Driving "experiences"

hmmm... well. i havn't had quite anything like that.

when i went to get my full-license - i whipped through it... one minor mistake on a left turn... and then at the end, when i was backing into the parking stall... i hit the wall behind me! Thank the Lord i hadn't done much wrong on the rest of the test... so the guy let me have my license!

also. before that. the first time i went to take my full-license. i had my own truck. my truck does not have a stock steering wheel in it, its got one of those 14" GTRacing wheels in it! and they never said anything about it... until the guy who was testing me, got in the truck... he looks at my steering wheel and says, "you can't take the test... your steering wheel's not big enough..."

well thanks for telling me before hand! gosh.

 

Mine was so long ago I don't remember it!!!

 

my first attempt was hilarious. Seriously.

First my dad's car broke down the day of the test so I had to borrow my sister's truck. It was a stick shift....and could I drive a stick? No, not very well. But that didn't stop me, unfortunately.

When I finally got the truck started in the parking lot (it stalled on me several times), I shakily put it into reverse, stalled again when trying to get it into 1st gear, and then pulled out of the DMV parking lot from the wrong side of the lot's driveway.

Of course we were driving through back streets mostly, with a stop sign at nearly every intersection. The quiet afternoon was shattered by my truck's constant backfiring and bucking, and then me stripping the gears when I tried to get it to not stall at every stop sign. I was not successfull at my attempts. I was so flustered that I kept forgetting to use my turn signals, too.

Then the instructor had the bright idea to direct me through a busy intersection of a major street. Imagine my frustration when the truck again stalled, I got it started, went about 5 feet into the middle of the intersection and promptly stalled again. I did finally get through that intersection, but it was five or six feet at a time.

At that point the instructor decided we ought to go back to the DMV. When we had finally parked she turned to me and said "Well, you obviously didn't pass."

That was 20 years ago, and I'm a much better driver now. I drive automatics.

 

In my town you have two options (there are two different DMV's). On one you have to drive through heavy city traffic, the other DMV has a track. Guess where almost everyone goes to take their driving test? The one with the track. It was actually very nice because you could focus more on the road and not worry about other cars. On the down side, it doesn't really give the DMV people a real look on how you can actually drive on a "real" road. It was super easy to pass, but then again, to get a driver's license in Florida is easier than winning a prize in a cracker jack box... probably why there are so many awful drivers here.

 

KatieE, a track? That's wild! I've never heard of that before. The bad drivers I see around here, mostly have out of state plates.


All I remember when I got my license was how happy I was.

 

well here in british columbia, canada - we've got two stages before you get your actual drivers license

1) Learners License - One year long. restriced time: cannot drive between midnight and 5am. needs and "L" displayed on the back of the vehicle - and needs a passenger 25+ age that has full license to beable to drive anywhere.

2) New Drivers License - 2 years long. no restricted time. cannot drink and drive. only one passenger any age allowed. must display "N" on back of vehicle.

and then there's the full license.

i just got my full license in february? i think...

 

"driving test"? "drivers license"? Sounds like fun, I'll have to do it one day

100% on knowledge test to get learners permit. Only time in my life I've ever studied

Parents told me to go for a few lessons in manual with instructor because mum had an auto. He said I was driving well and could go for test then, mum said something like "No he can't, he's won't be old enough for a few months"

I had choice of a couple of RTAs (DMV to you foreigners), went for the one WITH more traffic.

Got car licence 2nd go. First attempt was an automatic fail before I got out of the carpark, mainly because mum's car decided to leak petrol from somewhere and examiner didn't want to get blown up...wimp (ARGH! And just ran out of Graemlins)

After my first small truck lesson I said I would have it in 5 weeks. 5 weeks later sure enough I had it.

Big truck licence took a little bit longer, no major problem though.

The examiner never did it, but driving along on one lesson the big truck instructor asked me what was behind me. As soon as I looked in mirror I knew he had me. The nearest car was a good 3-400 metres behind the truck, but I wasn't as aware as I should have been.

Now over 13 years of cab driving later I'm starting to learn a bit *wink*

So yeah, Clean1 I guess that I'ld suggest to your mum that instead of yelling at the DMV bloke she should work on awareness of surroundings when behind the wheel.

With you all the way SALTY. I'ld go as far as re-testing for everyone every 5 years or so, medical checks every 5-10 years depending on age, advanced driver training for all professional drivers (and non-professional "problem children"), MUCH tougher penalties on drink-driving, EVEN MORE tougher penalties again on anyone causing any injury behind the wheel.