Successful - post here

Branoic wrote: »

I passed an hour ago!!!!!!! WOOOHOOO!!!

But man, let me tell you about the morning I had!

Test was at 12, so I got out of the house at 9 with the intention of driving to the town the test centre is in to spend an hour or two going around the routes. I had checked all the lights on the car two days ago and all was well.

But not this morning!!

Damn reverse light wasn't working.

Brought it to a garage to have a look and it wasn't just the bulb, something in the electrics was gone. He didn't have the required part and nor did any other suppliers in the town. Nightmare! I was bricking it. I had to change cars with my wife which I was really not happy with. Although the second car is newer and nicer, and I have driven it before, I've had all my practice in the first car. The clutches are totally different and I wasn't as familiar with the secondary controls or under the bonet.

Anyway, ripped the L plates off my car and stuck them on my wife's. It was lashing rain and I had 40 minutes left before the start of the test. On the dual carriageway between my town and the next, the goddamn front L plate (they were exterior ones) flew off the car!! CRAP! I nearly started crying.

I spent the next half hour driving to three different garages looking for new L plates. Finally found them and got to the test centre with 5 minutes to spare, no proper practice in, with a car I wasn't too familiar with and in an absolute panic!

Anyway, despite this nightmare start, I passed! Tester said it was a good solid drive and one of the better ones he's had this week so far. Awww yeah!

but what about your inssurance on the other car?

Passed in Little Island. Examiner was very nice. Used a palm pilot which is a lot more discrete than marking a sheet of paper. Also noticed her looking at my eyes for observation which made me much more relaxed as I didn't need to do the exaggerated head movement which I hate doing and I find dangerous as it makes less observant out the front window which after all is still the most important observation view.
Thought I did a grade 3 when I went out too far at a junction down a very quite part of the industrial estate. Didn't know if it was a yield right of way jn or a stop one as there was no signs or marks on the road.
In the end I don't think I even got a grade 2 for it.
Also went into first gear for no particular reason at the main Little Island/Eastgate roundabout even though it was clear.
So I was 50:50 while waiting in the waiting area for my result but was quite pessimistic having been in that situation before and failed.
Another moment that could have caused failure was the reversing around a turn. Things got quite hectic - I had to queue up as a learner was practicing in the spot I was supposed to do it, a big truck was trying to get into a narrow lane directly across from the reverse around the corner spot and lots of traffic was building up from every direction. In the middle of it, an old woman decides to walk across the road behind me as I was reversing which I luckily spotted in time as otherwise I'd have failed for sure.
I had a great instructor who I'd highly recommend. He even does Sunday lessons which is great. One thing though - don't do the Mahon route on a Sunday as you'll spend half the lesson on the slip road queueing up.
For any Cork people I'd recommend doing it in Little Island. Much easier than Doughcloyne. You'd probably have to give an address in that area though.
It's like an albatross has been removed from around my neck, actually more like Big Bird removed from around my neck and snuffleupagus removed from my shoulders!