Learning to Drive Forum Query

debbie72

i only joined last week!! i thought this was a forum for those learning to drive having there own opinion etc... but why is it in most threads that it seems qualified drivers are coming on and giving the learner drivers a hard time do they not remember they were learner drivers once, stop giving us a hard time can we not have our own opinion on things here????:(

TwoShedsJackson

Opinions are like <SNIP>, everyone's got one, including the fully licenced drivers.

A large section of people who are learning seem to think they have a right to drive. You don't. Driving is a privilege, a skill to be acquired and learnt safely so that you can use the roads properly and hopefully not kill or injure yourself or others.

People shouldn't have been taking jobs they can only get to by driving and if our driving test and education system hadn't been a total mess for the last 30 years, they wouldn't have done.

Every other country in western Europe, people learn to drive via lessons and being accompanied by a full licence holder. Only here do people think they have an inalienable 'right' to do whatever they bloody well want when it comes to driving.

If you haven't passed a laughably basic test of competency, which is what we have here, you shouldn't be out on the roads on your own.

biko

You can, as long as we can have our opinions. Btw most thread responses, from me anyway, are advice (have full licence a long time).

Spud83

Yes the forum is for people learning to drive but surely the people who have actually learnt to drive would be able to give good advice.

If this is in relation to any of threads about the new laws introduced. Well I'm afraid that is topic that a lot of people will want to discuss. Learners, Full License Holders, and no License holders.

adrian522

alanmurphy83 wrote: »

Yes the forum is for people learning to drive but surely the people who have actually learnt to drive would be able to give good advice.

If this is in relation to any of threads about the new laws introduced. Well I'm afraid that is topic that a lot of people will want to discuss. Learners, Full License Holders, and no License holders.

Most of the 'advice' on here is not constructive and is just a rant or having a go without offering anything that will help someone learn to drive, e.g:

Point out the advice here:

"People shouldn't have been taking jobs they can only get to by driving and if our driving test and education system hadn't been a total mess for the last 30 years, they wouldn't have done.

Every other country in western Europe, people learn to drive via lessons and being accompanied by a full licence holder. Only here do people think they have an inalienable 'right' to do whatever they bloody well want when it comes to driving.

If you haven't passed a laughably basic test of competency, which is what we have here, you shouldn't be out on the roads on your own."

Boggles

I think the amount of Full License Drivers hanging around a "Learning to Drive" forum and not giving advice but scorning Learner Drivers is creepy.

It equates to a 30 year old hanging around the Leaving Cert forum.

My 3 Cents.

Bluefoam

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

Opinions are like assholes, everyone's got one, including the fully licenced drivers.

A large section of people who are learning seem to think they have a right to drive. You don't. Driving is a privilege, a skill to be acquired and learnt safely so that you can use the roads properly and hopefully not kill or injure yourself or others.

People shouldn't have been taking jobs they can only get to by driving and if our driving test and education system hadn't been a total mess for the last 30 years, they wouldn't have done.

Every other country in western Europe, people learn to drive via lessons and being accompanied by a full licence holder. Only here do people think they have an inalienable 'right' to do whatever they bloody well want when it comes to driving.

If you haven't passed a laughably basic test of competency, which is what we have here, you shouldn't be out on the roads on your own.

what a pretentious load of ****e. I'm really bored with the amount of drivers here who think that just because they passed their test first time that they are somehow wonderful drivers.

The test just means that you managed to drive around a set route to a standard set of rules without something going wrong on you. The test is easy to prepare for but is also easy to fail, in some ways it is a lottery & most people who passed first time have some luck involved.

BTW, the driving test does not make you a better driver than anyone else, nor does the fact that you passed first time - it is just a piece of paper that says you drove around a set course in a reasonable fashion at a particular time. The test is not graded!!!

If you want to get into a competition about the size of your **** then I suggest you go somewhere else.

BTW, I agree with the poster. The learners posting here should be helped with constructive criticism, I'm tired of reading posts that give out about them on the roads and not being accompanied etc...

