2nd Time Lucky..?
Well today was the date of my second test and I was determined not to tell ANYONE except my husband! I suppose he had to know by default, or he'd tickle me to death or something almost as bad!
Anyway, my instructor picked me up around 10:30 and we headed off for a bit of a practice beforehand. Now even though the lesson on Saturday had gone quite well, I still wanted to practice the parallel park, just in case. I managed to hit the kerb at one point, but I realised and pulled forward again for another go. Now I thought that that would've been an instant failure but apparently it isn't if you realise and don't actually mount the kerb!
That was all fine so we headed off for a bit of a drive before heading to the test centre.
The time came for my test and who should come out? Yep, the same examiner I'd had less than 4 weeks ago! Don't ask my how I knew, but I just KNEW that it was going to be me who he would ask for! This made me so determined that I was gonna pass and I actually thought to myself, right ya bugger, I'll show ya!!
So we headed off from the test centre after the 2 questions about the car and headed up into town. I felt much more relaxed this time, though he still asked me at the traffic lights by the library if I was all settled down now! I'm guessing it must be a standard procedure or something.
We got down to the mini roundabout at the multi storey and this time we approached in the right hand lane but carried on instead of turning off. I was almost on top of the traffic lights at the Washington Central and they dared to change so I instantly looked in my mirror and saw a car behind me. Now instant reaction told me to carry on because I was almost on top of the lights and he was too close for me to stop so I carried on! At this point I thought oh god! I shouldn't have done that! I've failed already! I carried on though and we headed onto Banklands. Here I got a minor because I was too close to a car as I turned onto the road. I knew myself there so I couldn't quibble that one.
We took a left onto Eldred Road and he got me to pull up in a safe place. Yep, on the hill!! He then explained that he wanted me to do a reverse round the next corner which was also downhill! At this point I was cursing him but I was still determined to show him I could do it! I got the manoeuvre done, though I picked up another minor there because I was a bit wide as a reversed round. Fair do's again, just didn't want to pick up too many more!
So we took a left and up the hill onto Newlands Lane, then a left again to get onto Hawkshead Avenue and a right onto Ashfield Road. I actually thought he was going to get me to do an emergency stop here, but he didn't ask me to stop or anything so I carried on. It was a left onto Westfield Drive, then back down towards the sports centre, with me hoping and praying that I didn't meet a fire engine again!! He got me to pull over again, but still no emergency stop!
We were off again and he got me to turn right onto Moorclose Road, then right again onto Poole Road. Now I'd already done the reverse round the corner so I was thinking parallel park, but hoping and praying it wasn't!! Nope, right down to the end of the road and back onto the main road. We headed along Solway Road down to Matalan roundabout where we turned right and headed for the TA Centre.
Here we turned left onto Harrington Road, then left again onto Vulcans Lane. He got me to pull up in between 2 parked cars, then told me to go again when I was ready. Now here's where I picked up another minor for undue hesitation! I could see a car coming, but it was going much slower than I thought, then when I thought about going I hesitated again! We eventually got out and we turned right at the traffic lights to head back into town. It was back down to the mini roundabout but this time I had to be in the left hand lane and we turned left to go passed Debenhams and the police station. Left again at Seaton roundabout, then right at the Northside roundabout to head up towards Tesco. We went straight over that roundabout, then took the right hand lane to head back round to the test centre.
Once we got back into the test centre, he asked me to park in a bay. The first attempt I TOTALLY messed up because the yellow line just DIDN'T come! I said I was going to try it again, and thought I was gonna mess it up again, but the line appeared and I was in the bay. So he got me to turn off the engine and take off my seatbelt while he sorted out the paperwork.
I was all prepared, feeling quietly confident but still having that traffic light incident in the back of my mind.
After a couple of minutes, he turned and said, I'm pleased to say you passed!!! biggrin.gif Words can't describe how I felt at that particular moment, or even now I've had the chance to calm down! I've had a HUGE grin from ear to ear ever since and I punched the air with delight when I saw my instructor!
So I guess this will be the end of my driving blog, now that I'm officially no longer a learner driver! I hope you've enjoyed reading about my mishaps, dramas, woes and excitement along the way, almost as much as I've enjoyed doing and reporting about them!
Last but not least, I'm dedicating this blog to my instructor Nick who got me through and had every faith in me, and to Liz, the instructor who gave me the confidence to get behind the wheel in the first place! I couldn't have done it without either of them! biggrin.gif
Right, so now that the Ls have gone, PLEASE stay out of my way or at least drive properly while I'm around!!
