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a message to those who feel like giving up on driving...

i finally passed my driving test yesterday; but i want to share my experiences with the rest of you, particularly those who keep failing or feel like giving up.

i started learning to drive in february last year (so it'll be around a year ago exactly now). i passed my theory first time around in july and after around £900 later, i was ready to take my first practical test in november. i was incredibly nervous and the examiner didn't really help. i was given a serious for speeding and another for something on a roundabout, other than that it was 2 serious and 6 minors. okay i thought, it was my first time. the best drivers pass second time everyone says. i booked my second test as soon as possible.

i found a cancellation for the 4th jan, again 2 majors and 5 minors. stupid reasons again. it was things i could do perfectly fine in lessons, but luck was just against me on my tests.

i got my third test for 17th jan (another cancellation). i had the booking page saved to my favourites, and i would always, without fail have it minimized and continually refresh it. the day came and i took off and as i puled up back again i hear the wise words of power 'im sorry to say on this occasion..' i failed with 2 majors and 5 minors again. the reverse park was a bit off he said and something else which was silly. about this point i felt like giving up, but whats the point i thought.

now with £248 paid to the dsa for 4 lots of 40 minutes of their time (not including the money to my instructor); i took my fourth test on the 31st. i did my test and pulled into the test centre: 'let me just add up my marks...' is this it i thought to myself? 'on this occasion you havent passed the driving test'. fml i thought to myself as i put my head in my hands. i received one major for this, on the reverse park he said i was to close to the car. i felt like i was set up as he asked me to pull over close behind it, then told me to do it. i also got 4 minors. i was so angry and upset - i was minutes away from returning to the test centre. what was the point in giving up now?

i saw people on fb who has been driving for 5 months saying they had passed! i was jealous and angry; the system wasnt fair.

anyway, yesterday arrived, my fifth test. we did the hour before, fine as usual. as i waited in the test centre, my name was called and it was the examiner i had twice before. throughout the test i made conversation with him which went okay. as soon as we took off, not 30 seconds into the test he did the whole 'look over my shoulder which i put a mark on the sheet'; fml i thought, already. anyway, he asked me to the reverse park not 2 minutes into the test, he had a good look around and said okay, drive on. i thought i had messed it up, i was a bit wide. then we did the independent driving, half way through it he said 'okay we've gone off route slightly'; to which i apologised and he said its okay. anyway, 40 or so minutes later we pulled back into the test centre. i was having deja vu; 'okay switch off the engine, just give me a minute to add up my marks' - this went on for ages it felt like. i sat in the same position as the other four times, my belt still on, hands slumped in my lap and my eyes staring into the pedals expecting the worst. 'you have passed the driving test'. my heart skipped a beat (no exaggeration). 'i passed?' 'you passed he said'. i felt as if a weight had been taken off my shoulders, my instructor looked over from across the road, smiled and gave me the thumbs up. 0 majors and 4 minors, i was a happy man. something i really didnt think would happen, had.

it cost me £320 in practical test fees alone, along with the £31 for the theory and around £1000 for lessons (my instructor gave me some for free). but the feeling, its amazing. i didnt tell people about some tests, some people thought it was my second or third. i tell people it was my fifth now just encase they are in the same boat as me; and feel like giving up.

to everyone, no matter how sad or upset you get, or how you think it'll never happen - it will; one day. deep down i knew i wouldnt have a green license forever. just please dont give up; its worth it in the end - thank you for your time and good luck to those still trying.

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Well played.

congrats buy me a car

Reply 3

heva__x

congradulatiooooooooooons!!! how good does it feel :biggrin:

Reply 4

Imson

very inspirational thread..thanks

Reply 5

Hardstyler

Took me six times to pass my test! Been driving for 2.5 years and never had an accident or anything near, or no speeding tickets.. The driving test really is a joke

Unlucky for me, some dick crashed into me last week and wrote my car off :'(

Reply 6

talon1579

You're an idiot. If you fail you should have more lessons, not take tests every two weeks until you pass. Yes, you may be able to do everything in lessons but if you don't have the confidence to drive properly with an instructor during a test you shouldn't be allowed on the road by yourself.

EDIT: Keep negging, you'll regret it when this guy hits you on the road

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 7

M1F2R3

When I first got in a car, aged 17, I was so nervous. I've been driving for two years now and I'm confident that if I had to take a test tomorrow I would pass with ease, the key is experience.

Reply 8

tface

Good job man. I see loads of threads where people have failed 2 or 3 times and are saying they are going to give up. What a waste if someone did that! Hopefully this'll make people manage to carry on. (Although hopefully people will manage to get it on their 3rd or 4th at least :tongue:

)

Reply 9

mosmof

thanks for the comments - and im not an idiot, it was a series of bad luck.

Reply 10

n65uk

Good post.

I passed second time.

Driving test is a nerve wrecking experience.

No matter how 'easy' it might be for some people.

Reply 11

LadyLondoner

Thank you for that! and congratulations!
My test is on Tuesday...i.e. 1st march. Its my 2nd test, my first test was in december and i got 1 major and 17 minors lol HOW BAD.

Reply 12

itsmyname

Nice one

My test is on the 8th, just one week away :eek:

What I find frustrating is the waiting list to get a test date... I passed my theory first time in November and straight away got home to book my practical, and the earliest date I could get was March 2011!!
Thats why I'm ****ting. Plus all the money i've spent

Reply 13

talon1579

Original post by mosmof

thanks for the comments - and im not an idiot, it was a series of bad luck.

When you have some bad luck and cause an accident maybe you'll take more lessons.

Reply 14

oh-my-diddy

I passed my test over a year ago and since haven't even sat in the drivers seat of a car.

Reply 15

Cityshy

I passed first time, but only because I took my time with the lessons rather than rushing straight into it. All my friends passed before me. Perseverance really is the key to passing...but most importantly actually being a good driver after passing!

Nice thread :smile:

Reply 16

Qaz25

Nice... Congratulations! You might have just inspired me to take mine again... thanks :smile:

But I do believe the driving test is fundamentally flawed.... considering quite a lot of the idiots that I knew who had passed first time... and then had an accident (mostly due to speeding or just being plain stupid) within a couple of weeks after passing. It might be the over-confidence that does it... thinking they past first time so they're amazing drivers, when in actual fact, they're just stupid boy racers who are a danger to other road users.... but no... they all passed first time innit :mad:

Reply 17

MissMaree

I had my test two weeks ago.
It got terminated because another car crashed straight into me - they didn't stop at a crossroads. It was not my fault - my examiner backs everyone up on this, but still couldn't pass me as any test with a collision has to be terminated....
At least you didn't have to go through this...!
I envy the people who just pass or fail their test - I didn't even get a chance to do either!

Now waiting for april for my next one :mad:

Reply 18

babygirl110

Congrats OP! I remember back in Dec you were really distraught and considering giving up.

All those tests were definitely worth it. Just make sure you stay on the right side of the law; don't speed or drink drive.

Reply 19

babygirl110

Original post by Qaz25

Nice... Congratulations! You might have just inspired me to take mine again... thanks :smile:

Yeah, it is flawed in that sense but then it still has to be done. People can't just be let loose on the road without having some sort of assessment.

Confidence and nerves really affect people a lot on the day. I think a good way to beat those is to have lessons whilst at home and not just with the instructor.

The day I beat my nerves was the day I stole my car to go to the supermarket unaccompanied with just my L plates on. I never heard the last of it when my dad found out, I passed my test two weeks later.

I know it was wrong and everything, I'm glad nothing awful happened.