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[miggy]

Had to kill some time this morning so parked up in a Halfords car park right next to the driving test centre in Bishop Auckland.
Sat there for about ½ an hour watching learners come and go, thinking about what they were going through. It was not always obvious but a couple clearly passed and a couple clearly failed.
I felt sorry for them, I know we have all done it, I have all my licences and am an IAM member but I would not want to go through the driving test again. I have reversed buses and trucks in all sorts of places over the years but can I hell parallel park, I can do it eventually but not by the book so I guess I would fail the driving test.
The test centre is also right next to a little train station, a two coach train pulled out, about 8 people on it and the smoke from the exhaust  would  put the worst tractor to shame, surely not a good example of public transport helping the environment.  
 

Tuff time for them with the traffic these days.

Going on a different track, i was in our local mfi car park on  Tuesday afternoon, when i came out there was a learner driver practising his reversing with an instructer,...NEXT TO MY rather MIGGY....i politely asked the instructer if i could have a word with him outside the car........we walked to the rear of my miggy and i pointed out to him that i was not happy him having a learner practising his reversing between my and another car, they are learners and should be using another area where he could not damage any cars, the instructor got very shirty and a little adusive...at that point the little devil started to rise within me, i was not in any way adusive to him, i was polite and calm........when he started to raise his voice etc i then informed him what may happen to him if he carried on, once he knew where i was coming from he got into his KA and left the car park.

These rather pr"cks are using this car park all the time and after speaking to one of the mfi staff, she pointed out that there has been a lot of damage to cars in the past because of these instructers using it as an area for reversing practice.

rather pr"cks.if it happens again to me i will blow up.

Rant over  

Trouble is when you are learning where do you practice bay parking.  Don't get me wrong I agree with you.  The present squeeze has been learning in the miggy (gets the odd look) and yes we have to try bay parking in places like MFI.  Still I'd rather trust the squeeze in the miggy than some instructore who doesn't give a stuff if he hits someone.  

Actually that reminds me, what really worried me about your story was not the instructor thing, more that you were thinking about shopping in MFI.  In short don't!  I would be writing for hours about the problems my parents had with them.

In some empty car park, there are white lines, this is how my daughter was shown...not next to someones car........

I have used MFI several times and never had any issues, i have heard of people who have....i must have been lucky i guess

   

[Crazydad]

I am taking my Tram Test on Tuesday, The Tests over here are unbelievable with the       oral examination at 7.30 am  then the elimination of technical problems at 9.00am  Then the Actual Driving test at 11.00am

i passed the tick test on Friday with 100 Questions,

[Vamps]

Had to kill some time this morning so parked up in a Halfords car park right next to the driving test centre in Bishop Auckland.
Sat there for about ½ an hour watching learners come and go, thinking about what they were going through. It was not always obvious but a couple clearly passed and a couple clearly failed.
I felt sorry for them, I know we have all done it, I have all my licences and am an IAM member but I would not want to go through the driving test again. I have reversed buses and trucks in all sorts of places over the years but can I hell parallel park, I can do it eventually but not by the book so I guess I would fail the driving test.
The test centre is also right next to a little train station, a two coach train pulled out, about 8 people on it and the smoke from the exhaust  would  put the worst tractor to shame, surely not a good example of public transport helping the environment.  
 

Get that red estate off the pavement in your avatar, "A blind man could hurt himself "

There are no visually impaired people in our village, on foot anyway. Plenty of blind van drivers judging by the amount of drivers mirrors we have lost over the years. 30mph and they come through like a bat out of hell, unfortunately our little village gets used as a short cut. We would welcome traffic calming, not speed bumps though.
It is now on the drive however, and there it stays never really moved since I got if off ebay, still got problems to sort.
 

[Vamps]

The RoSPA advanced driving test includes parking in a bay.

[/highlight]

The IAM made me parallel park, but I did it in a New Mini Cooper, even I can park a Mini.

[Minispud]

I think that at first when you are learning to drive, you should do your reversing in a controled area with cones, just like when you do your HGV & PSV reversing. And yes I mean HGV & PSV and not the silly new names of LGV & PCV, I'm old school on both and drive both, before anybody asks

[zippo]

i was toying with the  idea of doing the IAM test, what the difference between that and the RoSPA test ??

[Vamps]

I think that at first when you are learning to drive, you should do your reversing in a controled area with cones, just like when you do your HGV & PSV reversing. And yes I mean HGV & PSV and not the silly new names of LGV & PCV, I'm old school on both and drive both, before anybody asks

Me too, can't be dooing with the new terms. Still got my PSV badge as well, used to get me many a free meal in Blackpool and Scarborough, amongst others.
Do Coach drivers still get free meals in service stations? long time since I did any long hauls.

[Minispud]

 Not to sure anymore, just got back into coach work, off to Dudley on Monday, with a load of school kids.   :-/
 With a little luck will not be doing for to long, pay not that good. Like doing Scaffolding, lots more £££  

[Vamps]

Not to sure anymore, just got back into coach work, off to Dudley on Monday, with a load of school kids.   :-/
 With a little luck will not be doing for to long, pay not that good. Like doing Scaffolding, lots more £££  

Yep, but ther is always work around, same for HGV. I have driven both for too many years, if ever needed a Job or extra money then work seems to be readily available.
Done loads of Part time Coach work which means Kids, can be great but can be a nightmare, get stroppy before you start.