Any driving examiners on forum

[Tiim533]

Oops. Thought it was today. Wish her well. My instructor , back in the day, told me to put the rear view mirror slightly off centre so when checking it I had to really make the effort so he could see me checking. Having a motorcycle licence first, I just used to glance and he couldn’t tell if I looked or not.

 

[Smart320]

I'm a motorcyclist so I do it anyway but even very basic advanced driving training such as provided by your employer will major on looking into the distance to read for potential hazards. Providing a running commentary of your observations is also useful and would make clear to an examiner that you had actually seen a hazard. Are you permitted to do that on a test ?

I do feel for young drivers as the test must be much more demanding than mine was 47 years ago. Back then it felt like they focused more on your ability to control the vehicle instead of tripping you up on technicalities. The test centre was opposite Strangeways prison in Manchester and the typical route included a lap around the prison walls. On the bike test you were hardly ever visible to the examiner when I except when he jumped out in front of you for the emergency stop. In retrospect the motorcycle test did very little to prepare you for safe riding in those days. I suppose a driving test is similar to an MOT in that having an easy pass is not necessarily doing you any favours.

When I took my motorcycle test about 50 years ago when the examiner jumped out for the emergency stop i panicked and accelerated, he had to jump back onto the pavement rather quickly, needless to say i failed

 

[wu56Shoozz]

A long long time ago in a town far far away... I sat my driving test. I was 17 and eager to learn. My car was a Mk1 Ford Fiesta. So I'm ready for the test. It was in Riddrie in Glasgow.
The road ahead had a hairpin on it A SEVERE HAIRPIN. The correct way to take it from 30mph down was to 4th straight to second missing out third.. well...I didn't. So there we are hurtling along and doesn't said instructor want to turn the hairpin..so with tyres squealing (Red Barchetta - RUSH) we turn the corner even although I did try to slow the car down...then it happened! "I'd like you to stop as if someone has stepped out in front of you.." Now, I should say here that Mr Hannah (God rest his soul) was a pompous oaf.. he was warned when we set off to "PUT ON HIS SEAT BELT" and all I got back was "I'm an instructor, I don't have to.." Hooookkkaaayy Fair enough.. so there we are traveling along and I see out of the corner of my eye the dreaded book rising up... and **WAP** not a tyre squeal nothing, we stop dead! Amid the dust I look around to see Mr Hannah....except ......he wasn't there! He was launched forward so fast that he ended up in the passenger footwell having collided with the glovebox by his head.. needless to say I failed that time...

 

[zenman63]

Well how did it go?

 

[clk320x]

Well how did it go?

He’s too busy down the pub celebrating with his family... I hope

 

[Joderest]

Yea, good news, passed, only three comments, not using mirrors enough in first 5 mins of test, examiner, who did her second test 4 weeks ago said improvement was massive. We did take some advice from you guys, made her tell me all the time what was going on round her for last two days. I have not seen her so happy for ages.
Now, insurance. Big ouch, was expecting it but still hurts. Paid and she is on her own now , if in East Sussex area and see a little silver Aygo, avoid it, PLEASE

 

[toolman1954]

Congratulations to your daughter and well done on her marked improvement since her last test. It was good the examiner remembered her.
So now the real driving begins.
She is very lucky to have such a caring Dad to look after her and gude her through her test.
After I had passed at the first attempt, and when my Mum informed him, all my Dad could do was mutter something uninteligable, it had taken him 4 attempts !! Mum said he was slightly miffed. He had been similarly "miffed" when I had previously passed my bike test at the first attempt. We did not get along at all well. !!