The government have created a poor testing system, one which fails drivers not on ability or skill but on a set of criteria that are outdated, ineffective and very likely corrupt. Until they sort this out and come up with a proper way of evaluating drivers they will have to deal with the situation they created - & this includes unlicensed drivers on the roads...

dr.bollocko

Well until learners realise that *actually* driving IS a privilege. That the new car they just hop into without a 2nd thought is actually a weapon, capable of murder or serious njury in the wrong hands, that by getting into a car unaccompanied you are asking for trouble, and that driving is not a three week learning curve, rather a continuous lesson where if you are lucky, you keep learning no matter how long you have been driving and that 3 lessons and getting to 60 mph on a dual carriageway does not mean you are the bees knees.
I can see both points of view. I would like to see licenced drivers maybe give their two cents constructively, and also like to see the learners try and take on board that the new law is actually good for everyone so we can get on and back to the topic of learning to drive, not the topic of "The big bad RSA took me cyar away".

Bluefoam

dr.bollocko wrote: »

That the new car they just hop into without a 2nd thought is actually a weapon, capable of murder or serious njury in the wrong hands, that by getting into a car unaccompanied you are asking for trouble,

FFS, we all know that learners should get lessons, do the test pass and then off they go into the outside world. The fact is that the government has created a situation where many good drivers have not been able to pass their tests due to a poor testing system. This has created numerous drivers who are fully capable of driving but who have not received a fair test and have no license.

I believe that all drivers should be fully licensed, but under the current situation it is not easily attainable. The system needs to be changed to educate & test people properly.

I personally know at least 5 people who have full drivers licenses and are a real danger to themselves and other road users - they should not be allowed to drive unaccompanied, but the system has allowed them a license, while refusing other more competent drivers. dr.bollocko;56434295, how do I know you are not one of the crap drivers who was given a license?

dr.bollocko

Well the fact is that I passed my test. If the cops stop me in my taxed, insured and NCT'd car they will wave me on home so long as I produce the pink piece of paper with the awful picture on it.
If they stop you they may ask for a grand. Thats because until you have that piece of paper, while you may be a fantastic driver, you have not proven that by passing a standard test, therefore they have to assume that you in fact are not yet of a standard to be allowed on the roads on your own.
You know. Like every other country on the planet.

Bluefoam

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Well the fact is that I passed my test. If the cops stop me in my taxed, insured and NCT'd car they will wave me on home so long as I produce the pink piece of paper with the awful picture on it.
If they stop you they may ask for a grand. Thats because until you have that piece of paper, while you may be a fantastic driver, you have not proven that by passing a standard test, therefore they have to assume that you in fact are not yet of a standard to be allowed on the roads on your own.
You know. Like every other country on the planet.

I have my license, thank you...

--amadeus--

There is always going to be an element who look down on learner drivers and the recent changes in the law have kind of brought them out. Most of the people on here though will offer advice and not be snooty about it.

That said there are a lot of learner drivers who are provoking a negative reaction by rattling on as if the new laws have been specifically targetted at them

If you applied for a learner permit anytime after these new rules were announced in October then you have no grounds to complain. The law has changed and that's the end of it, what happened in the past is irrelevant.

If you held a provisional licence before the new laws were introduced then you should (in all but execeptional cases) have sat a test by now (on the assumption you applied straight away, the sensible thing to do). If you sat and failed the test then you have been judged as unsafe on the roads and so have to abide by the new rules. Again the fact that you were able to drive alone in the past is irrelevant - new laws are in place and time to put your house in order was given.

There are always going to be a few people who fall through the cracks and maybe have tests over the next few weeks and I would imagine that it is people like them that are being refered to when a "sensible" approach is being talked about. Give it a month or so and things will have shaken themselves out. In the meantime if there are people complaining that they are on a 2nd or 3rd provisional licence, have failed a test or two (or are waiting because they stalled over applying) and "need" a car and they come on here expecting sympathy then they won't get it.

So OP, of course you can have an opinion. But on a general subject that affects all drivers then qualified drivers will also have an opinion. And if you want any help or advice on driving or testing ask away, we'll do our best to answer.

9wetfckx43j5rg

I passed my theory and got the eye sight test ect. Applied for my provisional on Monday, got it on Tuesday. I'm not going to get lessons, am going to go to a clear space with my dad/neighbor and figure out the basics myself. I don't get putting out 45 euro for something u can do yourself.

Just got a quote for 2 months insurance for a 93 fiat uno (my mams car im going on her policy as a named driver). the cost is 56 euro. seems very cheap i thought it would be more?

