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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think it's impossible to get your driver's licence in London?

60 replies

WillNeverGetALicence · 11/07/2012 14:37

Just failed my test for the second time today Sad

I was behind another learner driver also in an instructor's car. They dithered for a moment, then indicated left as if they were going to park but also started to roll back [no reverse lights] so I was not sure if they were parking, about to continue on or were about to attempt a three point turn.

So I stopped for a couple of moments and the traffic stopped behind me. However when I saw that the car was finally pulling in to the kerb I said to the tester that I would now go around them as they were obviously parking.

Nothing was said by the tester at the time but she failed me on this. She said that I should have kept going and gone around the parking car. By stopping I had caused the cars behind to stop and this was basically not acceptable.

So this is a serious fault Confused

I am just so annoyed as the rest of the test went well and I only got 3 minors in total. I did the bloody bay park perfectly as well. Even my instructor was gobsmacked that I failed on this point. My instructor said that i would also have failed if i had kept going and the car in front had decided not to park [and imo it really wasn't clear what they were planning to do initially].

Am I being unreasonable in feeling that driving tests in London are unreasonably difficult or should I just suck it up and get over myself.

The irony is I actually have a driving licence from my country of origin and have driven for a number of years there so am not a complete newbie. I did lessons to get myself ready for the test here and my instructor has said that I should pass so why the hell do I keep failing Sad

Any stories of either test rage or woe will be gratefully appreciated as I am feeling a bit crap at the moment and really wondering if it is worth my time and money continuing.

OP posts:
MrsJoeDuffy · 12/07/2012 00:20

I've just realised I'm sitting mine for the second time DURING THE FUCKING OLYMPICS. IN LONDON.

sashh · 12/07/2012 05:41

i thought you could exchange an australian licence for a Uk one without sitting a test?

You can

stubbornstains · 12/07/2012 08:36

Do you get tested on your road rage techniques too nowadays? Should be an obligatory part of the test IMO...

Birdsgottafly · 12/07/2012 08:39

Some instructers will opt to sit in the back during the test, if you have failed a couple of times. Is that an option?

Kayano · 12/07/2012 08:44

I got failed for being overly cautious for dropping from 30 to 25 next to a school at 3.15 when kids were running all over the pavement right next to the car

Ironically the road I was on is now a 20mph limit.

Twats Angry

slartybartfast · 12/07/2012 08:58

i passed 8 weeks before ds was born, perhaps the female examiner felt sorry for me. i needed to pass

YankNCock · 12/07/2012 09:02

Another vote for West Wickham, I did mine there about 9 years ago and passed on first go. Lots of wide straight roads, not tons of traffic.

Mind you, I had 10 years driving experience in the U.S. and had driven in big cities (Chicago, Detroit), so was pretty confident behind the wheel even though I had to learn new things.

slartybartfast · 12/07/2012 09:03

mine was mill hill btw.

op i am sure you will pass eventually.

LilBlondePessimist · 12/07/2012 09:11

A friend of mine stopped at traffic lights and a drunk came and kneeled on the bonnet of his car banging on the windows (during his test). He asked the examiner what he should do as the drunk wasn't going anywhere. The examiner told my df to 'remove the man and carry on'. So df put on the hb, got out, ushered said drunk to the side of the road, then got back in and continued his test. He got no minors, but was failed because he didn't kill the engine before getting out! Confused

EnjoyResponsibly · 12/07/2012 09:45

When I took my test we were told not to speak to the instructor during the test. It demonstrates 2 things: doubt in your own competence, break of concentration on your part.

That was in Kent and admittedly was nearly 25 years ago.

No amount of tuition prepares you for your mum hurtling toward you in the opposite directin waving like a loon mid-test Hmm

verytellytubby · 12/07/2012 09:50

I passed in Mill Hill. Almost the countryside Wink

ajandjjmum · 12/07/2012 09:53

DS passed his test first time with two minors. BUT one of the minors was for not cancelling an indicator promptly, and had a car been coming behind him, it would have been classed as a major, and he would have failed. I struggle with the fact that it was pure luck that got him over that, rather than his driving skill.

SardineQueen · 12/07/2012 09:58

Agree with others who say go for a test a bit further out of london - where it is a bit less hectic and other drivers are a touch more predictable.

Sorry you didn't get it this time.

SardineQueen · 12/07/2012 09:58

I mean further out of central london - that wasn't very clear!

hazeldog · 12/07/2012 10:23

I took my test aged 25 had been driving since I was 17 and already had and was driving a 3.5 tonne luton truck on my provisional. After two ludicrous fails I took the test again with my instructor in the back and passed. As far as I can tell they just wanted to extract money from me. You can't get a decision overturned so they can do as they please. Its the whole UK not just London.

ChopstheDuck · 12/07/2012 10:27

It's the stopping traffic thing isn't it? You aren't allowed to cause traffic to stop - very unlucky though, since the car wasn't making their intentions clear.

