Has anyone here failed their test more than once?

Sangre

Originally posted by herbie747
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.

Yes thats exactly what I was saying :rolleyes:

So are you telling me that everyone who passes the test first time is a brilliant and safe driver? I didn't think so.

Although I have a great story, my dad passed his exam the first time the day after he was kidnapped by the IRA.

BrianD3

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).

We all agree that the Irish driving test isn't exactly rocket science. Being able to pass the test doesn't mean you're a brilliant driver.

So what about the people who have difficulty passing such an easy test? It's a pretty poor reflection on their driving abilities isn't it. If you can't do a few basic maneouvres safely what chance have you got in difficult driving conditions.

It makes me nervous to think that there are people driving on motorways at 70 mph who didn't pass their test first time - because they couldn't turn their car around without whacking the kerb or reverse around a corner safely or do any of the other basic stuff properly.

Going back to the leaving cert analogy it's like someone failing foundation maths. And then complaining that the syllabus was wrong or their teacher was sh1te or the examiner had it in for them. When in fact the real reason is simply that they're THICK.

BrianD3

seamus

Exams and tests can do strange things to people. I know of plenty of people who are brilliant subject x, but consistently fail exams in it.

The original comment in this thread is one made by a cocky, arrogant little kid who really hasn't clue.

Your foundation Irish argument is flawed. Intelligence isn't a weight which can be measured. Someone who fails foundation Irish may just have a complete inability when it comes to language. The same person could easily be a mathematical genius. Or an artistic one.

:rolleyes:

Sangre

Originally posted by seamus

Your foundation Irish argument is flawed. Intelligence isn't a weight which can be measured. Someone who fails foundation Irish may just have a complete inability when it comes to language. The same person could easily be a mathematical genius. Or an artistic one.

:rolleyes:

Uhhh yeah, but could he like drive as well good as me, because I'm like the best driver. I passed my test the first time.....rar

lemondrop

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!

Lets not forget years ago there wasnt as much traffic on the road and the test was seen as easier!!!!!!!

mickey_t

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

So if someone fails their driving test more than once they are retarded? What sort of a statement is that? I think almost everyone gets really nervous when they're doing their test and I'd say nervousness alone contributes to a lot of people failing the first time. That doesn't make you retarded, it makes you perfectly normal.

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?

I failed the test the first time and passed the second. I don't think I was a much better driver the second time around - just more focused on the job on hand. I can sympathise with people who failed more than once because I think you could easily get a "mental block" for doing the test - like when you do a regular written exam and your mind goes blank. I'm actually glad I didn't pass the first time otherwise I might have turned into an arrogant driver and end up ranting on about "people who fail the test more than once are retards..." I don't think someone who took 2/3 goes to pass the test are any more likely to have an accident than the average person... Its probably more likely that someone who passed the first time overestimates their skills and become complacent, and end up having a "silly" accident!

Mythago

A female friend of mine passed her test first time despite being an asbsolutely awful driver(She once braked to try and miss a butterfly!) How? Well I drove up with her as a bit of moral support and when she collected me her outfit left nothing to the imagination! She is a stunning girl & for the test she wore a tight white blouse( no bra & cleavage aplenty) with the aircon blowing cold:rolleyes: and a very very short skirt! On top of this the tester was in his early sixties & from what she said he was totally distracted during the test! She passed flying colours & I drove her home cos she wasn't up to it!

On a side note I passed first time, and TBH don't really see how people can fail more than once(in all fairness even with the new theory section its not that difficult), and reckon more restrictions should be placed on 2nd provisional drivers.

herbie747

I don't think someone who took 2/3 goes to pass the test are any more likely to have an accident than the average person... Its probably more likely that someone who passed the first time overestimates their skills and become complacent, and end up having a "silly" accident! [/B]

What about someone who has failed 4 or 5 times? You're trying to say that they are as safe as someone who has passed on their 2nd time? (Note: more than 50% of people fail first time- the majority then pass 2nd time).
I would consider someone who has failed 4 times to be incapable and a bit slow.