The new laws wont affect me anyway until i go onto the 2nd lisence. I reckon there was a smarter way of dealing with it. They should have had expections for those waiting to be called for test.

dr.bollocko

Did you go on as a named driver on your mom's insurance? It would be that cheap then for 2 months. It would probably be cheaper again if you arent the 2nd named driver on the insurance.

Wishbone Ash

debbie72 wrote: »

i only joined last week!! i thought this was a forum for those learning to drive having there own opinion etc... but why is it in most threads that it seems qualified drivers are coming on and giving the learner drivers a hard time do they not remember they were learner drivers once, stop giving us a hard time

This Forum is much busier than normal at the moment and we suddenly have 'experts' appearing from everywhere! After a few days, it should settle back to normal.

Unfortunately debbie72, many threads here (or moved from After Hours) are started by learner drivers but instead of seeking constructive advice or assistance, they go on a rant and whinge about the "stupid RSA", "effin Gardai", "bollocks of a Government" and then seek assistance as to how they can beat the system or brag about how they are going to break the law etc.

It generally a case of the "blame everyone else" syndrome.

Another thing to bear in mind is that many of the thread titles have been changed by the Moderators as some were quite offensive. If people post this type of nonsense, they can only expect to get a negative response. Learners who post to ask for genuine advice usually get very constructive and helpful replies.

debbie72 wrote:

can we not have our own opinion on things here????:(

Up to a point but you must remember that the law is generally black and white. A learner may be of the opinion that they don't need to be accompanied but that it merely an opinion and has no basis in law.

Someone else may be of the opinion that the RSA are a bunch of ******* etc. but stating that is totally pointless and only serves to undermine the credibility of that poster. Constructive criticism though, is always welcome.

We look forward to hearing more from you and please don't judge the Forum on the past few days.

Snakeblood

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Up to a point but you must remember that the law is generally black and white. A learner may be of the opinion that they don't need to be accompanied but that it merely an opinion and has no basis in law.

I think most people's issue is that the law wasn't black and white up until lately, and people got used to having a blind eye turned to them by the Gardai. Now people are aggrieved because the situation which had been favourable to them is changing rapidly into an unfavourable one. It should change, true, but growing pains.

My own feeling (and it's really no more than that) is that the vast majority of L plated drivers are going to be getting away with it for a while further, like another six months or so, then at Christmas or similar, there'll be a crackdown, mixed in with operation freeflow as guards will already be on the roads, and people will have had even more time to get their affairs in order so to speak.

ztoical

I passed my test back in April thanks in no small part to advice I read on this forum, its usually very helpful and constructive but as Wishbone said the number of posts has jumped over the past few days and its mainly L drivers starting threads to complain about how their situation is different to everyone else and they shouldn't have to follow the new law. Normally its questions about test routes for different centers and "what should I do if this comes up?" or "whats the correct way to do this?" and "What actually happens on the test?"

Give it a couple more days while people chill and find something else to complain about and forum will go back to normal [I hope]

invisimage

debbie72 wrote: »

i only joined last week!! i thought this was a forum for those learning to drive having there own opinion etc... but why is it in most threads that it seems qualified drivers are coming on and giving the learner drivers a hard time do they not remember they were learner drivers once, stop giving us a hard time can we not have our own opinion on things here????:(

It says at http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055321647&page=8

"Boards.ie is a privately owned, privately funded and privately operated site. If you don't like what you read here, you are perfectly entitled to go elsewhere." I and others have done just that. Just logged in to tell you there is an excellent site at www drivingschoolireland.com and when i read it Isee people treated with respect. So I vote with my wheels and boards can keep their " privately owned, privately funded and privately operated..." etc where sad people just want to find an excuse to put people down so they can feel superior

sonicthebadger*

TwoShedsJackson wrote: »

A large section of people who are learning seem to think they have a right to drive. You don't. Driving is a privilege, a skill to be acquired and learnt safely so that you can use the roads properly and hopefully not kill or injure yourself or others.

There's a huge amount of fully licenced folks out there who have the idea that passing the test makes driving a right not a privilege. It remains a privilege and the rules must still be adhered to. There just happens to be slightly more restrictive rules for people who have still not taken and passed the test.
You're always learning, even long after you pass the "basic competency test".

alanmurphy83 wrote: »

Yes the forum is for people learning to drive but surely the people who have actually learnt to drive would be able to give good advice.

I wouldn't bet on it. I know a few god awful fully licenced drivers. Take the final word in advice from a qualified instructor only.

