Has anyone here failed their test more than once?

herbie747

I passed my test years ago, but I'm just wondering if anyone here is so retarded that they have failed more than once.

Did anyone ever notice the way people always blame the tester for "having it in for them", or "being a thick". It's never their fault!

Silvera

Some of the worst drivers I know passed their test first time

Kernel32

I failed my test about 7 years ago. I ended up going to the states a while later and passed my test there no problem. The old guy who tested me in Ireland did have it in for me!

commited

Originally posted by herbie747
I passed my test years ago, but I'm just wondering if anyone here is so retarded that they have failed more than once.

Did anyone ever notice the way people always blame the tester for "having it in for them", or "being a thick". It's never their fault!

I;m actually laughing at the level of your post. You dont sound like someone who has had their license for years. You sound like a 15 year old. Are you a driving tester?
why can u be so judgemental! How about if u had failed twice - would u have posted this (waits for reply - "I wouldnt be so retarded as to fail my test twice")
Ive failed once and im waiting for my second test. I took my first test about 6mnths after starting lessons and my instructor (i got proper lessons, wasnt taught by my parents) said that I should have no problem passing. Then he decided to tell me that the best driver that he has ever had in the car failed the week before. That helped.
Tbh, in the end of the day, i didnt drive as well as I should have, but he was just ticking random boxes of things that I did wrong. He was more concerned with checking out the women as we drove by.
I am now waiting for my second test - been waiting over 6months now, so if anyone is retarted its the department of environment and local government. I mean 6months! In the UK I could have done my test 3times!

BrianD3

Did anyone ever notice the way people always blame the tester for "having it in for them", or "being a thick". It's never their fault!

I agree completely. And there's so much bullsh1t and urban myths associated with driving tests. People will make up any excuse rather than admit that they messed up their test because of plain bad driving.

Examples of stupid stuff I've heard:
-They never pass anyone on [insert day of week]
-The examiner had filled his quota
-The [insert test centre] where I did the test has a high failure rate
-I failed because my car was unroadworthy (Clever one that - it's easier to blame the car rather than admit you're just a useless driver)
-young guys never pass first time. Examiners don't like passing young guys if it's their first test.

Have heard loads of other excuses I can't recall. It's similar to road accidents - they're always someone else's fault, someone distracted them and made them swerve or some cyclist appeared out of nowhere or there was oil on the road etc. etc.

PS passed my car test first time aged 17 with NO mistakes i.e. no ticks at all on the examiner's report.

BrianD3

commited

Originally posted by BrianD3
I agree completely. And there's so much bullsh1t and urban myths associated with driving tests. People will make up any excuse rather than admit that they messed up their test because of plain bad driving.

Examples of stupid stuff I've heard:
-They never pass anyone on [insert day of week]
-The examiner had filled his quota
-The [insert test centre] where I did the test has a high failure rate
-I failed because my car was unroadworthy (Clever one that - it's easier to blame the car rather than admit you're just a useless driver)
-young guys never pass first time. Examiners don't like passing young guys if it's their first test.

Have heard loads of other excuses I can't recall. It's similar to road accidents - they're always someone else's fault, someone distracted them and made them swerve or some cyclist appeared out of nowhere or there was oil on the road etc. etc.

PS passed my car test first time aged 17 with NO mistakes i.e. no ticks at all on the examiner's report.

BrianD3

There are alot of ppl out there like that, but how can u think that all driving examiners are completely unbiased?
Also, u automatically fail your test for your car being unroadworthy :rolleyes:

BrianD3

Also, u automatically fail your test for your car being unroadworthy

I'm aware of that. I was talking about people who fail their test because of bad driving and then tell everyone that they failed because their car was unroadworthy - NOT people who fail their test because of a genuine car problem.

Must admit that your excuse about the examiner checking out girls and ticking random boxes had me in stitches. Are you for real? Must add that to the list of excuses - it's a classic. But I suppose in fairness you did concede that you didn't drive too well on the day so it wasn't solely the fault of the horny examiner....

BrianD3

Silent Bob

Yup.

First time was my own fault, I admit to that.
Second time though...

well it happened like this:

For my second test I got an old bloke of about 70 as a tester. We went out to the car and did the usual brake/indicator checking. Then he wanders over to check the tax and insurance discs.

Tax was fine.

Being a company car the insurance disc was for the company policy and just said 'group' (as in, group insurance. Along with all the other details of course).

Said tester then gets into the car and tells me that I'm not insured to drive the car and that he will not let me take the test (bear in mind I had already signed a declaration that I was insured). I had to argue with him for a full 5 minutes. Then he decides to back to the centre to "discuss" the matter with someone else in there (leaving me in the car thinking "He's not going to let me take the test, that's another X months waiting + another fee" - so much for "the tester will try to put you at ease"...).

