Last Monday the media was full of reports about the changes to the driving test …. cue several pupils calling me with concerns that their test would now be mission impossible. “Is it true that we are going to have to drive where we want for ten minutes; what happens if I don’t know where I want to go?” one of my pupils asked me.
The power of the media. If I ask a pupil in Elgin, for example, to drive to Lossiemouth they’ll do it without me giving directions. Usually, at the end of a lesson, I will ask my pupil to head home. They all do this without having to ask me which way to go. Now, after Monday’s news reports, it has suddenly become a problem.
“What happens if I forget which way to go?” has been a common question. I like to scare them by thinking up outrageous consequences of forgetting the directions. They usually twig that I am joking, but sometimes I have to reassure them that they can ask the examiner to repeat the directions if they are unsure.
I haven’t had any pupils on test this week, so I can only base my advice on information the DSA has provided, but I would assume that the examiner would intervene if he/she saw a test candidate about to indicate the wrong way. If anyone knows different feel free to correct me.
The DSA have provided this video for information, but this video may be more realistic (or not).
Finally, my pupils ask me lots of unusual questions, but one question today was possibly the most strange: “Is it illegal to run over a frog?”
I gravely informed her that, if caught, it would mean a minimum of three years in prison. She gave me a long sideways look.
I was curious, “Why do you ask?”
“Oh, it’s my dad. He’s always running them over.”
So there you are. If you know of any frogs in the west Highlands, tell them to be careful out there.
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