The tragedy of a failed driving test....

[doctorb]

Yes, my seventeen year old daughter went to take her driving test today and flunked.  Something about not rechecking her mirror when changing lanes .  Anybody else have to deal with this overwhelming life set-back?  You would think the world was about to end!  We try again in a week, with a little "course experience" under our belts.

[Magicman]

I had a Grandson that experienced that trauma.  I don't know what part he flunked, but he did.  He passed the next time.   ;D

[submarinesailor]

Been there done that twice, once with each of the twin daughters.  She will recover as soon as she passes the test, as mine did.  Of course their "overwhelming life set-back" was over 14 years ago - telling my age here.

Bruce

[Raphael]

I passed first time I took the test but a 'friend' misplaced my license when he was using to get into bars and the local DMV lost my records when switching to the statewide computer network.

So I have the dubious distinction of failing my second test after passing my first and having to take it a third time.  :

[beenthere]

Ahh Yes. Both daughters failed with "little" things, but when doing the "course" practice to fine tune for the next try we learned that there were many things that the drivers training (or they) had missed. Best thing that ever happened to have failed them first time.
They were tense moments for both of us while re-running the course. I asked one of the daughters how they reacted when their HS driver training instructor told them they did something wrong. The answer from both was "they never told us we were doing anything wrong" !!!  So therein lies a real problem IMO.

Don't envy you on the re-runs DrB

Both boys passed first time. Just that the subsequent days of them driving brought out a few important things that didn't get tested or taught.

I've a feeling getting flunked on "little" things may be just something specific to list, but really it had to do with the total confidence the student driver showed the officer during the test. (sure don't envy those officers  ;D )

[Bill Gaiche]

Just tell her that its no different in checking the mirror when changing lanes as checking the lipstick to see if its on correctly, there both important. Good luck to her and you next week, bg

[Norm]

In Iowa if you pass the high school drivers ed class you are not required to take the driving test only the written test.

Both of my sons drove with me and Patty for a year and then they got a school license that meant they could only drive to school and school functions with no passengers. Joel the oldest put his car in the ditch goofing off before going to a football game. Patty found out, drove over, pulled him off the field during the game, took him home and he rode the bus for a month.

You should have seen the look on the coaches and players!  :D

[Bill Gaiche]

Norm, that woman has spunk. I bet there was something learned and something that will never be forgotten. bg

[Roxie]

I was 13 months younger than my sister, and my parents had vast experience with her failing twice, and all our neighbors her age had to take the test at least twice.  Enter me into the mix a year later, and on my second day behind the wheel, my mother was yelling at me and I told her to knock it off.  She said, "you think you're so smart, let's just go take the test and you'll find out you don't know as much as you think you know." 

So, I drove in, took the test, and passed.  You should have seen her face when I walked over and showed her the stamp on my permit.  She lectured me all the way home that just passing the test did not mean that I was going to be driving anywhere until she and dad were satisfied.  :

As Beenthere mentioned, in the total confidence factor, I didn't have time to get nervous or fret about the results, I was there and I was doing it.  I had spent over a year studying the driver's book and being in the back seat while my parents yelled at my sister.   :D

My dad did have a few requirements of his own before we could go solo, we had to change one of the tires without any assistance and we had to be able to hold the car steady as it was stopped on a steep hill and proceed forward without drifting back without using the clutch and accelerator.  Our right foot had to come off that brake to the gas pedal simultaneous to our left foot depressing the clutch. That really took some practice! 

[LeeB]

We didn't let Paul take his driving test till he was nearly 18. Pretty much the same with his three older sisters. Quite frankly, they just weren't mature enough. He failed the driving test first go round. He waited till turning 18 before taking it again. I gave him a truck for graduation. It lasted less than 6 months before it was totaled. Not all kids need to be driving at 16.I fell most of them don't. I certainly didn't. I could operate the vehicle just fine, but surely lacked maturity to do so safely. I don't really know many kids that can.

[Ianab]

My Mother tells the story about her driving test, would have been almost 60 years ago. The local tester actually came out to the farm to take the test.

Mum was 15 at the time, jumped in the farm truck with the officer, and backed 50yards down the driveway and though a narrow concrete gateway. Officer looked at her and says, "If you can do that in in one go, you've passed."  :D He made her drive a few minutes up the road, do a 3 point turn and come home - passed. Things were a lot simpler in those days  :D

Ian

[timerover51]

Rather than using high school class time for Driver's Ed, we put both my son and daughter through an approved private driver's ed program here in northeastern Illinois.  That was during the summer.  Then before they went for their license, they had to drive with their learner's permit through one Chicago area winter.  Only after that did I allow them to take the test.  Both passed is the first time.

[WildDog]

Doc my oldest son went into his drivers test all cocky 18mths ago, I said, "Over emphasis your use of mirrors so the tester can see. "yeah dad" ....Failed for not checking his mirror. These days the girl he's dating is the Driver tester from the next town,

When I went for my Prison truck licence, I was stationed in an outback town, the tester and I came out to do the practical part and there was 3 Heavy Vehicle inspection cars parked around my truck, the 3 drivers were standing around laughing, one said, "Get out of that one Rob" The tester said, "Looks like we're starting before you even get out of the car park" :(   Nothing like some added presure.

[moosehunter]

I took a co-worker for his motorcycle test some years ago. The test lady rode with me in the car while she watched him drive his bike. We would stop every once in a while so she could give him directions. After one of the stops I told the test lady that I had taken my test on this same course about 18 years ago. She say's to me " I'll bet I gave you your test". "No" says me, "she was much younger than you"  :-[ My co- worker failed his test. I thought he was doing pretty good. I'm not sure why she failed him.

