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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask you for your driving test tales?

106 replies

CrashTestDummy18 · 16/03/2018 12:39

Driving test next week (NC as don't want anyone to know when!)

Feeling rather apprehensive as I'm old and two of my kids have already passed their tests Blush

Thought that some tales of great driving tests would really help reassure me right now! Trying to get my positive and confident head on.

OP posts:
DSHathawayGivesMeFannyGallops · 16/03/2018 13:04

Passed first time. Cricket score of minors which the examiner touched on briefly as he said they were down to nerves rather than bad driving and I was so shocked I'd passed I asked if he was joking and cried the whole way home. Parents saw me sobbing and thought I'd failed. Good luck OP! I'm sure you'll be fine, just relax

Racmactac · 16/03/2018 13:06

A cow ran out in front of me and I didn't have clue what to do.

I pulled over, put hazards on and waited for the cow and the farmer to run past me Grin

Kittykat93 · 16/03/2018 13:18

I failed four times. On the fifth time I thought fuck it I'm obviously going to fail anyway so let's not think about it too much. I hummed a tune the whole time and was feeling really relaxed about it all and ... I passed!! I nearly kissed the examiner Blush

AnoiaUnstickMyDrawers · 16/03/2018 13:21

Passed first time. Was so nervous that I don't remember the test at all. Even immediately afterwards, no recollection of it at all. My instructor even had to tell me to stand up when the examiner(?) called my name. I had forgotten my name. Honestly, no exaggeration.

If I passed, you will be fine Wink

grovebeach · 16/03/2018 13:24

I passed first time, after years of learning on and off. I finally got my act together and did 9 months of solid weekly lessons, and passed first time after putting my test back once because neither me nor my instructor thought I was ready.
I thought I'd failed, it was a summer morning and I was sweating through a combination of nerves and weather so much I'd sweated my make up off by the time I pulled back up, and I got my worst manouevre (parallel park) and I still passed.
Good luck, think positive. Accept that there are also external factors at play that you have no influence over (conditions of road, other drivers etc) and just pretend it's another lesson with a different instructor and you'll be ok. Flowers

RedHelenB · 16/03/2018 13:25

I know it's hard bur try to think I will pass eventually rather than it having to be passing this time.

RingtheBells · 16/03/2018 13:25

A dog ran in front of me and I did an emergency stop, so did the examiner who also pulled on the handbrake, I did the rest of the test thinking I had failed, I passed, this was even more surprising as in the theory bit at the end I didn’t know some of the answers and had to have several goes at a couple of questions. This was in the late 80s before the theory test.

Good luck, I was thirty when I did mine and passed first time

grovebeach · 16/03/2018 13:25

And I agree with Anoia - if I passed, anyone can! Driving did not come natural to me at all, and in fact I did most of my learning as a new driver in the car on my own.

TheDailyMailIsADisgustingRag · 16/03/2018 13:28

I failed two tests about 10 years ago, which put me off driving for ages. Then I started learning again in winter of 2017, then past on my first attempt since the other two iyswim. So third go, but first for many years.

Aaaaaanyway, it was great. Examiner was lovely. I had to do a parallel park which went ok. Then just drive around a bit. Independent driving as well, which was quite easy too. I think they just want to see that you are a safe driver and don’t do anything silly / dangerous. For me, I actually think age and experience were on my side as I managed to really fuck up the first two.

HateSummer · 16/03/2018 13:29

First time I failed: I almost went through a no entry sign 😂😂. I think the Test instructor was fearing for his life the whole time.

I passed the second time and was the only person in our group who passed at that time. I dosed up on Rescue Remedy. I was so relaxed the instructor started talking to me about my kids and family...it was very strange!

Dancingmonkey87 · 16/03/2018 13:29

I passed first time no minors believe it or not, after lessons on and off for 7 years. I was shocked I thought I failed especially as the bus was going over into my lane and I have swive otherwise he would have hit me (not my fault)

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 16/03/2018 13:29

Mine went perfectly until so convinced I'd passed, I didn't stop quickly enough when parking to drop him off and hit a wall. It was only a little bounce type hit but I thought I'd blown it.

He passed me. I could have kissed him.

mistermagpie · 16/03/2018 13:31

I failed three times. On my second test the examiner was being assessed as well, which meant there were two other examiners sat in the back with clipboards. They weren't examining me, but I had never driven with people in the back and it was a total distraction, especially for manoeuvres. The whole thing made me go to pieces.

I was asked at the start if I was ok with it and I was so nervous I said it was fine. If this happens to you then refuse!!

My first test I failed for... wait for it... speeding!! Do not do this as they can stop the test and make you walk back to the centre. No idea what came over me, but nerves again I think.