He comes back 5 minutes later, tells me that the person he wanted to talk to wasn't there and says (in an annoyed tone of voice, though I may be biased on this:)) "We've wasted enough time already, get on with it."

Needless to say he failed me.

I wrote a letter of complaint to the Department and they instigated an investigation. The tester completely denied my story (other than to say that he left me in the car for 2 minutes, this he had to admit to because other people so him back in the centre. It took a whole lot longer than 2 minutes though, I had a clock on the dash in front of me :rolleyes:)

End of investigation, my word against his, his word won.

Fortunately the person in the department with whom I was dealing was very decent about it and got me another test within 3 weeks. This was passed without difficulty.

So I don't really count the second test as a test.

And herbie747: in this instance I count the tester as retarded, not me.

herbie747

That's fair enough. That 2nd time, you didn't even get to drive so it doesn't count.
I'm basically referring to those people who keep failing but it's NEVER their fault. We all know a few of them.

sceptre

Originally posted by BrianD3
-The [insert test centre] where I did the test has a high failure rate

Er, some do. The figures are publically available. Nothing to do with the "test centre" per se of course, just to do with the situation in the town it's in. Shannon has historically had a higher pass rate than the rest of the country for example. Before they started tearing up the town and putting in diversions recently, everyone could see why.

herbie747

It shouldn't make any difference whether the area has a bigger failure rate or not: that just means there's more idiots in the town who can't drive. You should be able to drive safely and properly on all roads- not just the easy ones.

commited

Originally posted by BrianD3
I'm aware of that. I was talking about people who fail their test because of bad driving and then tell everyone that they failed because their car was unroadworthy - NOT people who fail their test because of a genuine car problem.

Must admit that your excuse about the examiner checking out girls and ticking random boxes had me in stitches. Are you for real? Must add that to the list of excuses - it's a classic. But I suppose in fairness you did concede that you didn't drive too well on the day so it wasn't solely the fault of the horny examiner....

BrianD3

tbh, it sounds funny, but its exactly how it was - he kept turning his head back etc when we passed a girl - im not joking.
Maybe i had already failed before this point - i don't know.

sceptre

Originally posted by herbie747
You should be able to drive safely and properly on all roads- not just the easy ones.

Of course you should. The bottom line though, is that some towns are easier to pass in than others. They can't put a horse-racing style handicap on those taking the test in those towns because that would be unfair so the advantage remains

(incidentally I passed in a town that has a relatively low pass rate)

Lafortezza

I passed mine at the second attempt.

I was chatting to the instructor after wards and he explained that you can make every minor mistake in the book once but if you make the same mistake twice , he can fail you if he wants to.
He told me that I had pulled up the handbrake incorrectly two times and that only my good road awareness apart from that had made him pass me.

So itdoes depend on the person testing you I think.

seamus

Originally posted by BrianD3
PS passed my car test first time aged 17 with NO mistakes i.e. no ticks at all on the examiner's report.

Do you want a medal? :rolleyes:
Passing the test in Ireland is no indication whatsoever that you're a good driver, just that you can drive within the rules of the road for 30 minutes. Just like someone who gets maximum points in the LC isn't automatically super-brainy it just shows they can put work in.

As some people have said, I know some terrible drivers who passed first time, and I know some fantastic drivers who've failed 3 times. Of course circumstance can make a difference. :rolleyes:

But yeah, there are too many people who say "it was the rain", "he didn't like me", "it wasn't my car".

There are also others who don't know what it involves. Both of the last 2 people who I know did the test have failed because they didn't get pretests. Just like mock exams, you have no idea what way you're supposed to drive in the test until you do one (or at least a mock one).

For the record, I failed first time cos I was too cocky. I'd been driving 4 months, and did it in Wicklow to get a quicker test. The Wicklow roads are a bit mad, and only suited to someone with more experience, so bottom line, I fcked up. Passed second time 5 months later, in Tallaght, a much wiser driver. Have a bike test coming up. Piece o' piss

Silvera

I failed my test 3 times - got it on the 4th go.
I was so keen to get my licence (I worked in the motor trade at the time and hoped to get covered on the Garage Insurance policy) that I made silly mistakes each time.

I passed my Truck Test (Category C) first time.

Next stop Category EC - Artic truck, and Cat. A - motorbike

herbie747

Originally posted by lafortezza
So itdoes depend on the person testing you I think.

Not if you drive correctly. They'll have nothing to fail you on. He still has to give you a sheet at the end with your mistakes on it.

herbie747

Originally posted by Silvera
I failed my test 3 times - got it on the 4th go.
I was so keen to get my licence that I made silly mistakes each time.

