A nice tester

spunkymunky

Hi guys
Did my driving test there on wednesday morning up in finglas and like most was expecting the worst. Tbh i was terrified of the test (why is it so scary?). Anyway, went in early and got the call. Here we go i thought. The questions went good, fairly straight forward. Then the test.
So on the walk to the car i was thinking about everything i was told in the pretest but then the instrunctor started to talk to me, nicities, great weather and all that. Once in the car back to business. Bit a wait at one of the junctions in ballymun and he sparks up conversation again. I just went along totally surprised, yapping about this that and the other. And then after the test on the walk back in he asking me about my job and the likes. I felt so at ease during and after the test. But then he failed me only messing I passed .
Tbh i couldnt believe it. I thought that it was suppose to totally impersonal but this fella made the test so much easier. Has anyone experienced this? Was i lucky?
SM

AMurphy

From what I've read here and elsewhere, you got the 1 in a million.

CrowdedHouse

.......I'd invest a few quid in Lotto tickets ..........

Well done !!

Thumper Long

I did my test 7 years ago and the tester was as nice as pie, i did mine in the new centre at the time in tallaght cos the waiting lists were so much shorter at the time and the day i did it all the lights were out on the Belgard road and there was a bus crash at the jucntion at airton road, but as we were driving around all i could see were X's marked on the test sheet everytime i looked out the left mirror and that is what made me nervous, but i passed full marks perect test he told me and congratulations etc and i told him afterwards about the X's and i thought he was going to fall out of the chair laughing, and he reckoned he shound change it to ticks, cos it really looks like your doing badly even when you know you've done it right, here was i thinking i was going to be a stastic so tooo many people dont pass, but not at all. i reckon once you are polite and friendly you'll be fine (and once you can drive) and dont show up in a tarted up micra or corsa etc

leeroybrown

My experience of the test was that the tester was polite but very formal and impersonal. I just listened to his instructions and other than that ignored the fact that he was in the car. Theres no point in keeping half an eye on his notebook for x's (or O's) as it'll only distract you.

Stephen

Yeah, my tester never opened his mouth besides to tell me to turn left/right ahead, etc. He passed me though, so he can't be that bad

spunkymunky

CrowdedHouse wrote:

.......I'd invest a few quid in Lotto tickets ..........

Well done !!

Got 3 and the bonus last night. €17. Woohoo!!!

Guess just a lucky week!!

Rew

My tester was sound. Very polite but didn't chat during the test. After we pulled back in he asked me all about my car kit for my phone coz he was thinking of getting one. Turned out we had a few things in common and were chatting for a while back at his desk. He suggested a few things I should keep in mind when driving as weel. GF had a tester who drumed his fingers on the plastic the whole way through the test then failed her.

leeroybrown

I would assume that they're probably supposed to avoid unnecessary conversation as this could distract the driver sitting the test.

Banjo013

Did my test in Birmingham in '98.

Tester was a complete robot. Remember once I asked him to confirm which left turn he had asked me to take - the next one or the one after. He just looked iron faced straight ahead, saying nothing.

Anyway I took the second left. I passed.

spunkymunky

leeroybrown wrote:

I would assume that they're probably supposed to avoid unnecessary conversation as this could distract the driver sitting the test.

Id imagine so also they're supposed to treat everyone the same. It was nice to talk for a few minutes. Didnt distract me at all. Actually put me at ease.

AMurphy

I don't remember much about my driving test either in ROI or USA, but I do not remember being intimidated on either occasion, the only item I DO remember about the Irsh test was being asked if the car was insured..... to which I answered YES. Well the car may have been insured.. bit I?.. Probably not...but if in doubt, lie convincingly.
And in the US, When asked to park alongside a kerb, I asked, "drive in or reverse in" to which I got the answer, "Whatever you think is appropriate". Given there was about 50' of clear kerb space, I simply drove in and "parked", = passed.

I figure if I were to take the test today, (well 10 mothns from now), I'd fail several times over... not that I'm a particularly bad driver, just I do not know the "ropes", even here, I have read in the paper what the tester is "expecting" to see.....sheet, that news to me.

Seth Brundle

mine pulled the handbrake on me!!!

AMurphy

kbannon wrote:

mine pulled the handbrake on me!!!

You mean you did not observe him/her pressing frantically on those imaginary brake pedals in the passenger side, beforehand?.

Rew

kbannon wrote:

mine pulled the handbrake on me!!!

Why were you about to pull out in front of a truck?

Seth Brundle

I was doing the test in my fathers Omega and was overtaking a hiace parked in my lane on an uphill left bend. Did everything as per the book but fúckwit beside me decides to pull the handbrake.
I stopped the car and asked what was that for - I was told that I was too close to the parked vehicle. I disagreed with him and showed him the few inches spare between my side and the kerb and it was about a third of what he had (~18inches).
If that was now I would just politely ask him to get out of my car!

lilulila

boyfriend has his test for next week. live in waterford area. i did my test in the johns hill centre but his letter says its for the ida park on tramore road. ive never heard of this centre just wondering has anyone heard of it and where is it

Ernie Ball

I think I must've had the same tester in Finglas as the original poster. This was 5 years ago. We spent almost the whole time making small talk. When we were about 1/2 mile from the test centre, he said 'as long as you don't crash now, you'll pass'.

Originally took the test in Churchtown from a perfect c**t who failed me for no apparent reason.