Bluefoam wrote: »

... This has created numerous drivers who are fully capable of driving but who have not received a fair test and have no license.

...

Bluefoam wrote: »

I have my license, thank you...

A fair test? I think most tests (and I say most, nothing is perfect) are fair. There are some very unfortunate events like the girl whose brake lights failed moments before the test, but in general if you fail you do so because you can't drive.

I didn't feel like that after my first test but that's cause I thought I could drive. I was wrong. I got the B second time round after doing a lot more training. I got the A first time, because I approached it from the point of view that I knew nothing, so I got plenty of lessons. If you're driving less than 2 years and think you're a great driver and better than most (passed test or not) then you're most likely wrong. Most people are poor drivers and everyone makes mistakes which you will see on the road. Don't take them as a benchmark. Aim to be slightly better than YOU are now and you'll soon be flying... I mean driving.

GBX Rich

well i'm a learner and well, i get a lesson every week for the last 4 or 5 months and from just known all the ways and laws to drive,

i can say that most full licence drivers haven't a <SNIP> clue how to drive, from tailgating, to not signaling, to been in the wrong lane and expecting you to move outa their way just cos they have a full licence.

i myself failed my test a few weeks ago, wasn't my fault, it was some old eejit who didn't know how to drive got in my way and because i didn't react the exact way your ment to, i failed, 1 little thing,

does that make me a bad driver?

imo, no, my instructor was saying for weeks before my test that i should fly tru the test and couldn't believe it when i told him i failed.

what would all ye full licence holders do if they brought out a mandatory retest every ten years for people with full licence's, alot of people would be off the road then with the ammount of people that would fail

Bluefoam

GBX Rich wrote: »

does that make me a bad driver?

imo, no,

Not necessarily a bad driver. But obviously not competent to pass...

I wonder, did you get a grade 3 mark for this bad reaction? if so, then it was deemed dangerous, so that one little thing, as you call it, could have cause major implications. Driver Reaction is probably the most important thing of all, if you react in the wrong way, you could end up killing someone. End of. If it was a grade 2 then there were plenty of other problems with your test, not just one.

You may be a good driver when the road conditions are right for you but clearly you were unable to deal with a particular situation so you were deemed, by a professional tester, unfit to pass.

I am all for learner drivers, if I see a learner driver in front of me I will have the utmost patience I will keep well back so as not to put pressure on them etc and I think it's awful when people fail their tests when so much effort is put into passing them, but you can't assume you're a great driver from a 1 hour lesson each week. It is also a ridiculous assumption that "most" fully licensed drivers are rubbish!!! that's a very immature statement. The fact is, that had you passed your test, you would have been one of these apparently crap drivers, so have a think about what you're saying.

Posy

It's a wonderful theory to say- get 20 or so lessons, practice with a fully-licenced driver, apply for the test, do a couple of 'pre-test' run throughs, pass (hopefully) then buy a car. But it's about €750 for 20 lessons, you have to know someone that drives and is insured so you can drive their vehicle, it costs €38 for the test, another €100 or so for pre-tests and about €120 to use the driving school car for a test. And that's before buying, taxing and insuring a car!

I fully agree everyone should have proper lessons from a competent instructor. I have and it's going okay. I've never driven a car without my teacher. But that money can make it difficult for people getting proper instruction. It's too easy for someone's dad, brother, friend etc to give a few lessons. There should be a government incentive towards the price of driving lessons from an ADI qualified instructor, tax relief for example.

But I do admit there's a lot of learners on this forum that think they're great drivers but have failed one or more driving tests because the examiner was 'totally unfair', a grumpy ******, etc.' This is the attitude that can cause problems. But whether you are a learner or an experienced driver, you should never take driving for granted. How many drivers read their Rules of the Road after they've passed the test I wonder?
(*bracing myself for mods replying 'I DO, I DO!')

Spud83

Caderyn wrote: »

There should be a government incentive towards the price of driving lessons from an ADI qualified instructor, tax relief for example.

Can't disagree more. The government is their to provide things like healthcare , education, jobs and welfare. The kind of things every human should have the right to.

Being able to drive is not one of these things. The government needs to control and regulate it alright but they should not be absorbing any cost incurred by people learning to drive.

As said if you can afford to buy, tax, insure, nct, service, and fuel a car. You can afford to learn how to drive.

