bus-stop/shop/train station. Then we moved to right beside the town centre, and my mother and two of my pals learned to drive. I don't feel that I need to just yet. I can get the train from two streets away to Glasgow City Centre and walk up a hill to my uni. The money I would spend on parking and petrol wouldn't really justify it. But I know I will have to learn if I want to have any hope of a career. I'm scared because my mother had 200 lessons in 8 years, failed 5 times and still can't do things like "right hand turns in busy areas" or "motorways".
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Post by Steven on Jul 12, 2007 13:21:42 GMT
Oh dear, I've just had the worst driving lesson ever. I was doing things like pulling out in front of other people and going up to third instead of going down to one. The instructor told me I'd never driven so badly before and that I had 5 majors and fuckloads of minors. All because I'm a big bag of nervous. I've got Rescue Remedy on hand for tomorrow, but I'm thinking I may have to do a George Michael to have any chance of being calm enough to pass. If it helps, had a mock test a day or so before my driving test and I did just as badly as you did, but I still passed my test when the time came. I maintain to this day that the only time I've ever done a completely perfect reverse round a corner was during my test, because I fucked it up completely almost every time before or since. Although in fairness, it's not the sort of thing you have to do very often once you've passed, unless you're the sort of person who gets lost a lot, or if you live in a cul-de-sac that's too narrow to do a three-point turn in (like my parents do).
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Post by Becky on Jul 12, 2007 14:26:57 GMT
My mock test was awful. I was majorly stressed with other things in my life anyway so I ended up breaking down in tears half way round. I don't think the guy in the car with me knew what to do.
I still can't really do parallel parking. I've rarely done the reverse round the corner thing and when I have I don't care about it being close to the kerb. The 3 point turn is useful, but it doesn't really matter about bashing into kerbs when you're out on your own, unless there's someone standing there of course. I quite like doing them anyway.
A tip I will give you is to look smart. I'm sure that if you present yourself well they are probably going to be a bit nicer to you. I wore a hoodie on my first test, which was probably a mistake. It might not make any difference at all, but best to be on the safe side.
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Post by thelovelykate on Jul 12, 2007 20:57:23 GMT
Wahey! I am the biggest driving failure here for I didn't passed my test until the EIGHTH attempt. In my defense on most of them I failed for fairly minor stuff that now that I can actually drive I do all the time (driving too slowly, not stopping at STOP junctions etc...). However on test 2 I did manage to do a right hand turn on to completely the wrong side of the road and then panic a bit when I saw loads of cars coming towards me. That wasn't my finest hour.
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Post by [james] on Jul 12, 2007 21:04:25 GMT
All because I'm a big bag of nervous. I've got Rescue Remedy on hand for tomorrow, but I'm thinking I may have to do a George Michael to have any chance of being calm enough to pass. I'm not sure a shit duet with Mutya is the answer, Dunkley. Pop culture references aside, good luck for tomorrow!
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