Steve

 

[wu56Shoozz]

Exam 2:

So I had sit my PSV .. it was an intense course and I mean intense so round one and in a class of 5 and we all failed, to busy partying an' sniffin' that we didn't give a damn.. Well Monday morning and we were all brought down to earth with a massive **BANG** we had to learn our highway codes front to back, and answer 100 questions and if any of the 5 failed one we were all out on our ears...
Well we passed the test 100/100 no sweat! On to driving the bus. It was an old Bristol Lodekka, it had a cab at the front and the pneumatic doors behind the driver.. the instructor would lean through, over your left shoulder and shout his commands, whilst the other 4 would answer road questions. The day of the test came, and we started having difficulty with the gear change, you see it was an old "4 on the Floor" but 1st to 2nd was what was called a "Snatch change" the box was a double de clutch type, "let the revs die down clutch in, pull selector back, pause into gear clutch out.. the going down the ratios you had to rev the engine so that the gears would mesh correctly..
So we're out in the field (not literally) and all is going well.. but the gears are becoming harder to select.. so its my turn next... I get in the cab and off we go. Part of the test is to pull in at a stop , secure the bus, allow imaginary passengers to alight, close doors and off we go..except the "Snatch change" - so its in first, and I'm told to go..we pull out and go for the change and...The massive ball & gear stick had come free of the box and now I couldn't change the gears. By now the bus is revving it nuts off and bellowing plumes of black smoke out its exhaust.. "Progession Driver, Progression.." Shouts the examiner.. I reply back "But How?" The examiner sticks his head into the cab and unbeknown to me and was right beside me.. I pull back the free stick to show and **WHACK** I skelp the examiner right between the eyes, giving him a nasty gash. He reels back up the bus stunned.. needles to say I'd failed the test..

For those that are interested - I passed second time without hitch..

Here's a picture of the Ol'Gal... happy days..

Bristol Lodekka - Wikipedia

 

[Petrol Pete]

Congratulations to her. Here is my 2 pennies worth. I acquired both my car and motorcycle licenses as soon as I became legally old enough to do so (they are written on parchment scrolls) I was riding motorcycles illegally for a few years before that. This was in the dim and distant past in a foreign land.

Upon returning to the country of my birth (the UK) I drove for some years on various international driving permits but eventually had to re sit both my car and bike tests as the UK government did not recognise my driving licenses.

By this time I had been driving/riding for approximately 8 years.

A few days before my UK driving test on a whim I booked an hour with a driving instructor and explained the reason.

OK he said lets do a driving examination.

I pulled away and by the first roundabout he said " you have failed " Dear reader (if you are still here ) the reason ?

As I approached the roundabout I took the car out of gear , lets say on the way from 4th to 3rd I would find neutral and let the clutch pedal back up for a split second , essentially 'coasting' the car this was viewed as not being in full control of the vehicle . Instant fail.

The reason for me doing this was from driving old pick up trucks with dodgy gearboxes/clutches and years of trying to keep up momentum at junctions and not being 100% sure of whether is was going to be stopping or accelerating at the junction and subconsciously 'edging my bets' with gear selection.

I must have been doing it for years. When driving a manual car I probably still do !

 

[Deleted member 131833]

I taught my wife to drive initially but booked several lessons with school to teach her how to pass test.

I had passed IAM test at 21 and taught her this method. Instructor asked who had been teaching her as this was not acceptable, use gearbox to drop speed, not using brakes. It is cheaper to replace brake pads compared to a clutch.

So she had to learn bad habits to pass test, soon knocked that habit out of her when she passed

Oops forgot to add my congratulations, now she will learn how to drive properly

 

[190]

My driving lessons consisted of a run out with Dad in his Ford Cortina. There was always one common destination before returning home - the Pub!

 

[mat8n]

Congratulations to her

 

[richard]

Congrats to your daughter. Mine passed her test about a two years ago first time after learning for about 4 months. I had made her drive everywhere (including into London) when learning. (I learned in London, why shouldn't she..)

I recon it took about a year after she passed her test before i'd say she was really good and properly safe (perfect gear changes every time, proper ability to guess what the next driver / pedestrian may do). She accepted me commenting on her driving when I was a passenger (only commenting when no one else was in the car though), but only really accepted the commenting after she made a mistake which involved others using their horn.

So what i'm saying, its she's got another year where you need to assist gently with the observation bit ..