Alanstrainor

I DO! I DO!...:p
Personally i'd say it's money well spent, You're learning a skill that most will use daily for most of their lives.
And it's been said a lot on this forum in the past. "Driving is a privilege, not a right". I think that's very important to remember, a lot of people seem to take it for granted. You have to just take what you've learned from your first failed test and learn from it, it wasn't wasted time, learn from your mistakes and move on. Saying, "Oh it wasn't MY fault, the examiner was just a <BLANK>" isn't going to get you anywhere, they're not trying to fail you.
I always find it funny, seeing peoples wording when talking about failing the driving test, and it seems unique to the driving test, they'll say "The examiner failed me", not "I failed for X, Y & Z", but when they passed you'd never hear them say, "The examiner passed me!"

DancingDaisy

Just reading through this and wondering what advice is there for those who need to learn to drive and pass a test to apply for jobs or graduate programs, but that can't afford 50e a lesson and don't have a qualified driver to go with them in a car, not necessarily their own car.

How are people meant to deal with this situation? It has been stated that if you can afford to have a car then you can afford to take lessons etc. Some people can't afford either, students in particular, and still require a full licence to ensure they have options straight out of college.

The government want people working to stave off this recession, then should they not look into asking employeers, for jobs that do not require driving, to take the need for a full licence off the application criteria?

Hope that makes some sense.

I know Fas years ago used to provide really cheap driving lessons as part of some of their courses, it would be great if colleges could do this, come to an arrangement with a driving school to provide half price lessons to students, in return for all of their business, might be worth talking to your student union about.....

DancingDaisy

Thanks for that, luckily for me I'm not in that position now, I was up until June and I'm not going to be able to apply for the graduate program I want to do because I need a full licence.

I'm still waiting for a test date, though it's only been a month since I applied, so not really expecting to hear anything from then until the end of January... Which makes it too late for me to apply

have you applied to all testing areas near you? also, if you provide them with details of your program they might put you at the top of the cancellation list, I know years ago when I did my test they bumped me up to the top of the 1 year waiting list when I sent a letter from my job saying i needed my driving license for my job. Worth a try.

DancingDaisy

When they get around to confirming my application I a shall see about getting a cancellation. I only have one test center to apply to which is Naas. Its the only one in the vicinity! Thanks for the tips though.

ergonomics

Caderyn wrote: »

It's a wonderful theory to say- get 20 or so lessons, practice with a fully-licenced driver, apply for the test, do a couple of 'pre-test' run throughs, pass (hopefully) then buy a car. But it's about €750 for 20 lessons, you have to know someone that drives and is insured so you can drive their vehicle, it costs €38 for the test, another €100 or so for pre-tests and about €120 to use the driving school car for a test. And that's before buying, taxing and insuring a car!

The part I bolded just sums up my response. Paying for lesson, pretests and the test itself is expensive but so is owning and running a car. Petrol, insurance, tax, and NCT all cost money, not to mention the unexpected repairs that ALWAYS crop up. If paying for lessons is too expensive then you can't afford a car.

DancingDaisy

That's not being disputed, but there are a large number of people out there who don't have a car because they can't afford one nor can they afford the expense of lessons etc, but still need the full licence to apply for graduate programs and jobs.

So what are they meant to do?

Bluefoam

DancingDaisy wrote: »

That's not being disputed, but there are a large number of people out there who don't have a car because they can't afford one nor can they afford the expense of lessons etc, but still need the full licence to apply for graduate programs and jobs.

So what are they meant to do?

Maybe we should have a separate rule for them, that they don't need to be competent drivers, they can just decide when they should get a license & €20 good luck money...

DancingDaisy

Hmm, no. I'm trying to make a point that the expense of learning to drive is not something that everyone can bear, and that taking the head off people on the forum for stating that they can't afford to keep getting lessons just isn't fair.

People learn to drive to better their job prospects so that in the future they can afford a car.

The government want people working and bettering themselves, so it would be wise to implement some type of means tested support for those learning to drive for future jobs or internships.

I certainly don't advocate passing anyone because of circumstance or such. And I did not suggest such.

Bluefoam

I have to say that meanstesting is <snip>. It was <snip> in college and is expensive to implement - it favours the self employed and (often) the lazy & penalises hard working middle earners...

