The Driving Test
This may be less of a peeve than a strong feeling of inadequacy, but nevertheless:

I've been trying to pass my driving test for a long time now. I started learning to drive when I was 17. I'm now 22 and have taken then damn thing four - possibly even five - times and I still can't seem to pass. It's becoming quite depressing, especially since the last time I only got 6 minors and just got failed for one error of judgement.

And yet the roads seem to be full of utter twats, who have somehow been allowed to pass. There's something amazingly frustrating to see people executing acts of unrivalled pillockry on the roads and knowing that they were given a driving licence and I wasn't. I can only console myself with the assumption that they must surely have sucked off their driving examiner instead of doing a three-point turn.
(LongJohnBaldry, Tue 6 May 2008, 16:32, 19 replies)

I know what you mean
Mrs Samurai passed her test after 5 maybe 6 attempts and she is an absolutely brilliant driver, whereas you get some people who pass their test start first time and immediately start to drive like a gibbon on acid
(Cow_Tipping_Samurai, Tue 6 May 2008, 16:35, closed)

I know the feeling
Taken my test 9 times since I was 17, now I'm 23 and still no licence. Meanwhile, my uncoordinated and totally useless mate who has written off three cars in as many months still has his licence, and passed first time.
(UncleChuckles "Cthulhu fhtagn", Tue 6 May 2008, 16:37, closed)

...
I've always assumed the drivers that you see that can't actually drive were the ones that took 6 or 7 times to pass their test and only passed by sheer fluke.
(Big Smurf Brush me daddy-O, Tue 6 May 2008, 16:38, closed)

@Big Smurf
Not sure - I think I'd side with Uncle Chuckles. A lot of the "gibbons on acid*" do seem to be people that managed to somehow bluff it first time. A friend of mine nailed it first time and I was always afraid to get into the car with him.

Edit: Not to suggest, by any means, that he sucked off the examiner to get his licence.

*_{Thank you, Samurai. That is a wonderful image.}
(LongJohnBaldry, Tue 6 May 2008, 16:40, closed)

Hmmm
without wishing to offend anyone, I'm inclined to agree with the Big Smurf.

I see people who pass first time as the ones who are able, the ones who try again and again are the ones can't sit in a car for an hour and drive without fucking something up.

Maybes I'm wrong, soz
(Reverend Samson Fapohunda B3tan, B3tan, B3tan, B3tan, Tue 6 May 2008, 16:41, closed)

My test history
I took my test twice when I was 18, failed miserably both times, gave up.

I tried again when I was 25 (and finally had the money for lessons) and passed easily.

My tips:

1 - sometimes you're just too young to pass a test
2 - change instructors if you fail with one. Some are way better than others.
(Axeman Jim, Tue 6 May 2008, 16:45, closed)

@Operating
Admittedly, the first couple of times I took the test, I wasn't a particularly good driver - competent, but with no confidence.

However, having worked in close proximity to driving instructors (see the Bastard Colleagues QotW), they do generally accept that the best drivers pass on the second attempt. I think it has something to do with teaching over-confident drivers a bit of humility, or maybe it just forces people to be more careful. I don't think this rule extrapolates to people taking it five times, unfortunately.
(LongJohnBaldry, Tue 6 May 2008, 16:46, closed)

Me
I failed my test 4 times, on time number five I made the only cockup that I saw as a problem when I was being tested. I clipped the wing mirror of a parked car with my mirror.

I passed. Go figure, every other test I did I was convinced that I had passed when we got back to the testing centre.
(oeb, Tue 6 May 2008, 16:48, closed)

You're all right.
Those who pass first time think they're perfect drivers, who also happen to be immortal*. They then spend the rest of their lives proving themselves wrong on both counts.

Those who fail repeatedly and have to take the test again, and again, and again, and so on until a TV series is made about them ... well they're failing for a reason, I suspect.

The best drivers are those who failed enough to realise that a driving licence is a privilege not a right, that they are not perfect drivers, and that others might validly have a lower opinion of their driving than they do, but not so often that, well, you wonder.

Yes, I failed twice then passed. So I'd say three tests is about perfect.

------------------------------------------
*admittedly, this is not difficult in respect of count 2 as all of us eventually prove ourselves to be mortal.
(patently Was somewhere else on, Tue 6 May 2008, 16:49, closed)

@The Supreme cow
I suppose if there are some people who should never drive but eventually fluke it, then logically some of these will fluke it first time.

fyi I passed first time and have had a couple of accidents, but once I'm in my little steel box on wheels I become the best driver ever and everyone else is wrong.