Those are the sort of mistakes that result in damage to my car, and anyone else you crash into because of your self admitted "silly mistakes". You made "silly mistakes" because you were under pressure? A good driver is efficient and alert under pressure- not panicky and "silly". We need less people like you on the roads- and more like me Only messing, but seriously, do you not question your safeness to other road users when you failed 3 times?

On another note, my mates car got totalled a few weeks ago because some Romanian crashed into him- and he had fake tax and insurance discs.

seamus

Originally posted by herbie747
Not if you drive correctly. They'll have nothing to fail you on. He still has to give you a sheet at the end with your mistakes on it.

There's no way that anyone can do a perfect test. You'd be fooling yourself if you thought it was possible. The tester does more than just check that you're indicating properly etc etc. He gets a feel for the driver's confidence in the car, on the road, and with their own driving. If someone seems confident and sensible, the tester will happily overlook any minor infringements, so long as they aren't really important in the whole scheme. Leaving your hand on the gearstick for one second longer than necessary, for example, on a wide road, is a matter of semantics, whereas the person who quickly moves their hand back and forth between the steering wheel and gear stick is either nervous, or not fully in control of the car.

It's like an English exam. The examiner is subjective some of the time, not objective all of the time. He does more than check that you've done x and y correctly, he checks to see how you will fare as a qualified driver overall.

BrianD3

There's no way that anyone can do a perfect test. You'd be fooling yourself if you thought it was possible. The tester does more than just check that you're indicating properly etc etc. He gets a feel for the driver's confidence in the car, on the road, and with their own driving. If someone seems confident and sensible, the tester will happily overlook any minor infringements, so long as they aren't really important in the whole scheme.

It IS possible to do a perfect test - I know because I did one. I didn't get any ticks and I knew in my own mind that I hadn't made any mistakes that the examiner failed to notice.

Before the test, I got around 20 lessons from an excellent instructor who was with a reputable driving school. The guy really knew his stuff and would pick up on the slightest mistake. He was also a total bastard and would give me serious verbal abuse if I made a minor error.

He tried to make the lessons as difficult as possible. Eg always doing the reverse on a steep uphill or downhill and blocking my view of the nearside mirror. Doing the turnabout on really narrow heavily cambered roads and insisting that I do it in 3 maneouvres. If I made even a slight mistake, he would make me keep doing it until I got it perfect (all the time berating me over how useless I was)

Because I was 17, male, and had just started driving I could deal with this. If I had been older with a big ego and thinking I was a great driver I wouldn't have coped with the verbal abuse. Also there's no way a woman would have coped with it - she'd have run away crying after the first lesson.

So when I came to do the test I was well used to driving under pressure. I was totally relaxed and it was really pleasant compared to the lessons. Also, the actual standard of driving expected from me was lower. So it was dead easy.

I also believe that the lessons I got have stood to me. Not only did they allow me to pass my test so easily, they have made me a better driver in the years since I passed the test. I think I'm more alert, have better concentration, better judgement and make fewer errors than a lot of the drivers on the road.

The driving test is nothing like an English exam. If anything, it's more like a Maths exam. Saying the test is subjective is just another excuse which allows people to blame the examiner. As herbie747 says, if you drive perfectly they cannot fail you. It has little to do with "appearing confident" or "appearing nervous" If you're nervous you'll probably drive like an idiot and fail but you will fail because of your actual driving not because the examiner thought were nervous. Likewise if you're confident and drive well, you'll pass. If you're confident (cocky?) and make loads of mistakes you'll fail. Simple as that.

I agree that the test isn't perfect and should be harder but it's the only standard we have right now. And it's ironic that people condemn the test for being too easy yet so many have difficulty passing it!

BrianD3

commited

Originally posted by herbie747
Those are the sort of mistakes that result in damage to my car, and anyone else you crash into because of your self admitted "silly mistakes". You made "silly mistakes" because you were under pressure? A good driver is efficient and alert under pressure- not panicky and "silly". We need less people like you on the roads- and more like me Only messing, but seriously, do you not question your safeness to other road users when you failed 3 times?

On another note, my mates car got totalled a few weeks ago because some Romanian crashed into him- and he had fake tax and insurance discs.

So every silly mistake results in a crash or someone getting injured?
I dont think so-
A silly mistake can be not checking your mirrors six thousand times when u are doing a 3point turn. It can be lack of progress out of junctions - ie not pulling out when an opportunity arises.
I would say that only a v. v. small % of small mistakes result in a crash.
Also, the Driving test isnt really a test of real driving. Everyone agrees this, even the 2 instructors ive had. THere is no motorway part to the test which is ridiculous - can u imagine the young girls/guys who pass their test, then proceed onto a motorway - many wont now how to act, but also feel like they should do 70mph - so they will totally drive beyond their capabilities.