The test I passed I took millions of kalms and didn't tell a soul when it was. I also had a chat with the examiner beforehand about my previous fails and how nervous I was. He was very kind actually and it broke the ice.

Original poster
CrashTestDummy18 · 16/03/2018 15:09

Yes I'm definitely not a natural, but am surprised at how quick it's taken, only started learning last October, and had a month of no lessons due to xmas/ny/holidays on both sides. I think I've been very lucky with my instructor, they are absolutely ace.

A cow, how random! Grin

OP posts:
Original poster
CrashTestDummy18 · 16/03/2018 18:33

I forgot to say thank you for the good wishes so far! Blush also an evening bump

Any more stories to share :D

OP posts:
Sparklesocks · 16/03/2018 18:46

I found it really hard, by no means a ‘natural’ driver - I did lessons at 18, failed, then went to a uni in a city where you could walk/get bus everywhere so suddenly it was no longer a priority.

In my late 20s my friends started getting married, with hen dos and weddings in quite obscure places not accessible by public transport (unless you got 2 trains, a bus, then took a horse rest of the way etc!) and generally friends were moving far away, a car became essential.

I started lessons again much more determined this time, but I was an anxious driver and nerves always got the better of me and I failed my test twice. It was so frustrating.

Finally I tried again and passed, and with 2 minors, and honestly the high lasted for days. I don’t know what was different that time, I think i Just felt like I knew the test well and didn’t build it up as the be all and end all.

Now I drive loads, I love having my music on and shooting off to some far corner of the country. It’s changed my life Smile

Original poster
CrashTestDummy18 · 16/03/2018 18:49

I live in a semi rural area - very small town that you can walk one side to the other in 45mins - but it's miles away from anything. I'm really looking forward to being able to go to other places this summer with DC. (hopefully!!)

OP posts:
ambereeree · 16/03/2018 18:54

I was so nervous i couldn't even remember which car was mine...

CPtart · 16/03/2018 18:56

After driving round faultlessly for half an hour on my test with the examiner, I pulled back up in the driving test centre and slowly stopped in front of a big hedge, the overhanging leaves touching the bonnet. "Until that minute you'd passed" he said. "But this hedge could have been a child, so I'll have to fail you!" I went to pieces after that and it took me three more attempts.

LegallyBronde · 16/03/2018 19:04

I hated left hand reversing into a space. From the right? Spot on! Front the left - total disaster. Had the well known "grumpy examiner who refused to engage in any of my light chit chat so I talked to myself as it calmed my nerves. I was praying not to be asked to do the reverse into a space manoeuvre and was asked to do a turn in the road pretty early in the test, later on he asked me to pull up after the next corner and I knew he was going to ask me to do a reverse around the corner = result! I can do those....then a bloody van pulled up and parked around the corner so he said we were to continue back to test centre. It hit me, oh shit I'm doing to have to do a bay park in the test centre...

Yep. And he asked me to do a left hand one. I remembered my instructor told me it was a minor for a correction on a bay park but a fail if I was outside the lines. I swung the car to face the bays on my right hand side, drove forward a bit into a space then reversed back perfectly into the one behind me. Passed first time. The bastatd didn't even day he was pleased to tell me I had passed. He said it was "his duty". I now reverse bay park every day like a pro. Grin

Good Luck OP - use a minor if you have to!!!

Ducktalesooooh · 16/03/2018 19:08

Passed third time in my own car. I'd gone to Halfords the night before to buy L plates and an extra mirror. Turns out Halfords sold me illegal L plates (see through back instead of white)

Examiner managed to find me two scrappy dirty ones and sellotape them to my car.

On my test my brake light kept coming on which meant my car was faulty. After pulling over to check she allowed me to continue (she technically should have stopped the test)

I then cut someone up at a junction (very odd junction, their right of way but no danger from me doing it)

Convinced I'd failed but she passed me. I cried.

safariboot · 16/03/2018 19:11

First test I failed for nearly blowing through a Give Way, the examiner hit his brake Blush. I was very surprised he marked it as 'serious' and not 'dangerous'. My excuse is the road markings were really worn.

Passed second time.

Original poster
CrashTestDummy18 · 16/03/2018 19:23

Shock @CPTart that can't be right surely?!

OP posts:
tealandteal · 16/03/2018 19:23

Passed first time, when we got back to the test centre the examiner asked me to park in one of the bays. "Just drive into that space and we're done" I had only done reverse bay parking! I couldn't believe it! But I managed it Grin

Fattymcfaterson · 16/03/2018 19:31

Passed first time, even though as soon as I turned the car on I stalled it, then stalled again pulling out the car park 🙊