Tested to the limit

The week started to so well, with Liverpool beating Man Utd, and the weather making it feel much more like Spring than Winter. But, gradually, the week got worse.
Wednesday morning I was stunned to look out of my window and see the return of snow. Fortunately, it didn't last too long, but it stayed long enough to cause more road accidents (or rather, it was a factor in some drivers not dealing with the conditions). So Wednesday and Thursday weren't great, but Friday was the day from hell.

I have a pupil who is just DESPERATE to drive. He first contacted me about six months ago - five months before his 17th birthday - and spent the next few months arranging lessons and asking almost every question imaginable about the process of learning to drive and the tests. Finally, a few weeks ago, as soon as he turned 17, he began taking a course of 3-hour lessons, passed his theory test and applied for his driving test. He practiced every day with his parents and became possibly the most dedicated pupil I have yet had. I pushed him and pushed him and, as his test approached, his driving was virtually faultless.
The day of the test arrived and, despite his ability, he was still a little nervous, so he asked me if I would sit in on his test. I have probably said it before, but, although I will always agree to do so, sitting in the back of my car while a pupil is out on test is not the most relaxing experience for me. I can’t say or do anything - I have to make myself as invisible as possible. I usually sit behind the pupil and watch the road ahead, silently urging my pupil to react the way I would and squirming if they don’t. With this pupil I was doing very little squirming. I wouldn’t exactly say I was relaxed, but there was mild clenching rather than squirming.

After he successfully negotiated a particularly tricky parallel park, in a road that is barely wide enough for two cars, he was directed to Lossiemouth, where he dealt superbly with several awkward meeting situations. By the time he had tackled some blind, uphill crossroads and had begun the road back to Elgin test centre I had completely relaxed (not even the mildest of clenching). I had counted three minor faults and was very proud of his overall drive. He just had to turn right into the test centre. Approaching the junction from the other direction was another learner driver. Presumably this was a fairly new learner driver, as they were approaching the junction rather slowly. My pupil was waiting patiently then the oncoming leaner slowed right down (approx 2 - 3mph) to take the turn. My pupil mis-interpreted this as an invitation to cross and began turning right, in front of the learner. I clenched and squirmed like never before. Why? Why? WHY?
Twenty seconds later he had parked at the test centre and the test was over. The examiner sighed. "Why did you think you had time to turn? He asked.
"I thought he was slowing down to let me go first."
The examiner turned to me and asked "Did you think that?"
"No," I had to honestly reply, "he was slowing down because he was a learner driver."
The examiner gave the bad news to my pupil, who was completely shocked that he had failed, and added "It's a pity." as a he left the car.

After that I went to Inverness train station to meet another pupil for his test. He had had lessons and failed his first test with another instructor, but this instructor had booked a holiday that coincided with the pupil's second attempt, so the pupil had called me and asked if I could give him a block of lessons and take him to his test. The lessons were fine and I was confident that he would pass. By 12.10pm my pupil had still not arrived, so I decided to call him. Unfortunately, on my stupid replacement phone, I did not have his mobile number saved, but I had his home number in my diary. I called and his mother answered. Sometimes pupils keep their tests a secret, so I just explained that he was late for his lesson. His mother said that he was in Fortrose today - I began to get a bad feeling - but she would call him. Ten minutes later I had still not heard anything, so I called the mother again.
"Oh. Has he not called you?" She asked. I said 'no' and asked for his contact number so that I could call him. No reply. I sent him a text. I was just glad that we still had an hour and a half before his test. I had visions of him asking me to collect him from Fortrose (which was possible in the time). Still no reply. What should I do? I decdied that the best course of action would be to stay where I was, as it was, just a few days ago, where we had agreed to meet.
Another Inverness pupil had previously asked if he could have a lesson this afternoon, but 3.00pm (after my pupil's test) would have been too late for him. I considered calling him to see if he still wanted the lesson, but I decided not to in case my test pupil turned up. At 1.45, he had still not turned up, so my only option was to drive to the test centre in the hope that he had gone straight there. No, he had not. I could not understand it. The examiner called out his name, so I knew that the pupil had not given me the wrong date/time. Who knows why he did not show. He has still not replied to my calls or text, so I can only conclude that he had forgotten and was too embarrassed to get in touch. Maybe I will never know. He may have wasted his £63 test fee, but he cost me three, possibly four, hours of income. Not happy.

I drove on to my next pupil. She has her test within the next month and I don't think she will be ready in time, so I decided to give her a mock test. Her control and awareness can be as good as anyone's, but she lacks concentration. I was hoping, after the wretched morning I had just had, that she would prove me wrong and do well in the mock.
She didn't prove me wrong. In fact, it was probably the worse she had driven for weeks. I had a suspicion that she was relying on me a little too much, so a mock test would test this suspicion. I'm not going to go into detail but it went so badly wrong that, half-way though, she stopped the car and asked if I could drive her home.

I love my job but I had just had a bad day. I looked forward to getting home, opening a bottle of wine and doing some experimental cookery.
I got home, opened a bottle of wine and, while I perused the cupboards for ingredients I had a little rant about my day to Jane. Then I switched on the telly and learned of the terrible and tragic events in Japan. It put my day in perspective.
So if you ever catch yourself saying "I've had the day from hell", just think back to Friday 11th March 2011, because the people of Honshu really did have 'The Day from Hell'.