R

ps, I also made her do the Pass Plus thing, because it gave her some extra hours of instruction at night and on motorways (to go anywhere from where I live tends to involve motorways) - and it knocked a little bit off the insurance.

 

[Joderest]

Insurance, now there's a thing. 1.0 Toyota, fully comp was £2650 with existing company, double what car is worth.
Went with a young drivers policy with black box (which is being fitted Monday) with mum and dad on policy £1270. It will do for her first year. We may well then look into the "just add fuel" deals. So much a month for car and insurance etc.

 

[thedruid]

Congratulations. Did she look at you like you had done something unspeakable when you asked her to talk out loud about the car journey. I remember my lad looking at me as if I had asked him to burn his Xbox. I still wind him up when he is on taxi duties by shouting "MIRROR" when he hasn't looked at it for ten seconds

 

[ioweddie]

good result well done to her

 

[clk320x]

Insurance, now there's a thing. 1.0 Toyota, fully comp was £2650 with existing company, double what car is worth.
Went with a young drivers policy with black box (which is being fitted Monday) with mum and dad on policy £1270. It will do for her first year. We may well then look into the "just add fuel" deals. So much a month for car and insurance etc.

Be careful with those black boxes
Watchdog: Black box fault

 

[AMGeed]

Congrats to your daughter.
Mine was in the same position 18months ago and failed 3 times in fairly quick succession. I think the 3rd time her confidence was that low she almost expected a fail.
Silly and minor things but as I pointed out to her at the time, enough to keep learning with an accompanied driver a bit longer.


She waited 3 months, had a couple of refresher lessons and passed 4th time. I think it did her good to not pass first time. It stopped any over confidence.

 

[ernie]

Exam 2:

So I had sit my PSV .. it was an intense course and I mean intense so round one and in a class of 5 and we all failed, to busy partying an' sniffin' that we didn't give a damn.. Well Monday morning and we were all brought down to earth with a massive **BANG** we had to learn our highway codes front to back, and answer 100 questions and if any of the 5 failed one we were all out on our ears...
Well we passed the test 100/100 no sweat! On to driving the bus. It was an old Bristol Lodekka, it had a cab at the front and the pneumatic doors behind the driver.. the instructor would lean through, over your left shoulder and shout his commands, whilst the other 4 would answer road questions. The day of the test came, and we started having difficulty with the gear change, you see it was an old "4 on the Floor" but 1st to 2nd was what was called a "Snatch change" the box was a double de clutch type, "let the revs die down clutch in, pull selector back, pause into gear clutch out.. the going down the ratios you had to rev the engine so that the gears would mesh correctly..
So we're out in the field (not literally) and all is going well.. but the gears are becoming harder to select.. so its my turn next... I get in the cab and off we go. Part of the test is to pull in at a stop , secure the bus, allow imaginary passengers to alight, close doors and off we go..except the "Snatch change" - so its in first, and I'm told to go..we pull out and go for the change and...The massive ball & gear stick had come free of the box and now I couldn't change the gears. By now the bus is revving it nuts off and bellowing plumes of black smoke out its exhaust.. "Progession Driver, Progression.." Shouts the examiner.. I reply back "But How?" The examiner sticks his head into the cab and unbeknown to me and was right beside me.. I pull back the free stick to show and **WHACK** I skelp the examiner right between the eyes, giving him a nasty gash. He reels back up the bus stunned.. needles to say I'd failed the test..

For those that are interested - I passed second time without hitch..

Here's a picture of the Ol'Gal... happy days..

Bristol Lodekka - Wikipedia

Ahhh! The Bristol Lodecca. When I was a lad a long time ago, Eastern Scottish had these on the Glasgow-Edinburgh run. Theirs had 4 on the floor plus the dog-leg overdrive off 4th. It was years before I understood that arrangement. I think I once saw the speedo on one of these rattle off 50 after a downhill run!

Ernie

 

[wu56Shoozz]

Ha Ha! Yes, I remember that well, too...