Aaaarrrrrrrgggggghh! Ruby had her 4th attempt at the driving test today. The title of this blog, and the opening word immediately ruins the suspense and tells you that she failed... again.
I was so confident about Ruby; but then, I was confident on her previous three attempts too. I have had plenty of pupils pass who were good drivers, but a bit.....'raw'. When Ruby drives it is like being in the car with a friend who has been driving for years. Perhaps this is a bad thing. Perhaps I need to intensely scrutinise every minute aspect of her driving to a greater extent. The problem is, during her lessons, she just doesn't make mistakes. But, when it comes to the test, something happens and she makes silly mistakes.
This time she came up to a STOP sign, almost stopped, but saw it was clear and immediately drove off. Unfortunately, you have to demonstrate to the examiner that you know it is a 'stop' and not a 'give way', regardless of whether you can see it is safe to proceed.
Ruby knows this, just as she knew not to exceed the speed limit in her second test, but some little devil sat on her shoulder and told her "What are you stopping for? It's clear to go."
So, a new record for me; a pupil now going for their 5th attempt. At least she has moved past the 'upset' stage. She is now quite philosophical about it all and joking that she wants to get to know the examiners well enough so that she can send them Christmas cards.
It won't happen. She WILL pass next time. I just need to find a way of keeping those little devils off her shoulders.
Driving away from dropping Ruby off I was cheered by Fearne Cotton playing this track http://open.spotify.com/track/6ACPfkfDfJfGGE4oKfbiRY on the radio. How refreshing, in a Louis Prima, King of the Swingers, kind of way.
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