Silvera

No, herbie747, I don't question my "safeness to other road users" - not in the slightest.
I consider myself a safe and competent driver (anybody who has been in my car would testify to this. N.B.- I'm not bragging).

As I said before, some of the most incompetent drivers I know (drive too fast, overtake when appoaching bends, don't use dipped headlights in poor weather, etc) passed their test first time.

A safe driver is someone who uses commonsense when driving - something which is severly lacking on our roads.
A lot of drivers on our roads just cannot anticipate possible dangers ahead of them when drivng - i.e.
- The possibility of pedestrians walking around the next bend, which they approach much too fast.
- Drivers who don't build up their speed on slip roads when entering a motorway and merely pull out at too slow a speed,
- Drivers who refuse to use their dipped-headlights in heavy rain, in fog, at dusk/dawn etc etc. - the list just goes on and on.

Passing a test "first go" does not guarantee a person will be a safe or competent driver.

Cheers,
Silvera.

ArphaRima

I work in a highly technical transport field, and I know that to fail a test and come back another time is 20 times harder than passing it the first time. Always had respect for those guys.

Also some people will make great drivers, but are poor examinees. Pressure does strange things to some people. Still, no excuse. A test is a test. If someone meets the standard, they deserve to pass, regardless of age, skill level, personality, sex etc. Unfortunately this is not always the case; some below the standard sometimes slip through, and some above dont make it. C'est la vie.


ps Only in Ireland its hard to find any documentation that defines "the standard".

MojoMaker

Originally posted by BrianD3
I think I'm more alert, have better concentration, better judgement and make fewer errors than a lot of the drivers on the road.

You sir, are up your own ar$e.

sceptre

Originally posted by MojoMaker
You sir, are up your own ar$e.

Why, because he reckons he's a competent driver and a better driver than most (usually interpreted as "more than 50% of") people on the road? The bar for being better than 50% of drivers isn't too high.

MojoMaker

Too many people think they are better drivers than most on the roads. I'm sure those lads in Sutton last weekend thought they were great drivers.

Cockiness as a driver is lethal. A good driver never considers himself good. A really good driver knows just how bad he is.

commited

Originally posted by MojoMaker
Too many people think they are better drivers than most on the roads. I'm sure those lads in Sutton last weekend thought they were great drivers.

Cockiness as a driver is lethal. A good driver never considers himself good. A really good driver knows just how bad he is.

Saw where they crashed
very sad - makes you realise what a pointless thread this is

Sangre

Originally posted by fluffer

If someone meets the standard, they deserve to pass, regardless.... skill level, . Unfortunately this is not always the case;

What kind of test are you doing?

Anyway, I wouldn't put much value on the driving test (not that I have done it) But generally I find that those who pass first time are the cocky and sometimes dangerous drivers.
People who are safe, considerate and careful drivers are usually the kind of people who don't do well in that kind of exam situation. There is so much pressure and hype on the test. They can feel they're expected to fail...
But what do I know.

herbie747

Originally posted by Sangre
But generally I find that those who pass first time are the cocky and sometimes dangerous drivers.
People who are safe, considerate and careful drivers are usually the kind of people who don't do well in that kind of exam situation. There is so much pressure and hype on the test. They can feel they're expected to fail...

So you think that a lot of people who pass the first time are dangerous drivers, and people who fail aren't; because good drivers are nervous under pressure- that's why they fail!! Hmmmm.
That is one of the dumbest things I've ever heard. Shouldn't good drivers be calm under pressure, instead of panicking?? And you think someone who passes first time is dangerous because they can drive safe in a test situation??? wtf?

Chimaera

Herbie, as usual you're being rather narrow-minded here. I believe the point he's making is that not everyone who passes first time is a good driver, and not everyone who fails is a bad driver.

Being honest about it, passing the Irish driving test does not make you a good driver. It just means you're capable of driving around an urban environment at an average speed of 22mph, you can carry out some basic maneouvres, and you have some understanding of the rules of the road. There's no night driving, no motorway driving, no bad weather driving (unless you get a bad day for the test, and you probably won't be tested in ice or snow anyway).

Silent Bob

The French system would seem to be much better. Driving schools are regulated by the government (so they'll all give the same answer to a question, unlike here...), you have to log at least 300km with a qualified instructor (including motorway practice) before you are even allowed to sit the test.

Everything about it is geared to producing safe, educated drivers who most likely pass first time, unlike our system.