Author Topic: Driving Tests  (Read 6036 times)

Offline grandarog

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #19 on: July 05, 2021, 01:16:18 PM »
I took my test in Derry NI in 1967 just after the troubles had started. Bernadette Devlin and the American Noraid were stirring up the IRA .
Things hadn't got to bad at the time although it was not unusual for gangs of yobs to roam the streets banging on car roofs and chucking bricks about.
However proceeding along on the test quite well ,as the instructor said turn right at next junction,I indicated and stopped to let an approaching car pass.
As I started to turn into the road there was a crowd of yobs 20 yards in front. The Examiner didn't appreciate getting slammed against his door when I did a reverse handbrake turn and shot back up the road we had come along. He didn't say much and I thought O'S**t that's blown my test.
Anyway completed the Emergency stop and reverse round corner and arrived at the Test Station. To My surprise he said that was a very good test and wrote out the Pass cert. Who taught you the emergency turn? I had to admit no one, but I had been living and driving RAF vehicles on my 1629 and Malta Driving Licence for 3 years. I had learnt to do it in Landrovers when mucking about on the pans , on late shifts, while waiting for our Shackletons to land .

Offline mmitch

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #18 on: July 05, 2021, 10:21:05 AM »
Only 54 for me but still clean! FX!
mmitch.

pete.mason

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #17 on: July 05, 2021, 08:26:20 AM »
56 for me too :o

Offline Howardws

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #16 on: July 05, 2021, 07:35:17 AM »
56!


Offline Invicta Alec

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #15 on: July 04, 2021, 11:17:25 PM »
Haha! Great little story John.


Since today is the 4th of July I can now confirm that I've held a licence for 53 years (as indicated in the opening post of this thread).


Anyone held theirs longer?


Alec.

Offline johnfilmer

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #14 on: July 04, 2021, 10:44:47 PM »
Our two sons driving lessons were supplemented by practice driving my wife to and from school. This was done using the company’s spare Astra van that we used to find extremely useful to cover servicing, breakdown and accident repairs.


The eldest took his test without hassle in the school car, passing first time.


About two years later his brother got a short notice cancellation test appointment, but his instructor was not available. The spare van was in use and our cars were unsuitable being my Golf VR6 and her Land Rover Defender 110. So we borrowed the spare van back for an hour or two and he took his test in that.


Being in use by an engineer it had ladders and copper tube on the roof, tools and equipment rammed inside and the usual detritus found in works vans. Oh and it was blowing a serious gale with horizontal rain and bits of tree and other debris flying about.


L plates on a fully sign written van (we always did the bonnet as well) look quite odd, but the examiner was unfazed and just carried on. Taking the test in a van had only one difference in that the reverse around a corner is done on the right rather than the usual left hand corner. He passed.


Not being a particularly organised soul in his youth it was some time before he sent off his pass to get a full licence and didn’t chase up its non appearance for ages. Another year later DVLA said that it had never received the paperwork, and the might of bureaucracy always wins. So he had to take his tests again, and again passed, but this time in a driving school car. The licence that he received had the distinctive photo that he had sent with the first pass...


He therefore remains the only person I know who has passed his test first time - Twice!
Illegitimus nil carborundum

Offline mmitch

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #13 on: June 16, 2021, 03:01:54 PM »
The mention of the A40 reminds me of the driving school in Gravesend that had two steering wheels in their A40s.....! Didn't last long but the dual foot pedals did. They were a comfort sometimes.......
mmitch.

Offline Smiffy

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #12 on: June 16, 2021, 01:41:26 PM »

Things were a bit more basic in 1935:



"Examiners don't like cars on pavements" ;D



Offline Lutonman

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #11 on: June 15, 2021, 04:13:46 PM »
Found this on the government website, it gives the answer


History of road safety, The Highway Code and the driving test - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Offline MartinR

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #10 on: June 15, 2021, 01:37:19 PM »
Well when a school friend of mine took his bike test in c.1973 hand signals were required.  When I took mine in 1975 indicators, if fitted, were sufficient.  I certainly didn't need hand signals on the car in 1979, but could be asked about them in what was called the theory questions then.

Offline johnfilmer

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #9 on: June 15, 2021, 01:05:25 PM »
I’m not sure when it ceased to be necessary to give hand signals on a driving test.


A mate took one of his tests in Canterbury. Asked to turn right, he checked his mirror, stuck his arm out the window as well as flicking on the indicators, then changed down a gear. To his horror he realised that he had run out of hands and quickly put one back on the steering wheel, hoping the examiner hadn’t noticed.


Of course he had, another fail and a stiff talking to...
Illegitimus nil carborundum

Offline Dave Smith

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #8 on: May 20, 2021, 12:27:52 PM »
In 1958 I lived in Maidenhead & worked in Acton, London W2 &, after years on the train, my Dad lent me the money to buy a Lambretta L150. So I HAD to pass my bike test & did so first time. 2 years & 38,000 miles later- Lord knows how many de-cokes( what are they I hear the younger generation ask?) later- I bought a Standard 10. Don't old cars look TINY now! My next door neighbour kindly took me out most evenings in his brand new Vauxhall Victor, to get the miles in. I then went to the local driving school & using their Morris Minor( I liked their Austin A40, but couldn't get my legs under the steering wheel!), had some lessons. Off to the examiner & we "kangaroo'd" off up the road! It was a dual drive & he'd inadvertently put his foot on the instructors bar! Luckily, I kept control, he apologised, & I passed. My second car was a Standard Vanguard Mk.1- with the big circular tail lights- bench front seats & column change- & that was so easy to drive. SXO3 & cost £75 from a lad in the office, who needed money!

Offline AlanTH

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2021, 11:26:47 AM »
I took my test in Chatham at their New Road office in around 1965 and failed. My Ford Consul was the car and I was so nervous for some reason my foot kept making the car surge. "You need more practice" the examiner said.
"Doesn't matter" I replied "I've been driving solo for nearly a year with my L Plates and not got stopped yet". He was indignant and said it was against the law but at that age I didn't give a stuff and nor would most others. 
I had driven many miles with those Ls stuck on front and back... up the M1 to Scarborough in Yorkshire, Shrewsbury, many places in the south, all for work, got followed plenty of times but never a stop so I must have done something right.
Passed the next time a few weeks later after a ride around with the examiner of about 10 minutes.[size=78%] :)[/size]
[/size][size=78%]AlanTH.[/size]

Offline mmitch

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2021, 10:24:13 AM »
Passed my test at second attempt on May 13th 1967 in Dartford. Going back to work and showing my pink slip to my boss he gave me a job in London the next night!
 Driving home at 3am was stopped by the Police on Blackheath simply because I was the only one about! They smiled at my pink slip and let me go. I have managed to keep a clean licence (FX) so far while driving over 1.5 million miles...
mmitch.

Offline OilyRag

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Re: Driving Tests
« Reply #5 on: May 18, 2021, 09:48:10 AM »
My parents had a driving school, taxi and coach company, passing my test quickly and first time was expected, luckily I did so in my Hillman Imp, got back with my pass certificate in my hand to be told by mum "good, you can cover a job this afternoon".
First time I ever drove on a motorway was in her Hillman Hunter, ink still wet on pass cert and with fare paying passengers in the back.