Wishbone Ash

DancingDaisy wrote: »

what advice is there for those who need to learn to drive and pass a test to apply for jobs or graduate programs, but that can't afford 50e a lesson and don't have a qualified driver to go with them in a car

DancingDaisy wrote: »

I'm not going to be able to apply for the graduate program I want to do because I need a full licence

DancingDaisy wrote: »

there are a large number of people out there who don't have a car because they can't afford one nor can they afford the expense of lessons etc, but still need the full licence to apply for graduate programs and jobs

DancingDaisy wrote: »

People learn to drive to better their job prospects so that in the future they can afford a car

I don't really understand the logic of your argument. Supposing you wish to be employed as an articulated truck driver, you would have to pass a test in a rigid truck first and then an artic, Now truck lessons and truck tests are much more expensive than car lessons and tests, yet I have never heard any potential truck driver complaining that he/she is prohibited from taking up employment because they can't afford the lessons (bearing in mind that no haulage company will employ a Learner Driver).

I've never been to college so excuse my ignorance but couldn't the same logic be applied to the expense of going to college. Surely one could argue that one isn't able to gain employment in a particular sector without obtaining the relevant qualification first? And wouldn't spending 3 or 4 years at college be a lot more expensive than taking driving lessons and passing a driving test?

I'm not having a go at you DancingDaisy but merely teasing out the argument!

guil

totally agree with wishbone, i was a plasterer up till this time last year lost my job, i always wanted to drive trucks but never bothered gettin a licence, finally did somethin about it and start gettin lesons in march
each lesson cost 110 and then its 200 for the pretest and use of the truck, i got 6 lessons then the pre test, that was 860 plus the 38(iirc) for the test. luckily i passed the test with so little lessons but i never went onto forums wingin cos i couldnt afford it, i was broke but made major cut backs to get the lessons and gonna do the same now to get my artic licence

Wishbone Ash

Fair play to you guil07.

guil07 wrote: »

plus the 38(iirc) for the test

€63 for the rigid, €76 for the artic.

guil

oh is it, see thats how little i cared about the cost cos thats what i wanted to do

Tony Broke

Xavier Prickly Dart wrote: »

I passed my theory and got the eye sight test ect. Applied for my provisional on Monday, got it on Tuesday. I'm not going to get lessons, am going to go to a clear space with my dad/neighbor and figure out the basics myself. I don't get putting out 45 euro for something u can do yourself.

Just got a quote for 2 months insurance for a 93 fiat uno (my mams car im going on her policy as a named driver). the cost is 56 euro. seems very cheap i thought it would be more?

The new laws wont affect me anyway until i go onto the 2nd lisence. I reckon there was a smarter way of dealing with it. They should have had expections for those waiting to be called for test.

Why did you go to secondary school?

You had the books didnt you?

Honestly 5 to 10 lessons at 50e a go isnt that much in the long term.

If thats the attitude of the majority people who cant drive in this country, then the goverment/guardi have to come down alot harder.

In a properly run country like Finland, you wouldnt be allowed on the road for at least a year until you have proved you can drive safely in all types of situations, snow, fog, heavy rain, gravel and so on.People are killed on the roads everyday and your attitude sickens me tbh.

Its not violin lessons your going too!!

GBX Rich

i will appoligze for what i said earlier, i'm still pissed off that i failed over something that i thing was stupid,

but 1 guy said that i was not a bad driver but not compatent either, so then why did my instructor crack up and start f-ing and blinding me when i told him i failed, he couldn't understand it, saying that i shoulda passed with flying colours, that i was a natural driver, how the hell could i fail??? he's been a instructor for years, would he not be able to judge if your able to pass your test as good as a tester would???

to the others saying that the government should help, i donno about other places, but in kilrush you can get 10 free lessons if you are on socail wellfare, there is strings attached, but it is 1 way the government are helping

Bluefoam

GBX Rich wrote: »

i will appoligze for what i said earlier, i'm still pissed off that i failed over something that i thing was stupid,

but 1 guy said that i was not a bad driver but not compatent either, so then why did my instructor crack up and start f-ing and blinding me when i told him i failed, he couldn't understand it, saying that i shoulda passed with flying colours, that i was a natural driver, how the hell could i fail??? he's been a instructor for years, would he not be able to judge if your able to pass your test as good as a tester would???

to the others saying that the government should help, i donno about other places, but in kilrush you can get 10 free lessons if you are on socail wellfare, there is strings attached, but it is 1 way the government are helping

Get over it, you failed because you made a mistake - on the road - in a car - reapply & work on you driving...

