Road Test

I failed the first time I took it, too. One of the reasons was because I wasn't looking at both sides when driving through an intersection. That still seems so unnatural to me to do that while you're driving through one. Whatevers.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Merv Burger

Yes, that's what a turnabout is (though they're technically called roundabouts.)

Normal people call them "circles."

Or a fucking rotary. What the hell people.

Here in Massachusetts, you can pretty much get a driver's license by simply breathing. It's a depressing state of affairs - no wonder no major insurance companies will sell their policies here.

When I got my license, I had no actual, legal "training." I had never been to a drivers ed class, I had never had an instructor. The best I got was some lessons on my mother's stick shift Volvo when I was 14 in a giant parking lot.

And of course, we have a state trooper who sits in the car with you and a parent or whatever. THAT makes one a little nervous. The best advice I got was "be sure to check all your mirrors, know your hand signals, and buckle up."

I did all of the above (as I often do anyways) and passed with flying colors. In all honesty though, all the trooper made me do was drive around the block, do a 3-point turn, and pass through downtown Worcester traffic.

I've NEVER heard of someone having difficulty passing the test up here. But we're kind of, you know, horrible.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by Zigan

So I go today to get my driver's license by taking a road test. I did this about 1 or 2 years ago and I failed the first time. Was a real bummer cause i was driving a 1989 Thunderbird and the width was pretty fat. So I get in there fine, but as i backed out, I ran over one of the cones (automatic disqualification). <_<;

Anyway, went today and I recently got a car--a 91 Ford Escourt. I'm not a big fan of Ford, but it's small and not a real gas hogger. So as the instructor comes out to the car with me, everything is working, and the only thing i'm thinking about is squeezing the car in between those tiny cones. She then tells me to honk the horn, (Ok, not hard...) I do so... ehhh... don't hear anything? ... shit... "Yes, unfortunatly sir, you need to have a car with a working car horn... so pissed. -_- And it's one of those things you never really check to make sure it's working before you go cause it never even crossed my mind.

So I'm supposed to take the road test tomorrow again with a 2006 Hundai SUV. I've drove it before, and the maneuverability is really nice, just the front end is a little bigger than the escourt. That's all I need. -_-;

Moving on. Any tips anyone has or just some major key things to pay attention to? I'm taking the test in FL.

My suggestion? Don't take the test in Florida. I read your account and I could have sworn you were in another country entirely.

Cones? Disqualification because of the horn? When I took my test, the lady didn't even care that I had trouble finding the headlight switch. The hardest part of the test was backing out of the parking lot, and she didn't even care if I used my mirrors as long as I didn't hit anyone. I took four left turns around the block, and didn't even have to park the vehicle afterwards.

I mean, wow. Do they actually fund the DMVs in Florida? Here they barely have time to give tests at all, since the understaffed DMVs are usually swamped with renewing the licenses of DUI offenders and handing out IDs to illegal immigrants.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by Merv Burger

Yes, that's what a turnabout is (though they're technically called roundabouts.)

Normal people call them "circles."

I've always known them as rotaries. O_o;

Anyways, take your time, make every action obvious, and relax. I think that most instructors will generally be nice about things.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I had to take the test three damn times thanks to the hardass I got on my first try. Everything went perfectly except for turning back into the station. There was an SUV taking up both the incoming and outgoing lanes, yet the guy demanded I turn in anyway, so I had to go off to the side a bit. Then the bastard congratulated me for doing so well, and proceeded to tell me that he never passes anyone on their first time because he wanted people to get a feel for it.

The second time I was extremely nervous, because apparently these cops just fail people for no reason at all. The test still went well, except I was so rattled that I got in the right turning lane instead of the left at one point, and a truck came up behind me and blocked it before I could get back into the left lane. Instant failure, and he also added in a lecture about how kids who do well in school always seem to be the worst drivers. What?

On the third try I got the same guy as my first time. He passed me and told me how much I'd improved even though I swear that was my worst time yet. That pissed me off about as much as if he'd just failed me again for a hat trick. I saw the check sheets after each test, and there weren't any mistakes other than those.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by Tritoch

I had to take the test three damn times thanks to the hardass I got on my first try. Everything went perfectly except for turning back into the station. There was an SUV taking up both the incoming and outgoing lanes, yet the guy demanded I turn in anyway, so I had to go off to the side a bit. Then the bastard congratulated me for doing so well, and proceeded to tell me that he never passes anyone on their first time because he wanted people to get a feel for it.

I would have gone straight to whomever was in charge at that DMV and complained. That's GOT to be against regulations or something. Total BS.

I guess I can't really relate to you though. In my DMV, about the only thing you can do to fail is drive on the wrong side of the road.

FELIPE NO

I took my Driver's Test a little over a month ago (after delaying it for 3 learner's permits and almost 6 years ). It was a fun one since it was raining hella hard plus hail as well. I think I only lost a point or two because the tester didn't think I looked both ways at one of the stop signs. Whatever whatever.

However, my windows got mad fogged up and I forgot to start the defog before my test, so by the time it was time for me to parallel park, I couldn't see everything! I still got by it though, just a little more difficult than it had to be. I parallel park almost every day anyway, so I'm used to it. ^^

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Originally Posted by DarkLink2135

I would have gone straight to whomever was in charge at that DMV and complained. That's GOT to be against regulations or something. Total BS.

I guess I can't really relate to you though. In my DMV, about the only thing you can do to fail is drive on the wrong side of the road.

I can't remember if the DMV and police station were one and the same or if the DMV was just staffed by the police, but there really wasn't anyone to complain to. They were all a bunch of middle-aged cop buddies who would've backed each other up completely. Trust me, that's the only thing that stopped me from really fighting his decision.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Well i failed again, yay go me!

Cept wasn't on parking this time, it was on backing up in a straight lane. It was a small-ass little residential area and i ended up going on the wrong side of the lane because the car's wheel i was using is too sensitive and i lost which direction i was going, and since i went too far on the wrong lane, i automatically failed. As i was already on the wrong lane, i just said to myself "screw it" cause I already kinda knew i was fucked. Also lost points cause i didn't answer the "Parking on a Hill" question successfully. Only part i really missed saying was facing your wheels away from the curb. Another thing was I was totally late. I set my alarm on my computer but my speakers weren't turned up. So when i got there I was still tired as hell and my eyes weren't even adjusted to the light yet.

I feel so retarded...

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Ok, the DMV's in other states must suck. In Iowa, there's basically a 40-point checklist, and you can only miss 10 points and pass. For instance, way back when I was getting my license, I took a right turn really close and clipped the curb with my rear tire. That was -4 points. If I didn't check "left, right, left" before making a turn? -2 points.

I ended up only missing something like 6 points on my test, and the lady was very nice and let me know everything I missed -- and I don't feel like she was unfair or unconcerned.

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