That size eleven is hard to swallow sometimes.

mh

[Don_Papenburg]

Moose , that is funny.

I passed written and driving first time .  I got a B lisense so I could drive the grain truck.
Years later I needed a C lisence to drive the tandem that my sandblaste was mounted on.I took  the written test  aced that  . The tester was sorta disapointed , He said everyone misses the one about using flares for the disabled gas truck. I took the gas mans truck in for my driving test . He would not do the test because the passenger seat was a cardboard box of oil cans. The guy had to have a fancy seat.  The gas man was upset , He said that we could use one of the other trucks the next week.  We got there and the tester said toot the horn .  Horn did not toot . Tester said we can't take a test in an unsafe truck .  We fixed the horn in the lot , corroded connection. Went back in and the tester said that he was off in an hour and we could not take the test.  I was POed my gas man was POed .  I drove my tandem for 15 years without the C class lisence

[paul case]

here in oklahoma aparently you cant get your permit at 15.5 years old unless you take drivers ed. my son scott couldnt since drivers ed was only offered after school and he participates in every sport. we got him in a parent taught d e class where i schooled him and he went to the library to take the written exam just so we could pass drivers ed. then the written driving exam to get the permit. then  we have to have wait 6 month after getting the permit to get the liscense, take the driving test. we went about 8 am and then there was this complication and waiting in line and no breakfast and this and that. the examiner came in and told me that scott scored an 85% but wasnt passed at this time. aparently he did what old men do(take no offence here). he stopped at a green light. he rounded off every corner. he rolled through a stop sign or 2.

85% is not a failing grade in school but i guess it is on the driving test.
i got told how i dont know anything and it was all my fault and i am the worst dad ever?

2 days later we went for breakfast and then to the driver examiner, no line 15 minutes we left with a liscensed driver. havent seen him since. well a couple of times. he is buying his own gas anyway.
i hope the second time is a charm for you doc bob, it was for us.  pc

[red oaks lumber]

my daughter failed the driving test 3 times, talk about pure torture living with her. when we went for the fourth try the instructor came over with the paperwork and told my daughter you'll pass today if you don't kill us on the test. awhile later they came back and sure enough she finally passed.

[sawguy21]

I failed the first time around but expected it. The examiner had a rep among the kids as a miserable SOB. He failed all the beginners the first try. Dad told me afterward it was my bad luck to follow a girl who scared him stiff.

[pigman]

When I took the drivers test way back last century, the tester took off points because he said that I hit the car in  front when I was pulling out of the parking place. He asked me to parallel park into a spot between two imaginary cars. I told him that I am sure that I missed the VW Beetle by at least three feet. He corrected me and said that it was a Cadillac and I had hit the rear bumper. :

[Mooseherder]

So, what kind of vehicle does she have picked out for you to buy? :D

[doctorb]

Mooseherder

Interesting that you should mention buying her a car.  My older daughter used this car - a RAV-4 -and used to refer to it as her own.  I would always correct her and have her say that it is "our" car or the "family" car.  I did not grow up needing things, but my dad always made us earn what we got.  My girls have been raised the same way.  Her younger sister is the one that failed today.  She is unusual in that she really likes cars.  She knows all the makes and styles and always comments on a new this and that.  She used to like Mini Cooper, now she loves some cute little Audi.  I told her fat chance! 

[Mooseherder]

Our daughters learned to drive on a Golf cart at young ages.  The Cart was pretty well mangled at the end but I  believe it helped them with some driving skills.  Daughter number 1 got to drive my wife's 5.0 Mustang with a 5 speed for a few years.  She was responsible and never received a ticket.
At least none that I know of.  I bought her first used car.  It was a 4 cylinder nissan.  She hated that thing. :D.  Later on, Daughter number 2 commandeered my wife's Mazda Tribute.  She still has it and it is closing in on 200,000 miles.  That vehicle is still in my name though.  I mentioned to my wife yesterday it should probably come off soon.  She's got another couple years of school though.  I'm hoping it lasts.

[metalspinner]

Our high school has a very limited number of student parking spots. Only "A" students are issued a parking spot in the lot.  So the hurry to get licences around here is not that great.

[Brucer]

My daughter passed first try.

I taught her to drive and we went out to practice at least once a day, no matter what the weather. At first we stuck to "safe" routes where she didn't have to worry too much about other traffic. Once she had the mechanics down we went everywhere -- even places she wasn't comfortable with.

After 2 months I signed her up for a couple of professional lessons -- driving instructors are usually much more up to date on the current regulations. Then it was another month of practice with me, and a couple more refreshers with the pro. One thing the driving school did was run the student through the simulated driver's test.

In a way it helped that most of her schoolmates turned 16 before she did. That way she learned a lot of things not to do. She also got to commiserate with several friends who failed the test.

One of her closest friend could not get the hang of parallel parking. The friend had it figured though -- failing to parallel park was only worth 2 demerit points and you were allowed up to 9 points. So she gave up parallel parking and worked really hard on everything else. Come the test and the friend did a miserable job of parallel parking -- 2 demerits. They went around the block and the instructor told her to parallel park again. "I already blew it", she said. "So try again", said the instructor. Two more demerit points. "I didn't know they could do that!" wailed the friend when she came by looking for sympathy.

Some of my friends didn't want their kids learning to drive at age 16. I took the view that I would rather have my daughter learn to drive ASAP so she would have plenty of time to gain driving experience while she was still at home. Just because she had a license didn't mean I was going to give free use of the car.

[customsawyer]

I like to tell my boys that mistakes and failures are lessons we haven't learned yet. There is no shame in failing something or making a mistake. The shame comes in not trying.