ugggh foiled again by the drive test lady

[xena_n_joss]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Well, I went and tried to get my G2 for the second time tonight. Of course, I got the same lady I was failed by the last time. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#So this time she makes me try and parellel park on this really busy street. And of course its 4:00 so its like rush hour. Anyways, I couldnt do it so she failed me because it was a saftey hazard... Like, what the H***??? None of my friend even had to parellel park, it was an option! They must have got the good drive tester or something. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I have to drive anyways and I have been, I was just looking forward to being able to actually drive legally... #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#My friend suggested I go to a really small hick town and take the test... haha I cant afford getting this drive test lady for a third time.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Pretty_Pony72]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#that sucks!! Im a horrible driver..shouldn't be allowed on the streets..well legally im not but thats okay!! My friend went up on the curb when she was trying to do that#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Lix]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#*gasp* xena!  You don't acutally drive legally?  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#With that "little" *ahem* thing aside, I just wanted to mention that yes, driving tests can be a pain!  I've never failed one but the way they set you up for it and the reasons they fail you can be a little insane.  I was so nervous for my G2 and for my G.  I'm glad it's done and over with now but I was so scared of failing for touching the stop line or for not putting my hands properly on the steering wheel or something.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I'm a cautious and good driver but I still got a driving instructor before every test.  I got him to give me a 'lesson' and then I would go to my test with him, he would wait for me, and I could use his car.  It sounds dumb to have a driving lesson, but the instructors know exactly what the testers want to see and trust me, it's not the way any of us really drive in real life.  The instructor had a really easy, fail proof way of parallel parking and it worked every time.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#It's a bit of $$ but it's worth it. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you how much trouble you could get in for driving with just a G1.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#How long do you have to wait to take the test again?  And I also recommend going to do your test in a small town.  It's worth it.    #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[xena_n_joss]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#ya im going to try and see if there is a small town around who does the tests.... And I want to go somewhere else because I dont want to get this same woman again, she was so rude to me the first time, this time she wasnt rude but she still failed me. I seriously never want to drive with her again. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I know im never going to parellel park ever again once I get my test. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Dee22]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I'll agree with Lix, sometimes testers are a bit 'over the top' and I don't think ANYone drives like that in 'real life'.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#But again I will have to say that driving with just your G1 is NOT worth it! You'll not be able to 'legally' drive for a looong time if you get caught...#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I would suggest going out and practising your parallel parking... practise over and over and over again. I'm not wonderful at it either (don't use it enough). But it's a good thing to know, especially in rush hour traffic when it's THE only parking spot, you'll be thankful later on that you know how to just zip into that spot.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Or, like Lix said, get a lesson. I took Young Drivers and I'm glad I did, my lesson have gotten me out of a pickle many times #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Dee22]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I know im never going to parellel park ever again once I get my test. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Trust me Xena, there will come a time when you NEED to parallel park and you'll be glad you know how! #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[chenders01]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I know im never going to parellel park ever again once I get my test. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Trust me Xena, there will come a time when you NEED to parallel park and you'll be glad you know how! #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Really??  I was going to respond to Xena's original post to say that I've been driving for over 20 years and have NEVER had to parallel park.  If someone had to test me on it today, they'd probably take my driver's license away too LOL!!  I'm SURE I'd either hit something or drive up over the curb!!  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Seriously, Xena, you need to get out there and practice that parallel parking because even if you go to a hick-town to do your test, they'll likely ask you to do it and you'll fail again.  #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Foxie]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I can't believe she failed you because you couldn't parallel park. I failed my parallel park (it started to thunder storm) and I couldn't back into the parking space. #ed_op#IMG src="http://forums.equestrianconnection.com/richedit/smileys/Shocked/5.gif"#ed_cl# but he passed me. He basically told me to practice both. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Try going somewhere else in a "hick" town. Less cars and traffic. Good Luck!!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[xena_n_joss]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#ugh I know Chenders, its not fair though, none of any of my friends even had to do it. One was not asked to parellel park and the other was asked if she could do it and she said no so they didnt make her. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I always thought that it wasnt necessary for your g2 but it was for your g... I guess they must have changed it. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I would rather walk a bit then have to parellel park #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[graciespook]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Agreed..the lesson is a great idea. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Megan Ball]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I've never had to parrell park for any of my tests, both in N.S. and in Ont!! And I have my G. I agree with others, go to a smaller town, some testers will just look at someone and say fail! Where I live, with the army folks if you wear your uniform for your test you will fail every time!!! Good luck for your next test!!!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[EatMyDust]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I have my G1, I go for my G2 in January. No one Ive talked to had to parealle park?#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[babytigger]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#i went to oshawa for all my tests, found the testers there to be totally awesome! now that's i've had my licence for what....11 years, and i've only parallel parked (as in the actual parallel park where you pull up beside the car ahead & back into the space) like maybe once. if i can go in "head first:" i will, but you can't do that on the test.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#the drive test people will not fail you just for not doing something correctly the first time, unless it undermines the safety of a. yourself, b. other drivers, c. pedestrians (big on that one!!). if you didn't get it exactly right, do it again until you feel you did it right. as long as you haven't put the car in park, with the parking brake on, you haven't completed the parallel park according to their standards, which means you can pull out & try it again to straighten yourself out, have more room, etc.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#xena - do not drive w/o a proper licence - it's nto worth it, and besides -who's allowing you to do that in the first place - they need to give their head a shake, as techinally, they may get in trouble as well.......because if you're not properly licenced, and "damages" you may cause are going to come at the expense of the driver insured on the vehicle you're driving, and since you technically don't have demerit points to deduct - who do you think loses theirs?? it's not worth it. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#get a lesson or two from an instructor. they have refresher courses, or crash courses (no pun intended, you know what i mean lol!) - explain to them what you want, and i'm sure they can accomodate. also have one lesson right before your test, to get to know the area you'll be tested in.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#dee - young drivers is definately the best way to go!! expensive, but well worht it..i've used a few of their "manoveurs" a few times driving in pitch black on middle of nowhere roads!#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[*rickie*]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl#Xena, they have changed the liscence system a bit...and you DON'T have to KNOW HOW to parrallel park for your G2, but you do HAVE TO try it in a safe manner!#ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl#They can't fail you if you don't do it properly, but you automatically fail if you don't shoulder check before you pull out of the "spot". For your G2, that is the ONLY requirement with parrallel parking.#ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl#I would suggest going to a smaller town, but the problem might not be solved, as I know that some of the driver test people do service the smaller towns outside of a bigger cities....so you might end up with the same person!#ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl#I would take a driver's ed course. Or go drive with someone who has taken that coarse. I'd go with you, but you're not in my area.....but just go driving with someone who has been in those kinds of classes, and let them be PICKY about your' driving. That's the only way you'll be able to pass!#ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl##ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#FONT face=Tahoma color=#c080ff size=4#ed_cl#Best of luck!#ed_op#/FONT#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[xena_n_joss]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#unfortunately drivers ed is not an option, because of time/money...#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl# #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#The reason she said I was not safe because I didnt do it fast enough and there were cars waiting while I was trying to parellel parking#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[babytigger]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#xena - you can appeal her decision. afterall, she asked you do to that in what "they" would classify as an unsafe environment. she shouldn't have asked you to do it on a busy street where you would be impeding traffic (which is the safety violation). if it had been me, i would have said no to her request to do it right then & ask if you can do it on a quieter street. they are not supposed to ask you to perform moves like that where it impedes other traffic, which is just what she asked you to do - she "set you up"  so to speak.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[Ruth]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Xena, I agree with appealing. I was of the impression that they can't fail you for not being able to parallel park. Of course I got my licence about 100 years ago before all this G1 and G2 business, so things could have changed quite a bit. I did fail the first time I went for my licence, but it was because I didn't stop for long enough at a red light before turning right. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#If you ever go to Hamilton and have to park on the street you will discover how much of a needed skill parallel parking is! I can't parallel park my current car very well because I don't have power steering, but that's a different matter.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#If you take a few lessons with a private driving instructor it won't be anywhere near as expensive as Young Drivers and like Lix said, they know what the examiners will be looking for.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Tip #1 - station wagons are easier to parallel park#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#Tip #2 - unless they have changed things in Collingwood it is all slant parking. I haven't been there for awhile so you might want to confirm that before banking on it.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[xena_n_joss]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#actually the car I usually drive is a station wagon and its way easier to drive period... I hate my moms sunfire, you cant see anything out of it because its so boxed it. My mom didnt want me to take the station wagon though because she would have had to drive it to work and she doesnt like it. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[xena_n_joss]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#actually the car I usually drive is a station wagon and its way easier to drive period... I hate my moms sunfire, you cant see anything out of it because its so boxed it. My mom didnt want me to take the station wagon though because she would have had to drive it to work and she doesnt like it. #ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[draftdriver]

