Anyone had a problem with an examiner on a driving test?

[andreaaa]

I am absolutely fuming

JP had his driving test today and the lady examiner talked to him the whole way round - about everything from bikes (she rides a motorbike aswell) to kids etc.

He was answering one of her many questions whilst on a bend and she felt he got a little too close to the kerb (he didnt hit it) and failed him!

Now I know it was very silly of him to answer her questions but he felt he had too. I thought examiners werent supposed to talk to you on your test as it affects your concentration? If it wasnt for this he would have passed and we now have to find the money for a retest plus use of examiners car etc which we really cant afford.

I'm planning on appealing (we will only get a refund he will still have failed) has anyone done this before?

We really didnt need this

 

[sam96031]

i failed first time and was really gutted turns out the examiner had a huge ego problem and only passed a certain amount of people a day regardless of driving, he was sacked a few weeks after i didnt appeal but wish i had i passed my second time good luck to JP for next time

 

[Sherlock]

Not had that problem but wanted to offer some support. Sorry its happened

I'd defo write a letter and ask if the examiner is supposed to talk all the way through about non test matters and complain about it. It is hard to know what to do when being asked lots of things and people who are polite will reply of course. But if its off putting or she should have only talked test things then hopefully they will reconsider.

My test was oooo 20 odd years ago now and I can recall my examiner never spoke to me other than to introduce himself, explain about the test and to then start the car and proceed. From then on till we got back it was only test related things. No small talk.

 

[andreaaa]

Thanks girls

When I did my test it was the same, no small talk just test related stuff. Sorry about your first test sam96031, he sounds horrible!

I failed my first two car tests was my own fault though - wrong speed limit on the first and one of the manouveres (sp) on the second. Passed my bike test first time though

JP was doing his test for little Casey and only booked it etc because he wanted to be able to drive before baby came along. He still did the test today for him, guess thats why i'm getting so worked up about it.

I will write a letter Sherlock, but after his next test just incase he gets her again. I have told him that if she is his next examiner he should politley explain that she put him off last time and could they only talk about test stuff.

Bloody crappy car tests I see so many terrible drivers on the road and JP is more observant than most of these (that comes from riding a bike I think, you have to be more observant if you want to stay alive).

/rant over

 

[sam96031]

it must have been so important to him

 

[lauramumof2]

I havent queeried it before but on one of my many tests I found the female instructor to be too chatty. I dont mean the usual pleasantrys, I mean a full on chatty conversation. I wished she would have shut up

Im sorry he failed [/quote]

 

[andreaaa]

Sorry to hear that Laura

These ladies eh, could talk the leg off an iron pot

 

[Princess_Puddles]

On my first driving test the instructor spoke to me the whole way round and at the times I needed all my concerntration (If thats the right word) I would ignore his questions and apologise after, I still failed though because I went right instead of straight over the roundabout I do believe it didn't help him chatting to me the whole time though! I passed second time and my instructor didn't talk to me other than telling me the directions I needed to go which meant I used all my concertration on my driving
I would definately appeal it, although I suppose they could say that your OH didn't have to speak to her back or could have told her it was distracting him.

 

[debecca]

I failed my first test because the examiner "doesn't pass women" - so my instructor told me anyway.

 

[abcd1234]

I didnt think you could fail for being too close to a kerb! I onyl took my test last year and i was told you'd fail if you hit the kerb but nothing was mentioned about getting too close.

I'd check this anyway. On my secodn test it felt like he'd looked for anything he could to fail me, and even said id driven too slowly which is something i never do.

If you have the same examiner again you can refuse on the grounds of familiarity, but you will still have to pay for the test.

 

[Urchin]

I'm wondering if she did it on purpose.
Maybe they get a lot of good drivers and they need to test them "more" by chatting to the all the time and seeing if they are distracted. I think it's a bit low though, my examiner certainly didn't do that.

Sorry to hear he didn't pass

 

[trixipaws]

i really cant remember, it was 10 years ago now! but i do remember the guy who failed me the first time was the same guy who passed me the third time!