Alanstrainor

As mentioned, you have a 40 minute chance to prove yourself to be a competant driver, unfortunately a mistke, or numerous mistakes were made, which meant that you were deemed unsafe to be on the road alone. Learn from the mistakes you made, move on and go for the test again.
Best of luck.

Cabaal

Drove for the first time in my car in March 2008, got my full license in August 2008, so because I'm now fully licensed I shouldn't be allowed post here...you got to be kidding.

There's alot of valuable advice from people that have already gone through the mill and its important that people weed out advice thats illegal!

I'd have to agree that there is very much a "blame everyone else" syndrome among alot of learners drivers, at the end of the day the law change was a good one and it made sense. People just need to put in the work if they want their license.

John Mason

debbie72 wrote: »

i only joined last week!! i thought this was a forum for those learning to drive having there own opinion etc... but why is it in most threads that it seems qualified drivers are coming on and giving the learner drivers a hard time do they not remember they were learner drivers once, stop giving us a hard time can we not have our own opinion on things here????:(

once a minor point really. if you banned full licenced drivers, who would be able to answer the questions? i would have thought it would be helpful to have people on who passed the test.

you need to let the "sure you are only a learner driver" go over your head. life is fair too short to be getting stressed out about something like that. there are enough bad drivers on the road to be getting upset about

John Mason

GBX Rich wrote: »

i will appoligze for what i said earlier, i'm still pissed off that i failed over something that i thing was stupid,

but 1 guy said that i was not a bad driver but not compatent either, so then why did my instructor crack up and start f-ing and blinding me when i told him i failed, he couldn't understand it, saying that i shoulda passed with flying colours, that i was a natural driver, how the hell could i fail??? he's been a instructor for years, would he not be able to judge if your able to pass your test as good as a tester would???

to the others saying that the government should help, i donno about other places, but in kilrush you can get 10 free lessons if you are on socail wellfare, there is strings attached, but it is 1 way the government are helping

Seriously, Build A Bridge

sunnyside

Tony Broke wrote: »

Honestly 5 to 10 lessons at 50e a go isnt that much in the long term.

Totally agree, I've had 14 lessons, hadn't realised I'd need so many. The instructor said there wasn't much more he could teach me, that my skills are perfectly adequate but I tend to suffer from anxiety and driving makes me nervous. Instructor said I just need to practice. Right now with Christmas presents to buy I can't afford lessons but I will do some pre-test lessons in January.

GBX Rich wrote: »

but in kilrush you can get 10 free lessons if you are on socail wellfare, there is strings attached, but it is 1 way the government are helping

Surely that's not true?

Posy

ergonomics wrote: »

If paying for lessons is too expensive then you can't afford a car.

I've had 20 lessons, costing nearly a grand but since the 'crunch' I can't actually afford a car at the moment. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't bothered doing things the right way.
I didn't mean that the government should pay for lessons but there should be some regulation on the price- €50 an hour is just too much. Well, in my opinion anyway. (Although the government do give tax relief on certain things that aren't actually essential..) :pac:

If you had any idea how much car insurance costs for a driving instructor, and how much it costs to buy a dual control car, then petrol, then getting to your house and getting from your house to the next client, €50 is actually not that much, I don't think they're ripping people off, they need to earn a decent living, otherwise why would they bother?

Stark

Boggles wrote: »

It equates to a 30 year old hanging around the Leaving Cert forum.

My 3 Cents.

You could have a teacher hanging around the Leaving Cert forum looking to give advice to students. Of course such teacher is hardly going to have kind words for a student looking for "advice" on cheating in the LC.

Posy

Deleted User wrote: »

If you had any idea how much car insurance costs for a driving instructor, and how much it costs to buy a dual control car, then petrol, then getting to your house and getting from your house to the next client, €50 is actually not that much, I don't think they're ripping people off, they need to earn a decent living, otherwise why would they bother?

I'm not saying they're ripping people off, just that €50 per hour is a bit excessive. I just personally find €40 (well €400 for a course of ten for example) a bit more affordable.
To get back to the original point of the thread though, I know some people on the forum perhaps look down on learners but the vast majority are here trying to help, give the benefit of their experience and maybe learn a little too; especially Alanstrainor and Wishbone Ash. Thanks guys.