Anyway, my instructor picked me up around 10:30 and we headed off for a bit of a practice beforehand. Now even though the lesson on Saturday had gone quite well, I still wanted to practice the parallel park, just in case. I managed to hit the kerb at one point, but I realised and pulled forward again for another go. Now I thought that that would've been an instant failure but apparently it isn't if you realise and don't actually mount the kerb!
That was all fine so we headed off for a bit of a drive before heading to the test centre.
The time came for my test and who should come out? Yep, the same examiner I'd had less than 4 weeks ago! Don't ask my how I knew, but I just KNEW that it was going to be me who he would ask for! This made me so determined that I was gonna pass and I actually thought to myself, right ya bugger, I'll show ya!!
So we headed off from the test centre after the 2 questions about the car and headed up into town. I felt much more relaxed this time, though he still asked me at the traffic lights by the library if I was all settled down now! I'm guessing it must be a standard procedure or something.
We got down to the mini roundabout at the multi storey and this time we approached in the right hand lane but carried on instead of turning off. I was almost on top of the traffic lights at the Washington Central and they dared to change so I instantly looked in my mirror and saw a car behind me. Now instant reaction told me to carry on because I was almost on top of the lights and he was too close for me to stop so I carried on! At this point I thought oh god! I shouldn't have done that! I've failed already! I carried on though and we headed onto Banklands. Here I got a minor because I was too close to a car as I turned onto the road. I knew myself there so I couldn't quibble that one.
We took a left onto Eldred Road and he got me to pull up in a safe place. Yep, on the hill!! He then explained that he wanted me to do a reverse round the next corner which was also downhill! At this point I was cursing him but I was still determined to show him I could do it! I got the manoeuvre done, though I picked up another minor there because I was a bit wide as a reversed round. Fair do's again, just didn't want to pick up too many more!
So we took a left and up the hill onto Newlands Lane, then a left again to get onto Hawkshead Avenue and a right onto Ashfield Road. I actually thought he was going to get me to do an emergency stop here, but he didn't ask me to stop or anything so I carried on. It was a left onto Westfield Drive, then back down towards the sports centre, with me hoping and praying that I didn't meet a fire engine again!! He got me to pull over again, but still no emergency stop!
We were off again and he got me to turn right onto Moorclose Road, then right again onto Poole Road. Now I'd already done the reverse round the corner so I was thinking parallel park, but hoping and praying it wasn't!! Nope, right down to the end of the road and back onto the main road. We headed along Solway Road down to Matalan roundabout where we turned right and headed for the TA Centre.
Here we turned left onto Harrington Road, then left again onto Vulcans Lane. He got me to pull up in between 2 parked cars, then told me to go again when I was ready. Now here's where I picked up another minor for undue hesitation! I could see a car coming, but it was going much slower than I thought, then when I thought about going I hesitated again! We eventually got out and we turned right at the traffic lights to head back into town. It was back down to the mini roundabout but this time I had to be in the left hand lane and we turned left to go passed Debenhams and the police station. Left again at Seaton roundabout, then right at the Northside roundabout to head up towards Tesco. We went straight over that roundabout, then took the right hand lane to head back round to the test centre.
Once we got back into the test centre, he asked me to park in a bay. The first attempt I TOTALLY messed up because the yellow line just DIDN'T come! I said I was going to try it again, and thought I was gonna mess it up again, but the line appeared and I was in the bay. So he got me to turn off the engine and take off my seatbelt while he sorted out the paperwork.
I was all prepared, feeling quietly confident but still having that traffic light incident in the back of my mind.
After a couple of minutes, he turned and said, I'm pleased to say you passed!!! biggrin.gif Words can't describe how I felt at that particular moment, or even now I've had the chance to calm down! I've had a HUGE grin from ear to ear ever since and I punched the air with delight when I saw my instructor!
So I guess this will be the end of my driving blog, now that I'm officially no longer a learner driver! I hope you've enjoyed reading about my mishaps, dramas, woes and excitement along the way, almost as much as I've enjoyed doing and reporting about them!
Last but not least, I'm dedicating this blog to my instructor Nick who got me through and had every faith in me, and to Liz, the instructor who gave me the confidence to get behind the wheel in the first place! I couldn't have done it without either of them! biggrin.gif
Right, so now that the Ls have gone, PLEASE stay out of my way or at least drive properly while I'm around!!
posted by Ailsa @ 2:11 pm
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