Failed My Driving Test
I failed my driving test today. That sucks. It really sucks. I usually excel at tests and the such, so outright failure can be quite depressing and embarrassing.
I mulled around a bit in Montreal downtown after that. Thought I'd maybe watch SpongeBob SquarePants since there was nothing better, but walked out after 2 minutes. Ended up spending time at Indigo Books and dragging my feet around Future Shop, not buying anything of course, since that would turn out to be a waste of money when boxing day sale comes around.
Four qualified people have told me that I'm a safe driver and have good driving technique. Even the examiner said that I had scored high on general technique, including parallel parking, and encouraged me to take the test again post-haste. He even went to the pains of telling me the best ways to get around the system and schedule my next test as soon as possible.
The examiner was a nice guy, although he chewed off my head, lectured me, and flat out refused my request, when I asked him if he could give me the instructions in English. I take my tests very seriously, and English is my first language, why run the risk of not knowing what he's talking about in a real-time situation? (anglements? What the hell is that? Oh blindspots. Of course I know about blindspots...)
Apparently that was a no-go though... in Quebec, you sometimes have to put up with the self-appointed language police and all that. Besides, he said, I speak French very well and should take the chance to practice it.
So why did I fail? It's not the examiner's fault I failed.
Right when I left the property I burnt a red light -- an immediate failure, but we continued the test anyway. The worst part of it is that I burnt a second red light at the end of the test when about to re-enter the grounds. It boggles my mind as to how that was possible and I spent all afternoon mulling about it.
I suppose the fact that I had spent most of the previous night fretting about the test hadn't helped, I suppose I had been nervous and somewhat spaced out (although that wasn't apparent to me at the time), I suppose the sun in my face didn't really help and I suppose a wholly unfamiliar rental car where I couldn't even feel the gas pedal only made matters worse.
In the end though, I'm just not really sure how I could have screwed up like that.
Worse than failing the test itself, it is no comfort, and certainly no confidence-builder, to think that if I hadn't had someone beside me while driving, I could have easily been in an accident or dead already.
In Montreal, with the kind of public transportation that we have here, not being able to drive isn't much of a problem. But I probably wouldn't survive in California for long without a car. I'm just going to have to spend more money on additional lessons and try harder not to get myself killed for next time.
Update: I easily got my license on January 5th, the second time around. Thank you for the encouragement!
I mulled around a bit in Montreal downtown after that. Thought I'd maybe watch SpongeBob SquarePants since there was nothing better, but walked out after 2 minutes. Ended up spending time at Indigo Books and dragging my feet around Future Shop, not buying anything of course, since that would turn out to be a waste of money when boxing day sale comes around.
Four qualified people have told me that I'm a safe driver and have good driving technique. Even the examiner said that I had scored high on general technique, including parallel parking, and encouraged me to take the test again post-haste. He even went to the pains of telling me the best ways to get around the system and schedule my next test as soon as possible.
The examiner was a nice guy, although he chewed off my head, lectured me, and flat out refused my request, when I asked him if he could give me the instructions in English. I take my tests very seriously, and English is my first language, why run the risk of not knowing what he's talking about in a real-time situation? (anglements? What the hell is that? Oh blindspots. Of course I know about blindspots...)
Apparently that was a no-go though... in Quebec, you sometimes have to put up with the self-appointed language police and all that. Besides, he said, I speak French very well and should take the chance to practice it.
So why did I fail? It's not the examiner's fault I failed.
Right when I left the property I burnt a red light -- an immediate failure, but we continued the test anyway. The worst part of it is that I burnt a second red light at the end of the test when about to re-enter the grounds. It boggles my mind as to how that was possible and I spent all afternoon mulling about it.
I suppose the fact that I had spent most of the previous night fretting about the test hadn't helped, I suppose I had been nervous and somewhat spaced out (although that wasn't apparent to me at the time), I suppose the sun in my face didn't really help and I suppose a wholly unfamiliar rental car where I couldn't even feel the gas pedal only made matters worse.
In the end though, I'm just not really sure how I could have screwed up like that.
Worse than failing the test itself, it is no comfort, and certainly no confidence-builder, to think that if I hadn't had someone beside me while driving, I could have easily been in an accident or dead already.
In Montreal, with the kind of public transportation that we have here, not being able to drive isn't much of a problem. But I probably wouldn't survive in California for long without a car. I'm just going to have to spend more money on additional lessons and try harder not to get myself killed for next time.
Update: I easily got my license on January 5th, the second time around. Thank you for the encouragement!
posted by Navindra Umanee at 23:30
9 Comments:
Hey don't fret about it. I failed my restricted test the first time, on the homeward straight after all the hard bits, I failed to check twice at an intersection. It was really just a case of nerves I think, and I aced the next test the following week, despite starting with the handbrake on >_<. Just take your time and be patient at every single intersection.
- Nathan Adams
sorry for your failure, I failed 3 times myself !
btw it is realy 'anglement' ? on this side of the great sea it's 'angle mort'.
good luck for your next exam.
--
arno
"anglement", isn't that "angle mort" i.e. dead angle, the angle where you can not see anything ?
I am sorry to hear that you missed it but since you missed it for a stupid mistake, and the rest of your skills is okay, you should have no problem getting the next one.
Hey, I failed my first driving test as well. I failed the theoretical part and then the driving part as well: I forgot to use the indicator light once. Having to retake the test sucks: such a waste of time. And even after I passed the test it took a long time before my parents would let me drive their car on my own...
Redo the test as soon as possible! Focus on the road and think of nothing else, you will be alright.
I had, once, a nasty highway accident with no injuries. And when my father went to pick me up, it was I who drove home (according to my father the best way to overcome our fears is to tackle them right away) - and let me tell you, it really worked.
Good luck with your test!
Thanks for the great comments, guys! Feeling better about it already. "Angle morts" does make a whole lot of more sense... I obviously just heard it wrong. :)
When I failed my driving test, the examiner told me that he would have fear for his children if he let me pass...
My twin brother also failed, being examined directly after me. The shock was so deep that it took me extremely long to get confidence again and do the test a second time.
But we got our driving licenses finally, and I am sure the extra lessons have been positive for me in the end.
Olaf
My daughter failed a few times. Quite traumatic. This in British Columbia. Similar things due to nervousness.
Reminds me of my driving test 30 or so years ago. Had my left elbow out the window, drove with one hand, pretty relaxed. He said something about maybe using two hands, but passed me anyways. Different times. I think they purposely fail people to shake the young people up a bit, and make them work hard for the privilege.
Keep trying.
Derek
This is ridiculous! I failed too and this is my third time taking it! this really really sucks!. I did everything right but she said I failed to "stop the roll" when there was oncoming traffic. Such BS, I stopped alright, its just that she was pissed off before we even started. I practiced everyday for 3 weeks! one simple mistake and she takes off just enough points to fail me! GOD! I feel so embarrassed when I go out too, I am 20 and I still don't have the stupid piece of plastic.
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