Just to let anyone who's interested know...

[Pixie Pete]

I failed my driving test AGAIN today.

That brings the total up to twice, for those who want to keep a talley.

I'm not too bothered now, although I was rather irritated by my examiner who was the same one I had last time and who made the manouvers unesseserilly difficult, shall we say. Same as last time. Only on this occasion I managed fine and failed for not checking my mirrors enough.

On the bright side, he's apparantly retiring next month, so I won't have to track him down and kill him. :)

Comissiration posts to follow? Please. :cry:

[Nephand]

:| Hard luck. Missing out twice, as you say, isn't too bothersome (except for the cost...bleh) third time will be the charm ;)

[Albert The Destroyer]

Bah unlucky mate, it seems to me that you need a bit of luck, if the examiner is feeling paticularly bad then he/ she will be more likely to fail you. So yes, examiners suck.

[Pop Culture Monkey]

Get a bike?

No mirrors.

[DCLXVI]

I share your pain. I failed my first test despite driving very well because of some mythical 30 sign that I "didn't see" (read: was never there at all). Second test I had the notorious Fat **** Ray who proceeded to take me on the most *******ish test route and did things like interfere with my indicator to turn a minor into a serious.

Need to retake my theory, which expired three months ago.

[chosen_one]

Ah well. No worries ay? At least you havent failed it 6 or 7 times, like one bloke I know. At school we were all taken bets on whether he would reach double figures.

[Pixie Pete]

I'm getting less and less bothered by it throughout the day, although thanks for the support anyway. :)

Mirrors are ridiculous. One of my faults was not checking a blindspot, which I agree is my fault. But I don't know - I'd been watching the road for like a few minutes, I saw nothing was by me, nothing can magically appear in the road.

I know they don't know that, but there we are.

AS for what I was saying about the instructor. First time I failed due to a reverse park on a highly parked up road in Normanton (If any Derbyites know how busy and parked up it gets...) which also had a slope and was very thin.

This time it was a reverse around a corner. The corner in question was the type which goes back on itself at a ridiculous angle and was up a slope. Joy. The instructor was a pleasant, when I think about some friends saying their instructors gave them really easy ones, and really - how many times do you need to reverse around a corner in real life? :(

But I didn't fail for that, but I won't pretend it hasn't knocked my confidence.

At the end of the day it's my own fault and I'll know to exagerate my mirror looks next time. I've been given the tip of setting my mirrors slightly wrong so that I have to crane to see them. :)

[Nephand]

Aye, I had an old mancunian cobbled street corner, the 90 degree sharp turn. It was probably there that I got my minor on crossing hands on steering wheel... couldn't turn fast enough with the 'feed' method :P

[Norphy]

I've been given the tip of setting my mirrors slightly wrong so that I have to crane to see them. :)

Don't do that, that is very wrong.

The examiner has a mirror trained on your eyes and they know when you're looking and when you're not. In any case, craning to see is bad, you want to be able to see them in a snap and not waste time.

Anyway, commiserations m8. I passed on my third attempt and after the second I was just utterly determined to get it done. And I did :) And in my own car as well which was doubly satisfying :E

[Pixie Pete]

Their own mirror? I'm confused. If you mean a mirror set up in the car, I was using the BSM car I'd had all my lessons in - not one specifically done for the test.

[Norphy]

If your instructor's car is anything like the three cars I learnt in (two instructors, and the first instructors car broke down once), there will be three mirrors in the car: The standard rear view mirror, the intstructors rear view mirror directly next to it and another mirror above the passenger door which is trained on your eyes.

The point is, the examiner can see your eye movements. He/she will know how often you look at them and when. They know when you are checking your speed. Deliberatley offsetting the mirrors will cause more hassle than its worth, believe me. Ultimately its just plain dangerous.

[ParaSitius]

I wonder how well I would do if I had to re-take my driving test? It'll be 11 years since I passed first time, come the end of this month.

Wow, has it really been 11 years.... good grief.

Anyhow, I think you should still go after that instructor and at least let the tyres down on his motor.

[Tiger]

Ahh Pixie, your not alone buddy,

I failed my test (attempt number 1) yesterday (Tuesday) and i was almost perfect up till the major. I did all five manoevures, 3-point turn and reverse-parking, then hillstart, morning away from behind a car and the normal pull-away thing.. all perfect..

I had 5 silly wee minors, crossing hands once, handbreak when not fully stopped etc, then the daddy..

I came rund a rally toight corner at a junction, (pulling out from the junction).. rolled the car roudn in first to the traffic lights which were in front of me.. i looked at them, they were green, so i continued, as i looked down they must have changed to amber as I went over the pedestrian crossing and the dude failed me for Pedestrian Crossings - very harsh :/

Then i lost my head and took the wrong lane at a roundabout, but it was cos i didn't give a f**k anymore, i knew i'd failed :/

Bah - 10 week waiting lise for Inverness now.. and all that after an intersive week last week :/

[Muff-Hunter]

i passed wednesday, and so i need never use those bloody mirrors again! :D

[Minxxy]

mirror mirror on the wall... who is the prettiest of them all?

oooow tuf luck, you will do better next time pete :)

Congrats Muff... well done... =))