You must have heard people jokingly advise leaners to wear short skirts on their driving test; now my family know how I managed to pass first time (The are plenty of you who might actually be wondering whether I am joking about that!). Well, of course, it is a ludicrous myth. Other myths include adjusting your mirrors so that you have turn your head to check them. The examiners are professionals and trained to watch everything you do, so they will see even the most fleeting mirror check. And it would make no difference whether your wore a skimpy bikini or a spacesuit. Or so I thought........
As I have previously mentioned, I took Staci for her test on Wednesday. A lovely, good-natured girl and a good, competent driver. For her test, how can I put this...... she was wearing a plunging neckline (and, no, the photo is not of Staci).
As I have also mentioned (albeit very briefly), she passed. As I got back in the car after the test I congratulated her and asked her how it went. She seemed a little shocked.
"I was convinced I failed."
"Well you obviously didn't. What made you think that?"
"I bumped the curb when I was doing the turn in the road."
"Well, as long as you were in control of the car and only just nudged the curb, then it could be viewed as a slight misjudgement rather than a loss of control."
"Yes, but I stalled when I was turning right at a T-junction."
"OK. Everyone stalls." (I kept quiet about the fact that I stalled 3 times in my test) "As long as you secured the car, got started again and moved off promptly without inconveniencing other road users."
"It was clear when I started to pull away, but by the time I stalled and got started again there were several cars waiting for me."
"Um..... I imagine the examiner must have been impressed at how you reacted to the situation." (Clutching at straws now)
Staci continued, "And then, when we were heading back to the Test Centre, I turned off Inshes roundabout and forgot to cancel my signal....."
"But you did cancel it?"
"No. After we had gone past the pedestrian crossing he leaned across and cancelled it himself!"
I always thought that, if the examiner has to intervene in any way (for example, has to use the dual brake) then that is a serious fault - you live and learn.
"Well he must have liked you then. I imagine, by that stage of the test, you must have demonstrated to his satisfaction that you are a competent and safe driver so he thought it was unfair to fail you for such a silly wee thing like leaving your indicator on." Was all I could offer as a way of explanation.
Last Tuesday Iain failed his test. The SAME examiner had asked him to stop in a suitable place. He checked his mirrors and signalled left. Once stopped he forgot to cancel his signal, so when the examiner asked him to drive on, his left indicator was still running when he moved off. On that occasion the examiner did not lean across and flick the indicator off; he gave Iain a serious fault.
There was some consistency this morning, however: Darren had his first attempt at the test. I was quite confident about Darren; he seemed to have a natural instinct for driving and awareness from the start. Like everyone (apart from liars), he was nervous as we sat waiting for the examiner. Unusually, for the 4th time this week, we got the same examiner. Happily he passed with 7 minor faults, 3 of which were for stalling. I commented on this, saying that 'it was unusual for him to stall once, let alone three times!'. "I was really nervous. I thought I had failed when I stalled in the middle of a mini-roundabout, but I secured the car, started it and moved off, and the examiner praised me for how I dealt with the situation."
This, when you think about it, is common sense. Even experienced drivers stall, but the examiner was obviously happy with the way that Darren (and Staci) dealt with a tense situation. I remain surprised about the indicator 'incident' though.
I suppose, when I think about it, Darren's polo shirt did have a slightly plunging neckline.
As I have previously mentioned, I took Staci for her test on Wednesday. A lovely, good-natured girl and a good, competent driver. For her test, how can I put this...... she was wearing a plunging neckline (and, no, the photo is not of Staci).
As I have also mentioned (albeit very briefly), she passed. As I got back in the car after the test I congratulated her and asked her how it went. She seemed a little shocked.
"I was convinced I failed."
"Well you obviously didn't. What made you think that?"
"I bumped the curb when I was doing the turn in the road."
"Well, as long as you were in control of the car and only just nudged the curb, then it could be viewed as a slight misjudgement rather than a loss of control."
"Yes, but I stalled when I was turning right at a T-junction."
"OK. Everyone stalls." (I kept quiet about the fact that I stalled 3 times in my test) "As long as you secured the car, got started again and moved off promptly without inconveniencing other road users."
"It was clear when I started to pull away, but by the time I stalled and got started again there were several cars waiting for me."
"Um..... I imagine the examiner must have been impressed at how you reacted to the situation." (Clutching at straws now)
Staci continued, "And then, when we were heading back to the Test Centre, I turned off Inshes roundabout and forgot to cancel my signal....."
"But you did cancel it?"
"No. After we had gone past the pedestrian crossing he leaned across and cancelled it himself!"
I always thought that, if the examiner has to intervene in any way (for example, has to use the dual brake) then that is a serious fault - you live and learn.
"Well he must have liked you then. I imagine, by that stage of the test, you must have demonstrated to his satisfaction that you are a competent and safe driver so he thought it was unfair to fail you for such a silly wee thing like leaving your indicator on." Was all I could offer as a way of explanation.
Last Tuesday Iain failed his test. The SAME examiner had asked him to stop in a suitable place. He checked his mirrors and signalled left. Once stopped he forgot to cancel his signal, so when the examiner asked him to drive on, his left indicator was still running when he moved off. On that occasion the examiner did not lean across and flick the indicator off; he gave Iain a serious fault.
There was some consistency this morning, however: Darren had his first attempt at the test. I was quite confident about Darren; he seemed to have a natural instinct for driving and awareness from the start. Like everyone (apart from liars), he was nervous as we sat waiting for the examiner. Unusually, for the 4th time this week, we got the same examiner. Happily he passed with 7 minor faults, 3 of which were for stalling. I commented on this, saying that 'it was unusual for him to stall once, let alone three times!'. "I was really nervous. I thought I had failed when I stalled in the middle of a mini-roundabout, but I secured the car, started it and moved off, and the examiner praised me for how I dealt with the situation."
This, when you think about it, is common sense. Even experienced drivers stall, but the examiner was obviously happy with the way that Darren (and Staci) dealt with a tense situation. I remain surprised about the indicator 'incident' though.
I suppose, when I think about it, Darren's polo shirt did have a slightly plunging neckline.
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