Note the name of the topic: "Has anyone here failed their test more than once?"
If you passed on your 2nd attempt, then you're okay. If you fail on your 2nd attempt, then I would consider you to be a bit dim. It's not brain surgery, and if you can't drive by a set of simple rules, then you shouldn't be on the road- if you are only driving safe for the benefit of the test; at least you are capable of it.
A lot of idiots do seem to slip through first time though...somehow...

mickey_t

I suppose whatever I post will just be twisted by Herbie for his deluded little reply, but here it goes all the same... I know two people who failed the test twice, and I wouldn't consider them to be dim. Maybe easily intimidated by a license instructor, but not dim. I don't know anyone who has failed 4 or 5 times so I can't say whether they're good/bad drivers. And Herbie do you know of anyone who has failed that number of times? If so please elaborate as to how thick/dim they are - otherwise you're just generalising about something you don't know anything about!

herbie747

Originally posted by mickey_t
I suppose whatever I post will just be twisted by Herbie for his deluded little reply, but here it goes all the same... I know two people who failed the test twice, and I wouldn't consider them to be dim. Maybe easily intimidated by a license instructor, but not dim. I don't know anyone who has failed 4 or 5 times so I can't say whether they're good/bad drivers. And Herbie do you know of anyone who has failed that number of times? If so please elaborate as to how thick/dim they are - otherwise you're just generalising about something you don't know anything about!

I know two people who have failed 3 times, and one person who has failed 6!!
The people who have failed 3 times (girls) are probably a bit dim, but guy who failed 6 times isn't necessarily dim, but let's just say I wouldn't loan him my car. He drives like a woman. Weaving in and out of lanes and going too slow. He's dim on the road.
If your friends aren't dim, would you consider them to be good drivers?

mickey_t

I'd consider them competent drivers, and I'd rate them the same as 5 or 6 other people I know that got the test first time. As to whether I'd loan them my car - well, not to all of them, but then again theres only a few people that I would loan it to. But what I definitely do know is that I don't jugde them as dim or thick just because it took them a few goes to do the test.

The people who have failed 3 times (girls) are probably a bit dim, but guy who failed 6 times isn't necessarily dim, but let's just say I wouldn't loan him my car. He drives like a woman.

All the people you mentioned that failed 3+ times were either women or "drove like women" - maybe its women drivers that you've a problem with!

herbie747

Women being bad drivers isn't just a stereotype. Anyone who drives knows that.

Seriously though, there's no excuse for failing more than twice. If you keep failing, you obviously can't drive safely while obeying the rules of the road. Simple as that.

If your friends are good drivers, then why did they fail twice??
What possible excuses could they have?
"I'm a good driver, but I can't follow a simple set of rules".

mickey_t

If your friends are good drivers, then why did they fail twice??

One lad I know that failed twice but hes a good driver now. He failed the first time since he had done hardly any lessons and wasn't that good a driver to be honest. Then he took more lessons, improved dramatically, but failed the next time because of a silly mistake. I think it was because he touched the kerb on the 3 pt turn. Hes on the road every day now and has even improved more since he passed the test. If he had his own car and was driving as frequently when he did the test the first time then he probably would have got it first time.

What possible excuses could they have?

There have been lots of valid reasons put forward in the other posts in this thread, if you don't want to read them fine, don't bother.

herbie747

I have read them, and they're pathetic;

"A snail ran out in front of me"

"The tester hadn't got a clue"

"I made one silly mistake" (You CANT fail for one mistake- unless you crash or something)

"The weather was really bad"

"The tester had reached his quota"

The driving test is there to ensure people are competent safe drivers. If you keep failing, you must have trouble comprehending simple instructions. Of course crap drivers slip through on the first attempt, and of course there are good drivers who fail 2 or 3 times, but the majority of 2nd time failures is just from lack of competence: a.k.a. dozy crap drivers. The same people who stop in yellow box junctions, drive past the white line at traffic lights and take about 10 seconds moving off. We need less of them on the road.