Good Luck for next time :)
(Reverend Samson Fapohunda B3tan, B3tan, B3tan, B3tan, Tue 6 May 2008, 16:51, closed)

First-timers
I have three friends that passed first time on their test.

One can drive like a championship racer, is very good and I feel completely safe in his car (he also has a pilots license, maybe a contributing factor).

One is alright, a bit dodgy on roundabouts, but generally alright to be in the car with.

Then there is HIM. There aren't enough beautiful, easy, naked women in the world that could seduce me into his car.
(UncleChuckles "Cthulhu fhtagn", Tue 6 May 2008, 16:52, closed)

I think both arguments make sense
I passed on my 2nd attempt, but there are a couple of people I know (The mrs included), that have taken numerous tests and failed simply due silly mistakes caused by nervousness/lack of confidence.
While these people are not bad drivers in any form, it was just hard for them to handle their nervousness etc. While I appreciate that it doesn't look especially good if it takes 607 tests to pass, sometimes nerves can just mess things up, once you're able to calm yourself down I should imagine it's easier to pass? I hope this makes sense, I guess the point I'm trying to make is that just because someone may take numerous tests before passing, doesn't *always* mean that they are bad drivers. (Though sometimes it does of course).
(Cow_Tipping_Samurai, Tue 6 May 2008, 16:54, closed)

Take heart
The other way to think of it is that a lot of idiots aren't actually qualified at all. Here in MK, a traffic cop has a 50/50 chance of pulling over someone without a license. Which I took great delight in telling myself every time I was cut up/ignored/stupidly overtaken in the 7 years it took me to pass my test....
(Mrs Trellis GIN, Tue 6 May 2008, 17:02, closed)

I get irritated
by those who say that drivers who pass on their first/second/third/four hundred and seventeenth try are better/worse/raving child eaters and find that their opinions are often arranged in a manner that means they're better drivers than anyone else.

I passed first time (I had an exceptionally good teacher whom I would recommend to anyone had he not retired to the south of France) and am better than some people I know who took five attempts, and worse than some others who took the same. Some folk are good at driving and some shouldn't be allowed behind a wheel. This is not necessarily related to the speed at which they can learn.

I do, however, agree that the roads are full of incompetent swine (probably including me), but then so is everything else in life.
(ThomsonsPier consumes, Tue 6 May 2008, 17:06, closed)

Yep
I passed first time but I still consider myself to be a good driver.

I drive quickly where I can but the most important thing is not drive like as ass and be considerate to other drivers.

Its a real shame with learners since the government has increased the tests in order to 'make better drivers' when really it is designed to discourage people from driving and keep people off the roads.

Its true what they say that once you've passed your test you then learn to drive, but some people forget their lessons as soon as they are in the car alone and no one is telling them to slow down or drive carefully.
(ldwater otherwise known as a 'jive turkey', Tue 6 May 2008, 17:15, closed)

I'm completely with you on this

( finnbar has officially retired, Tue 6 May 2008, 18:18, closed)

Passed on my fifth test
The third and fourth ones I should never have failed (the third, he failed me for overtaking a stopped bus, despite mirror and signalling...the road the other way was clear, was I supposed to pull in and wait behind it? Tosser) but I've been driving 12 years now, and the only two accidents I've been involved in were when I was stationary, waiting for an island to clear and some twat hit me from behind.

Don't lose faith and hang in there, you'll get it eventually.
( emvee cruor deo cruoris, Tue 6 May 2008, 18:24, closed)

.
I'm starting to think that power limits on younger drivers might be a good thing...
It may be something to do with some of the fwittery I've seen recently such as overtaking on junctions, blind bends and generally playing chicken with anyone else on the road. Nervous drivers on slip roads scare me .. why do they think slowing down to less than 30mph will enable them to join a flow of traffic doing 60mph plus?

I try and remember at all times that I am by no means a perfect driver but I like to think I'm a lot better than some of the twunts I see on the road. I also try to be nice to learners, even when they've stalled it for the 3rd time at the lights, we all had to learn once.
(cmouse is pondering about life in other jobs, Wed 7 May 2008, 11:09, closed)

@The Supreme Crow
It can be largely about your instructor y'know. If you happen to live in Liverpool I can give you the number of a decent instructor... :)

/passed first time with one minor.
/is still a good driver, honest guv!
(feels_goodman 's brain cogs whirred at, Wed 7 May 2008, 11:49, closed)