Driving test - bay parking. A compulsary maneuver?

Inactive

newfoundglory wrote: »

I have a lesson tomorrow... i will quiz him about it. I will get the full details as you obviously think i'm making it up! He could probably even tell me which examiner it was as he knows them all by name.

I agree with cajef, you are basing your comments on hearsay, it could well be sour grapes on the part of your instructor, especially if he/she isn't very good.

We have all heard the bar room stories about driving tests, most are like yours, based on hearsay and gossip, and almost always unfounded.

BTW, your earlier comments about DSA Examiners taking bribes is also untrue, any examiner found taking bribes would put their pension in jeopardy, so they would never risk that.

Stick to the facts that can be substantiated, not on hearsay, or what your instructor may have told you.

Inactive

cajef wrote: »

In the case of the driving test, more like the instructor you have rather than the examiner.

I think that you have hit the nail on the head there.. :T;)

Rolandtheroadie

How did the instructor know there was a major before the candidate left the test centre?
Would it not be a bit off putting if your instructor came out to wave you off on your test?
If he didnt witness it, he was relying on what the candidate told him (which in all the excitement could have been exaggrated or recounted wrongly). Any conversation with the examiner would only have been between the 2 of them (if it ever happened) so cant be proved either.
Or has the candidate perhaps said they thought they'd failed because of X but passed (I thought I'd failed my motorbike test because i'd not fastened my helmet and also been in the wrong lane going to turn right when he'd said left).
It could also be your instructors way to build your confidence so that even if you THINK you've had a major, you wont fall to pieces and will continue to concentrate.

DaveF327

scotsman4th wrote: »

How did the instructor know there was a major before the candidate left the test centre?
Would it not be a bit off putting if your instructor came out to wave you off on your test?

He was probably watching from the test centre window. As previous posters have said, the result was a pass and a serious fault wasn't recorded, so it's doubtful that a serious fault was actually committed. Maybe there was a fault and it was a borderline one which would be assessed on a judgement call of proximity or affect on another vehicle's speed. If that was the case, an examiner may well just record a driving fault on that occasion, as long as it didn't happen again in the test. Another probability that springs to mind is clipping the kerb with the rear wheel when turning out of the test centre. As long as half the car isn't over the pavement with pedestrians running for their lives, an examiner would put that first one down to nerves and give you chance to co-ordinate yourself on the first road.

The trouble is, a lot of instructors don't know the full story of what constitutes a serious fault in every situation. Their job is to teach people not to commit any faults. They should let the examiners worry about assessment and weighting of faults on the day. An instructor who witnesses an incident from afar and says "that's gotta be serious!" may well be proved wrong later as the examiner was the one with the best view and took into account things not seen by the instructor.

cajef

scotsman4th wrote: »

How did the instructor know there was a major before the candidate left the test centre?

Agreed, if it was marked on the test sheet as a serious it stands there is no way that an examiner can alter the marking once given.

The guy taking the test made a serious fault just as he was leaving the test centre

Instructor questioned the examiner as to how this was possible.... and was told that as the serious fault was at the start of the test he let that one slide!

These statements also do not ring true unless the instructor was sat in on the test, he would also be one of the first instructors I have heard of that questioned the result of a test with the examiner when his pupil has passed.

Unless things have changed since I was instructing examiners will only explain the test results to the candidate and will not enter into any discussion with them or a third party and that includes instructors and they certainly do not let serious faults 'slide'.

Dave101t

i had to do all of them, he even asked me to parallel park into a space on a busy tight high street where the traffic behind me didnt even give me space to complete the manouver.
i said 'what now?'
he said' do what you would normally do'
i drove off!
he said that was fine in the circumstances and we did it elsewhere.

mad_as_a_march_hare

The only test i can remember is my last one and i had a turn in the road and a paralell park, If there are parking bays at the test centre then you may get a bay park, just bear in mind that if you don't do a bay park at the begining of test, and only carry out one manouvre on test then you will get your bay park at the end.

But my knowledge of driving tests is that they usually ask you to do a bay park at the begining of test.

Mind you i have never bay parked properly or paralell parked ever again since i passed my test, in fact my parking skills are dire, and my other half is a driving instructor:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:And he hates having to be sat in the passenger seat with me now, i think he misses his extra set of pedals:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

olly300

Reverse parking is easy it's all about angles. If you are taught properly you won't have a problem.

The issue comes when you are parallel parking or bay parking in real life. As the:
1. space is normally smaller then you are taught with
2. the parking bays may be narrower/ be at an awarkard angle/ have a pillar taking up part of the space
3. you have someone trying to grab the space you want

Tiddlywinks

newfoundglory wrote: »

My problem with the DSA is that it appears to have created a "test" that is neither consistent or fair. The DSA will claim otherwise, but the evidence suggests differently. What evidence? Please tell us more about this measured and impartial data that will support this statement.

It makes me wonder how much it would take to "buy" a pass on your driving test. £200? £500? I bet a DSA examiner would given some of the stories i've heard. How many hours a day do you spend daydreaming? The words "fantasist" and "conspiracy theorist" spring to mind now.

Its all become about money. Everyone wants a quick and cheap pass.

DSA is just another government department lobbying for its position in whitehall. "Oh, look how safe we make the roads". Rubbish. There are so many people around where I live driving with no insurance or on provisional licenses - This is not the DSA's direct responsibility - it is a police matter.

Its no wonder really since even when you are ready to take your test there is a 10 week wait at the local test centre. Prior planning should allow instructors to book tests anticipating a student's progress - you don't need to wait until the last minute to book do you? Anyway, a failure should require additional practice so this wait can be used productively.

newfoundglory wrote: »

The other stories I have heard are from people I know. One guy, who passed his test in a different country (with a test which could be considered harder than the test in the UK)... failed his test because he didnt overtake a lorry. He couldnt see the road ahead as it was on a slight bend. Examiner disagreed. This is called hearsay - and I don't mean the fab-tastic pop group that I miss so much :rolleyes:.

Someone else I know failed at a quiet junction. There was a car performing a reverse park just around the corner. The car pulled into parking bay, and so he emerged. But as he approached the parked car changed its mind and pulled out suddenly forcing him to brake hard. He failed. You didn't witness it so it's hearsay, again!

I did not say driving examiners take bribes... i simply threw the idea out there and suggested it would be interesting to find out. Um, yes you did - or rather you said "I bet a DSA examiner would" - why so bitter?

It seems to me that you are gathering anecdotes to quote for when you fail your test - then you'll be able to say that it wasn't you it was just the examiner's fault / another road user caused you to fail / you were part of a conspiracy where the examiner had to meet his quotas for the day etc etc :rolleyes:.

Kilty_2

The test centre where I sat my test has always had driving test parking bays however they only started assessing reverse bay parking as a manouvre in around August last year (I sat my test in November)

I wasn't asked to do it, though. Your instructor would know if they do it or not, although IMO it's worth learning anyway.