Silent Bob

Originally posted by herbie747
The same people who stop in yellow box junctions, drive past the white line at traffic lights and take about 10 seconds moving off. We need less of them on the road.

You know you are allowed to stop in yellow boxes if you are turning right into/out of them and don't obstruct right of way traffic

And driving past the white line is hardly a sin of dozy drivers, in my experience it's the people in the shiny mercs and beemers who do that.

herbie747

Originally posted by Silent Bob
You know you are allowed to stop in yellow boxes if you are turning right into/out of them and don't obstruct right of way traffic

I'm talking about the people who just stop in them- dozy twats.

And driving past the white line is hardly a sin of dozy drivers, in my experience it's the people in the shiny mercs and beemers who do that.

True. And they're also the same assh*les who don't realise that people coming ONTO a motorway have right of way. They also drive right up your arse in the overtaking lane when you can't go faster cuz theres some dumb bogger in a transit in front of you going 50mph.

ArphaRima

Sorry about this, I really don't know... Just on an information note.
Do cars coming onto a motorway really have right of way?

I've seen far too many people making no effort whatsoever to match speed with traffic already on the motorway, and they just drive until the line on the side of the road leads them on, regardless of any traffic travelling abeam or behind them..

Though it may not be the case, surely a car approaching another from its blind area, as in far left corner, should give way, as they are in a better position to judge a maneouver to accomodate traffic (driver sitting as he/she is on the right side of car).

herbie747

If you are driving in the left lane on a motorway, you have to give right of way to traffic coming onto the motorway from the sliproad.

Where are they gonna go if they run out out sliproad, and some assh*le won't let them in?

You don't learn about that in the test because you don't go on motorways. Seriously, it's a fact. Look into it.
It's the same in the UK, except they actually know how to use motorways- they know the rules, and they only use the right lane for overtaking. People in Ireland think its called the "fast lane", so Iriah idiots just drive in it when they THINK they're going fast- gobsh*tes in Vans and Trucks.

Its the same with escalators- people stand to the right, and people who want to walk up the escalator use the left side- makes sense.

mickey_t

Originally posted by herbie747
I have read them, and they're pathetic;

"A snail ran out in front of me"

"The tester hadn't got a clue"

"I made one silly mistake" (You CANT fail for one mistake- unless you crash or something)

"The weather was really bad"

"The tester had reached his quota"

Did you read any of the VALID reasons at all? Most of the above were pulled from a sarcastic post by BrianD3! And for the record you can fail for one mistake i.e. touching kerb on 3 pt turn & reversing around the corner manoeuvres, treating a stop sign as yield (not coming to complete stop) even if the road you're turning on to is deserted. And theres a few more if you check it out! Actually why did you even start this thread if you had already made your mind up on the matter and aren't willing to listen to other peoples opinions??
As for the people in shiny mercs/beemers, I've found that their rule of thumb appears to be "right hand on the wheel & left hand holding moblie phone/cigarette/cigar". And as far as I know fluffer, its up to person coming off the slip road on a motorway to match the speed of the motorway traffic and find an appropriate time to merge with that traffic

herbie747

Originally posted by mickey_t
And for the record you can fail for one mistake i.e. touching kerb on 3 pt turn & reversing around the corner manoeuvres, treating a stop sign as yield (not coming to complete stop) even if the road you're turning on to is deserted. And theres a few more if you check it out!

WRONG- you do NOT fail for touching kerb on 3 pt turn & reversing around the corner manoeuvres. Look into it- and you'll find you're wrong. Ring Irish School of Motoring 01-8746677.

Actually why did you even start this thread if you had already made your mind up on the matter and aren't willing to listen to other peoples opinions??

