Passing My Driving and Motorbike Tests on the First Try

[wolram]

So who passed first time? did you have to do a theory test first?
what about motorbike test how hard was it for you.

I passed my car and bike test first try, but there was no theory test, the bike test was a joke, all i had to do is ride a course in town and stop when the examiner put his hand up.

 

[Gokul43201]

So who passed first time?

I.

did you have to do a theory test first?

Aye.

what about motorbike test how hard was it for you.

Aieeee!

One of the things I had to do was tight turns within a small, fixed radius without putting a foot down. Looked hard but turned out not so.

 

[Cyrus]

Failed my car the first time for not stopping before the line...ppft.

Passed my motorcycle the first time! (passed the motorcycle written test by the skin of my teeth!)

 

[ShawnD]

I failed that driving test 3 times because you're only allowed to make maybe 2 mistakes. Failure to remain stopped for 3 full seconds at a stop sign = fail. That 3 second rule also applies to leaving parking lots; just ignore those 10 cars behind you honking their horns wondering why you're being a jackass by not going. Going 3km/h over the speed limit puts you half-way towards failing. Slowing to an unreasonable speed when approaching a yield sign is an immediate fail, as is not slowing down at all. Not covering the brake when approaching an intersection is an immediate fail, even though it means your car slows from 60 to 50 when coasting through the intersection while cars zip past you going 80.

There's no mystery why new drivers are statistically dangerous as hell. It's because it takes them a long time to forget all that crap they learned to pass the test and drive like a real human being. Drive 20 faster than the posted speed limit and you won't have cars tailgating you and swerving just to avoid rear ending you.

 

[russ_watters]

I failed the driving part the first time for the same reason as above - who really stops for 3 seconds at a stop sign?

 

[hypatia]

I passed both auto and bike test, the first try. But I had been driveing both as early as 10 on my grandparents farm.

 

[Gokul43201]

I failed the driving part the first time for the same reason as above - who really stops for 3 seconds at a stop sign?

Same thing happened with my wife. Well actually, she was doing more like rolling stops - with more rolling than stopping!

 

[Evo]

So who passed first time?

I did.

did you have to do a theory test first?

You mean a written test, yes.

Haven't taken a motorcycle test.

 

[wolram]

I passed both auto and bike test, the first try. But I had been driveing both as early as 10 on my grandparents farm.

So that's how it got in the blood

 

[Moonbear]

So who passed first time?

I did. But, I think I could have done anything and still passed after the guy taking his tractor-trailer driving test tried running me over (my test was on a closed course, so no annoying people with stopping for a long time on every stop, and I had been given forewarning of the "trick" stop sign, which is the one about 2 ft from where they have you start, so you think you're starting from the stop sign, but you're actually supposed to roll 2 ft, stop again, then continue ). Anyway, yeah, that tractor trailer just kept coming my way while I was stopped at the stop sign. The examiner asked if I was ready to reverse if he didn't stop (poor guy sounded more nervous than I was at that moment...can you imagine your fate in the hands of two people both in the midst of their driving tests?), I answered that I was, and he saw that I already had my hand on the gear shift, and seemed to relax a bit.

did you have to do a theory test first?

Yep, passed that on the first try in two different states (not every state requires one retake the tests when you transfer your license there, but some do). Plus just passed the written test the university requires in order for me to be covered by their insurance when driving for business related purposes (talk about a stupid test...if anyone can't pass it, they better have their license revoked).

what about motorbike test how hard was it for you.

None of those for me.

I failed the driving part the first time for the same reason as above - who really stops for 3 seconds at a stop sign?

I do...when there's traffic on the road I'm turning onto. When I took the test, there wasn't any time limit, you just had to make sure you made a big show of turning your head right and left to make sure they knew you looked both ways before continuing.

 

[wolram]

I did.

You mean a written test, yes.

Yes, glad i did not have to take one.

And what's with this crazy 3 second rule guys?

 

[scorpa]

I failed my first time...apparently I wasn't shoulder checking properly...went for the second time with a different instructor in a different town changed nothing that I did and passed with flying colors. Later the instructor I went to the first time ended up being put on mandatory leave because the powers above him found out he was failing people unneccessarily. I had to take a written test when I was 14 (the learners) which I passed the first time and then the drivers test when I was 16.

 

[nazzard]

I took both theory tests (car and motorbike) at the same time. Those who went for the bike license got an extra sheet of paper to the standard-test.

Only the driving-test for the bike was a bit "thrilling". It started at a parking lot with some handling tests: slalom at walking speed and about 20 mph, change maneuver at high speed and emergency braking My first try on that one didn't impress the instructor too much. He told me that it looked like "a normal parking maneuver" So, next time I tried, I left some black rubber on the street and he was all happy again.

The driving on the road afterwards wasn't that exciting as I had to wait for the instructor's car most of the time.

Regards,

nazzard

 

[NoTime]

I passed on the first try.

But then I had found out about all the trick scams they used to fail you.

