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What happenned to the use of 'hand-signals'..?........mind you theres a different set of em now days.......sometimes using one finger or two......plus a clenched fist moving up and down..........lol.

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Ipast my test just before my 19th birthday in 1964,and without sounding like an old groaner Cars were much harder to drive back then almost drive themselves nowadays............give the young un's a s

If you are going to test drive a car, don't do this!    

I have found Murphy's Law comes in when parallel parking. If you have to shunt several times, you are guaranteed to have an audience. Go in first time, and not a bogger around. 

I passed my driving test xx years ago and I still can not reverse park. Been known to drive around a car park few times looking for parking space I can dive straight in and out. When have to reverse park could be classed as under the influence.

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Passed 1964 aged 17, I had been driving on private land for years so had got quite relaxed, my driving instructor had a wooden 12" rule, which he used to rap my knuckles for leaving my hand on the gear stick.

 

Later in life I took and passed my wheeled and tracked armoured license with the army, great fun with lots of off road driving.

 

One off the best drives was the REME Scammell heavy recovery motor, gate change and crash box.

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My wife failed her test in the uk ,  5 times due to being unable to reverse park !  she nearly gave up but I made her persist with another test, by now she was 6 months pregnant with our twin daughters !

 

She did the test again and when she got to the reverse bit, she explained to the test inspector that her "bump" would not allow her to do it properly as she was hitting the steering wheel with it !

Anyway he must have felt sorry for her as he let her off and passed her then.

 

Might add in just over 30 years later, she still cannot reverse park and often drives round car parks looking for a space she can drive through to get out.

But she has never had an accident or been done for any offence in all this time.

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I read years ago of some research that found the more intelligent the person, the longer it would take them to pass their driving test.

 

My father had a friend who passed on his 7th attempt and almost gave up! Think his name was Einstein! He later drove the huge NCB coal delivery lorries.

 

Took me a few attempts to get through mine!  :rolleyes:

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My father never ever took a driving test, has at the time he learnt to drive in the war, he has taught lot's of other's to drive, but the hardest one was my mother 5 attempt's  it took to pass her test. Master only went out with her in the car once "never again " he said your mother is trying to commit suicide and take me with her. When mum and dad use to go out on a Saturday night (no drink driving then) he would let mum drive home which was fine, till she had to put the car in the garage and she hit both side wall's (not both at the same time silly) but after that my dad tried to stop her from driving, Whewww!

 

When I learnt to drive it was in South Africa and it was in a Toyota tuck with column change gears, at the time in the UK reverse parking was not in the test, but it was in S/A my neighbour Quizzie who taught me to drive would find a row of parked car's and make me reverse into them, again, and again, and again and so on.

Since returning to the UK in the 70s never ever have I reverse parked. Just  drive into a big parking space it's easy then

 

No comment Chulla please about women driver's as year's ago master was pleased that I had passed my test and would drive him home after a few pints.

 

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Around 1969 I booked a course of 12 lessons as it was cheaper that way  (£15 if I remember correctly)  Hubby had a company car which I wasn't able to use for practice so it was just 1 lesson a week for me. Towards the end of my lessons my instructor put me in for my test. Cost 35 shillings. I passed first time. Had a very good lady instructor. One thing they didn't teach then though, was parallel parking, which I could never understand.

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I was like you, Katy.  We were too poor to own a car.  So I took a course of twelve lessons, with no way to drive in between each week's lesson.  Passed second time.  I think I told that story elsewhere on here. 

 

Late wife passed first time in UK.  In Canada we had to take the test again.  Part of the test was to parallel park between two sticks.  Needless to say she knocked one down.  Apparently she looked at the inspector and said,. "I wouldn't try to park a car this big in a space that small."  His response,. O-k you passed.  :rolleyes:

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I can't parallel park to save my life. I will reverse into a space between cars, no problem, but parallel...no chance. I wasn't taught how to do it in my lessons, and I have no idea how long I was driving before I came across the need to do it, and realised I couldn't!  I have always promised myself that I will have a refresher course one day and learn how to do it.. Not in my own car............Just in case!

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I have found Murphy's Law comes in when parallel parking. If you have to shunt several times, you are guaranteed to have an audience. Go in first time, and not a bogger around. 

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Even after 50+ years driving, I still don't find parallel parking that easy, though I can do a fair approximation.  One useful thing with half way modern cars is that you can remotely turn your passenger side wing mirror to point at the kerb and thus see more clearly where your wheels are.

Just need to remember to put it back again before driving off.  :)

 

I usually drive forward into a parking space.  Can't see why people do otherwise.  The risk of being hit while manouevering is the same either way I suppose.

 

Col

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I think the idea is that you can swing in at a sharper angle when reversing into a space than you can do forward.  I always found that I could get into a much smaller space backing in than driving in.   Now I try not to do it at all,;)

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Exactly, it's as simple as that. I was ALWAYS told by my dad, NEVER EVER mount the kerb, with either front or rear wheels, and never scuff the tyres. Nowadays, people bounce up the kerbs as though it's a bleddy obstacle course. Then wonder why they continually need new tyres, springs, shock absorbers and even wheels. Stupid ! 

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34 years later whenever I approach a mini Island (like bottom Glaisdale Drive/ Wigman Road) I always say to myself "Give away to traffic on the right! Anyone still got a green paper licence?

 

Fly #40 Plus you'd knock your wheel trims off!

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Got alloys RR, and I'm absolutely distraught if I scuff them.

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When I started instructing in the late 80's I was told by an ex examiner that using the engine to brake on a test would result in a fail. As others have said "engine to go, brakes to slow/stop!" Only exceptions were when going down a long hill as this would reduce the chance of overheating brakes & brake fade, & of course brake failure where gentle use of handbrake was recommended as well. I drive an automatic now as too bone idle to change gears..

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What year was that one, NBL? We've still got our green paper one, somewhere safe! Heaven knows where, but I do remember it would run out on my 70th birthday, which has just gone. I couldn't imagine myself being 70, when the licence was issued. 

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I still have my green folded paper licence.

It appears to run from the expiry of my previous licence in 1978. Can't work that out as I passed my test in 1972.. I think.  But. whatever.

It expires on 02.02 2019, or the day before my 70th Birthday.

I'm not changing it until I have to because of the fee for issuing a new one.  It also has a record of the only penalty I've got so far.  3 Pts. for exceeding 30mph on 03.09 88.

I was suffering a failing alternator and was busy watching the charge light-v-engine revs.  Completely missed the Policeman with the Speed Gun.  Seems I was doing 38.  A Fair Cop Guv!

 

No excuse.  My only complaint was that they wittered on for ages and I was already late for a meeting. I admitted my fault, accepted my punishment but needed to get on.  So they kept me there.... wittering.... for what seemed like an age.

 

Col

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