Like I said- I do accept that some reasons are valid- but those ones I listed ARE the pathetic excuses you hear from most people. I've heard them loads of times, and I know other people have.

And as far as I know fluffer, its up to person coming off the slip road on a motorway to match the speed of the motorway traffic and find an appropriate time to merge with that traffic

Not necessarily. While the general rule is that traffic already on the motorway has the right of way, there are signs that say "merging traffic on the left", so it is up to the drivers already on the motorway to keep a close eye on merging traffic and allow them to merge where necessary. It is quite a grey area with a lot of drivers. The technical term is known as "filtering".
Again, ring ISM or some other driving school and ask them.

mickey_t

My instructor (who was part of the institute of advanced motorists) told me it was an immediate failure if you touched the kerb. I know two people who were failed because of it (it was the only x mark on their exam sheet) so I'm not even bother getting into that argument.

Originally posted by herbie747
Like I said- I do accept that some reasons are valid- but those ones I listed ARE the pathetic excuses you hear from most people. I've heard them loads of times, and I know other people have.

Like I said in an earlier post, I just asked if you to look at the valid reasons (for people failing) that were put forward. You just posted the worst ones in reply. Thats why I was asking if you even listened to anyone elses opinions i.e. only hearing what you wanted to hear....

herbie747

Originally posted by mickey_t
My instructor (who was part of the institute of advanced motorists) told me it was an immediate failure if you touched the kerb.

Well then your instructor is either (a) an idoit, or (b) a liar.

There can be no argument about it- you are wrong. Thats a fact. Why don't you look into it.
Ring the Irish School of Advanced Motoring and they'll tell you.
01-8746677.

What driving school os your instructor with?

ArphaRima

Q. What should you do when joining motorway?
A. You must use slip road and drive up to speed of other Motorway users before you enter and give way to right. (do stay in left lane until you have adjusted to speed of motorway traffic!!!).

http://www.osm.ie/motorway.htm
Ormonde School of Motoring

Are you still certain about motorway joining right of way?

The "merging traffic on left" is an advisory only. Onus is on joining traffic. They can stop if necessary. Of course proper procedure is to match traffic speed, indicate and move into a gap in traffic. If a situation didnt arise, I'd use the hard shoulder, its not like there isnt roadspace to use, far better than braking hard, or moving out anyway into faster traffic.

Dampsquid

There are 3 types of faults you can get on your driving test. Minor(grade 1), more serious(grade 2) and Major(grade 3). You fail if you get more than 8 'Grade 2' faults or any grade 3 faults.

If you hit the kerb, the driving tester could see this as not too serious and give you a Grade 2 fault. If you hit it while moving with a bit of speed then its a Grade 3 fault, and its a Grade 3 fault and you fail straight away. I should know cos i did that in my test. My Mam drove onto the Kerb and she passed.

There you go, no consistency.

mickey_t

Well then your instructor is either (a) an idoit, or (b) a liar

Well its ironic that you implied he was an idiot when you couldn't even spell the word correctly yourself!

I thought the title of this thread was the most stupid thing I had heard in a while but that statement definitely tops it! Okay maybe the rules have changed since I got lessons and did the test 3 years ago BUT hitting the kerb definitely was a fail then. Otherwise the driving testers who failed my two friends must have been (a) an idiot, or (b) a liar, then!
In any case the thread has dropped to the level of "I'm right and you're wrong" so I don't think its even worth the effort anymore...

herbie747

I'm actually sick of arguing now, so lets drop it.

And "Mickey_T", for future reference; pointing out spelling mistakes on a forum is too easy. Most of the regulars don't find it cool at all. I did it when I first joined, and now I realise that it's not cool to make fun of people who dropped out of school.

ArphaRima

I agree.

Though i also agree that when labelling someone an idiot one should be careful in exposing one's own mental capacity.

Sleipnir

here's a great site for would-be drivers. Has everything

http://www.soyouwanttodrive.com/