Like Ruth, I took my driver's test decades ago, before they had all this G1 and G2 stuff. I did pass first time, but was cautioned about being careful in school zones (my test was just as high school let out, and there were devil-may-care kids everywhere on the sidewalks and street).

The trick to parallel parking is to know where the corners of your vehicle are, and to feel comfortable about backing up using the outside mirrors to guide you. I agree that the station wagon would probably be easier to park than the Sunfire. I'm so short I can't see any of the vehicle in those small cars. It's like being in a glass bubble! I need 2 cushions on the seat just to be able to see over the dashboard ! I drive a pickup truck, and I do have to parallel park on downtown Ottawa streets on occasion, but I usually manage without too much of a problem.

As I said, it's mostly a matter of knowing where the vehicle is in relation to your body. My dad did some really unusual things when teaching me to drive. He'd take tobacco can lids (about 7" across, and 1" deep) and place them in patterns on the very quiet street in front of our house. I would then have to drive over them, hitting them with one front tire then the other, alternating. He would also set up poles (you could use highway cones with a pole stuck in them) to 'pole bend' around or drive between. I also had to be able to drive up to or back up to a pole and stop within an inch of it, without touching it. I developed a real feel for the vehicle around me, how much space it takes on the road, etc. Really useful for avoiding road-killed skunk, potholes, etc., and for parallel parking.

Better luck next time.