If you had to demonstrate the same proficiency in driving that you need to get a pilots license it would probably save a lot of lives.

 

[Moonbear]

I passed on the first try.

But then I had found out about all the trick scams they used to fail you.

That's the scary part, that it seems people get their licenses or not based on whether they know the tricks in the test (or on the written test, how well they know the penal code for driving offenses), not on whether they actually know how to drive. Where I took my test, it's entirely a closed course, and you could literally drive the entire test at 5 mph and still pass (and most people did just that...word gets around the high school quickly that you can get away with it, and it ensures you don't make any mistakes from going too fast around curves). After I passed my driving test, my step-father took me out for one more lesson...to learn to drive "the right way" as opposed to the way you learn to pass the test.

 

[Gagan A]

I passed mine without any test. Drove a bike on a learner's license (and stil did before I came here). Who drives a moped today, anyway?

 

[NoTime]

That's the scary part, that it seems people get their licenses or not based on whether they know the tricks in the test (or on the written test, how well they know the penal code for driving offenses), not on whether they actually know how to drive. Where I took my test, it's entirely a closed course, and you could literally drive the entire test at 5 mph and still pass (and most people did just that...word gets around the high school quickly that you can get away with it, and it ensures you don't make any mistakes from going too fast around curves). After I passed my driving test, my step-father took me out for one more lesson...to learn to drive "the right way" as opposed to the way you learn to pass the test.

I couldn't agree with you more.
My driver test was a little more difficult though.
I had to drive around the block in a residential neighborhood.
It really is a bad deal.

For example when I was learning to fly.
Not only did they teach me what to do if any of the controls failed (often several and including the various steering controls), but I had to demonstrate that I could still safely fly the plane without them.
You also need to know the physics of flight, math, how to use a slide rule, weather forecasting, navigation, fire fighting, and more well enough to answer any odd question they might throw at you. Like how much will you weigh if you do a particular maneuver. Or use the knowledge to actually do something.
About the only thing not covered is what to do if the wings fall off, but they have inspection program for that too.

You also get retested every couple years.
Its a lot harder than the original final test.
For the original final they, to some extent, figure that you never would have gotten signed off for it if you didn't know what you were doing.

 

[ShawnD]

Here in Alberta, Canada we don't even have a written driver's test. You just go out and drive around for 30 minutes.

They're hard asses with shoulder checking because they assume humans do not have eyeballs. Apparently it's cheating if I simply move my eyes rather than put my arm around the passenger seat and look along the entire side of my car. Why the hell do I even have mirrors if I'm not supposed to use them? Your blind spot is directly beside your car, so you should not need to turn more than your eyes. My friend's vision is so amazing he can see his blind spot without even moving his eyes - he got dinged on that one too. Do it 2 or 3 times and you fail the test, and they won't tell you each time you "didn't check".

It's also illegal to do hand-over-hand stearing. You must keep both hands on the wheel at all times when making the turn. I laughed when my driving instructor told me this because I had to show him it was literally impossible to do this in a 1979 Pontiac. Back before power stearing, car companies would set a gear ratio between the stearing and the car's front wheels. To turn the wheels 45 degrees you had to turn your stearing wheel all the way around, 360 degrees. If I keep both hands on the wheel and turn my stearing wheel 90 degrees (the most possible without it becoming really awkward), it will only turn the car's wheels by 11 degrees. This makes your car's turning radius about the size of an apartment complex. To me, making a right turn across 6 lanes seems really dangerous, but I should probably just trust the government on this one.

 

[wolram]

In the uk we are taught to feed the steering with left hand through the right
then feed with the right etc, we also have to eyeball behind when starting off.

 

[courtrigrad]

how do you guys like parallel parking? like did your instructors fail you if you knocked down a cone or something? Also, did you guys have to do any 3-point U turns? In your opinion, what is the hardest part of the driving test?

 

[LENIN]

I passed the theoretical part the first time. But it took me three times to do the prectical part. For me the hardest part was shifting the gears and looking at the mirrors every 3-5 seconds (thazt just sounded stupid on a compleatly diserted road).

 

[BobG]

I passed the written test the first time, but I failed the driving test the first time.

My mom was wrong. Setting the parking brake didn't create a good impression at all. We normally never used the parking brake, so I forgot the brake was set by time the test started. Not being able to get your car out of the parking spot doesn't set a good impression at all. The examiner finally had to tell me to release the parking brake so we could go ahead and get out on the road. (This isn't quite as dumb as it sounds. I had a manual transmission so the car would stall as soon as I let out the clutch. I had no clue why it kept stalling.)

With that as a start, it's hard to remember what all I did wrong on the rest of the test. I didn't even get a chance to take the parallel parking part of the test.

Second time around was no problem.

 

[Kurdt]

I had to take theory for the car and passed that and the practical first time. I want to take my bike test but I need money and a motorbike.