I passed in Croydon, so london suburbs. I'm not actually convinced it is harder, because you don't move very much! I spent a lot of my test sitting stuck in traffic. I actually thought I had failed when I ended up on the wrong side of a red light due to traffic, after the light but stopped due to a junction box, but it was fine.

LadyHarrietdeSpook · 12/07/2012 10:56

Have failed twice, had my car tire go flat on my third attempt, so did walk of shame back to the test centre. "Would I have passed though? " "No," said instructor.

All three times in various test centres in East London. The first one had a notorious 30% pass rate for several years. My husband subsequently passed there though on his first attempt several years later.

oh, and did I mention I ws doing automatic???!!! I am an ex-Yank driver and also get criticised for being 'overcautious' but I find the roads in London terrifyingly narrow to drive on, on the speeds you're expected to. I've been here a long time, but behind the wheel I feel like a newbie.

The last two times I'd just been practicing with friends beforehand because the first time I spent £250 odd with BSM who assured me I was 'totally ready' to take the test. He actually encouraged me to book it!!!! 14 small errors and a big one. Classic fail. I was furious. The guy couldn't believe it but I mean obviously I wasn't doing soemthing right.

I think it may well help to have an instructor in the car - if anything the examiner may feel a bit observed so more inclined to be fair. I do think - but this is probably an urban myth - that enough people complained about the test centre with the 30% pass rate that they finally did something about it. Also, I think there may be a little bit of bias against people doing DIY lessons...

However, I have found driving instructors incredibly patronising too. I tried another school after the BSM attempt and stopped after one lesson. Geezer says to me: "I've been driving longer than you've been ALIVE." Then proceeded to eat a very smelly paste sandwich next to me and other odds and sods for the rest of the lesson. The next girl (she was a girl, unlike me who was like 30 at the time) drove me home with no seatbeat on, which considering all the schtick he gave me about doing this and that wrong etc I found quite interesting.

LadyHarrietdeSpook · 12/07/2012 10:57

Sorry not INSTRUCTOR - Examiner!!

LadyHarrietdeSpook · 12/07/2012 11:00

Oh and I bought a car before I passed, cause I thought I'd be fine having driven in the US for years. Great stuff.

Original poster
WillNeverGetALicence · 12/07/2012 11:45

LadyHarriet I did my test both times at Hither Green in SE London which has a pass rate of 35%.

I can suck up my first fail and understand that I did something wrong in regard to the bus lane. But this fail just feels wrong. I have actually just emailed a complaint to DSA about it. I know the decision cannot be overturned but it makes me feel slightly better!

aj I agree entirely. It is pure luck and circumstance that allows you to pass the test imo. I truly feel ready to drive in London. I have had professional lessons with an instructor since the end of last year! I already knew how to drive obviously but needed experience and knowledge in handling London roads and traffic. My instructor encouraged me to go for the test after about 3 months but I didn't feel completely ready and lacked confidence. Now I really feel ready and know I can handle it and it is so frustrating to have the examiner fail you on some ambiguous point.

Thanks to all of you who have suggested having my instructor in the car with me next test. I think this is a fantastic suggestion to have another pair of eyes observing what is happening and who can talk me through it later.

OP posts:
LadyHarrietdeSpook · 12/07/2012 12:19

How can they justify THAT low a pass rate? If it is really that low, I think soemone needs to ivnestigate what is going wrong with the other 65-70% of the people taking the tests.

Of course what was put to me , when I asked this question was: "Forriners, it's the forriners, they come here and have no lessons then take their test." Hmm.

But I have heard too many stories like yours (and mine).

It sounds to me like there's some sort of scam in there somewhere but of course it's very hard to ascertain this because of the lack of transparency and inability to contest the result of your test.

Good luck with your complaint...! I would have felt better writing it too...

Spatsky · 12/07/2012 12:21

Op this is a few years old but mighte of interest...

www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/698121.0/

afussyphase · 12/07/2012 12:32

Oh, I'm so comforted by the shared misery on this thread. I was so incredibly angry when I failed for the first time in the UK. It was a young male examiner who didn't clearly say what he wanted me to do, then failed me for apparently slowing down a little too quickly. No one was behind or around and I thought he meant to stop there. I think he was a little power-hungry, really. The next time, I passed - older woman examiner, seemed very fair. But after 16 years of ticket-free, accident-free driving in Canada's and the US's major cities I was very very mad. We worked out that counting the few lessons I'd had, the cost of getting the instructor + car for the tests, and the test fees, it was £100s in the end. Grrrrrrrrrr.

The problem is that people (I mean the examiners) shouldn't have power with no oversight. The more power they have, the better the oversight has to be. There should be a complaints system with real power and real consequences, and the views of instructors riding along should be taken very seriously. Otherwise people just get power-hungry.

Original poster
WillNeverGetALicence · 12/07/2012 12:34

www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/698121.0/

So true Spatsky

OP posts:
Spatsky · 12/07/2012 13:10

Thanks for fixing link, can't seem to work out how to do it on iPad, can't find square brackets!

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