 

[FrogPad]

My driving instructor entered the parking lot where all the cones are setup 20 minutes late, with a police officer behind him. I sat in the car with my mother watching the officer and instructor talk for another 5 minutes. After he finally came up to the car, roughly 25 minutes late, he apologized for being late and asked if I was ready to begin. He never explained what happened (I didn't ask).

I ended up failing the test at a 4-way stop. I pulled up to a stop sign and came to a complete stop. As I was at a stop a lady on my right pulled up to the stop sign and quickly stopped. I was definitely there before her, but not by a large margin. I accelerated and turned left, and the lady accelerated straight ahead at the same time. So I was half in the middle of a 4 way stop, and she was on my right hand side, in a "T-bone" fashion. She stopped next to me, so I accelerated again thinking she would let me go ahead, she accelerated at the same time, so we both stopped again... it was like when you are walking on a street and try to pass someone, and you go left, and they go right, so you go right, and they go left. The instructor told me to just go back to the parking lot where we started, it was an immediate fail.

The ******* was 25 minutes late, and wouldn't cut me any slack. Sure, I could have just let her go ahead... but that kinda crap happens all the time. Tests like that are ridiculous, but hey, it has made me such a better driver

 

[chroot]

BobG,

You don't normally use the parking brake in a manual-transmission car? I sure hope you don't have any hills around there in Colorado.. er.. wait..

- Warren

 

[BobG]

BobG,

You don't normally use the parking brake in a manual-transmission car? I sure hope you don't have any hills around there in Colorado.. er.. wait..

- Warren

I lived in Akron, OH at the time. Actually, Akron was built around and on seven hills. I became pretty good at curb bumping up the hills during snow storms, but it was kind of rare to actually have to park on a hill.

 

[turbo]

When I took my tests (1960's), the written exam allowed you to get a learner's permit, and a road test earned you your license. I passed both the auto and bike tests first time with no trouble. In the auto test, I had my father's '65 Impala - a big old boat. The inspector told me to parallel-park in a slot that was really too tight for that car, then changed his mind and wanted me to try a bigger slot. I told him that I wanted to use that one, and he let me. I wheeled it right in, stopped at the right distance from the curb, etc. He looked out the window and said "go back to the courthouse". I never had to take any other part of the test, like parking on a hill, lane changes, etc. For my motorcycle road test, my friend and I rode to Skowhegan (50 mile round trip) in a heavy slushy snowstorm and the bike inspector said "no road tests today". Luckily the other inspector was a bit more sensible, and he pointed out that since we had come 25 miles in very slippery conditions, chances are we were pretty experienced riders. He relented and gave us road tests and we both passed (Duh!).

 

[FrogPad]

... I told him that I wanted to use that one, and he let me. I wheeled it right in, stopped at the right distance from the curb, etc. He looked out the window and said "go back to the courthouse". I never had to take any other part of the test, like parking on a hill, lane changes, etc. For my motorcycle road test, my friend and I rode to Skowhegan (50 mile round trip) in a heavy slushy snowstorm and the bike inspector said "no road tests today". Luckily the other inspector was a bit more sensible, and he pointed out that since we had come 25 miles in very slippery conditions, chances are we were pretty experienced riders. He relented and gave us road tests and we both passed (Duh!).

That is amazing !

 

[rocketboy]

how do you guys like parallel parking? like did your instructors fail you if you knocked down a cone or something? Also, did you guys have to do any 3-point U turns? In your opinion, what is the hardest part of the driving test?

I loved the parralel parking part... my mom had made me practice it for over an hour on actual cars (and 2 cars not just 1) the morning of the test so when he asked me to parralel park on 1 car I laughed inside.

3-point turns are nothing to worry about... just so long as you remember your signaling and your shoulder checks (i guess depending on where you are taking your test... that's how it was here)

Really, driving is easy. The hard party isn't driving the car, its driving the car when there are hundreds of things happening around you at once (otehr cars, people, signs, distractions (like hot women)).

The hardest part of the test is doing simple things under pressure... my advice is to pretend the instructor isn't even there, as his lack of talking can cause you to wonder if you are doing well, and this causes you to make little mistakes you wouldn't normally make.

 

[George Jones]

Haven't taken a motorcycle test.

Years ago, I passed the Ontario motorcycle test, but I let my license expire long ago.

For part of the "road" text, you were supposed ride the length of the parking lot and back, weaving in and out of a line of pylons. The day I took the test, they coudn't find the pylons, so we had to perform this part of the test using completely imaginary pylons.

Occasinally, when I tell this story, a smart-ass will ask, "So ... how many pylons did you hit?"

 

[Chi Meson]

After I passed my driving test, my step-father took me out for one more lesson...to learn to drive "the right way" as opposed to the way you learn to pass the test.

That's exactly what I'm going to do for my kids, next decade!

In college, I got a job driving the campus busses. That test was something! I had to drive this 35 foot bus (no power steering!) down a narrow access road, with a little dog-leg jog in it, then back-out of it the same way. Luckily there was no time limit; it took over half an hour.