Drivers test

[Southpaw]

I am just flabbergasted by people not parallel parking...how can you (general you, directed at no one in particular) never need it?? I mean I can see some areas not using it but if you ever travel or go to different neighborhoods you will have to know how to do it and trying to learn on a busy road while late for an appt and people waiting impatiently for you to get out of the way is not a good learning situation lol.

I've never needed it. The only times I've ever parallel parked were when I was practicing for my drivers test! And since it's been... 4 or 5 years? Since I've taken that... well, I'm pretty sure if I were to get in my car right now and give it a shot, I'd probably be just as awful as if I'd never done it before lol. Or maybe I'd be better at it since I have more experience driving in general. I don't know.

If I'm in the city and the place I'm going to only has on street parking (which is again a rarity for me), I choose to park in spots that are big enough for me to swing into without having to do silly maneuvering.

I can see it being a bigger deal in areas where it's needed more. I've just never been somewhere where I've needed to parallel park.

 

[Dogdragoness]

I'm taking my drivers test tomorrow. I'm so nervous!! What should I expect?What kinds of things will they ask me? I'm freaking out a little bit..lol!

Shoot it's been so long since I took mine (16, I am 30 now) that I don't remember much lol, but the written part is the easy part. It's basically what the different signs mean & how to negotiate a four way stop & whatever.

The practical part is the nervy part ... I failed that the first time & had to take it again ... Luckily the second time I got a stoner instructor that didn't give a crap & passed me anyway (I still tried to get a good job tho).

Good luck

Why do we need parallel parking again? I mean I can do it & I am pretty good at it but... We have cars that parallel park themselves now :/

 

[crazedACD]

I was lucky...I took Driver's Ed in high school as a class, and they administered the 'test' and a certificate themselves. I passed, all was fine.

Parallel parking...I don't feel comfortable if the spot is tiny and on an uber busy road, I try to avoid it. I can do it if the spot is generous and I have time.

 

[LindaJD]

I have taught all 3 of my kids to drive and all of them passed the first time. I think maybe if depends on where you are from, because I very rarely hear of anyone failing their drivers test around here. If you are under 18 you have to take a drivers ed course and have so many class room hours and so many home hours. Personally I think it's just a way for the state to get ther $600 plus
from each kid but whatever. I have used my paralled parking skills quite a few times through the years and I don't live in a city. Once you do it 2 or 3 times, it is a piece of cake.
Good Luck, remember to relax and buckle up. (best to leave your cell phone at home too)

 

[xpaeanx]

Good luck today!

Everyone I knew failed the first time, so going in I was a giant ball of nerves... but I passed!!! I also hadn't ever parallel parked a car until the morning of and I was in a borrowed station wagon bc my small hatchback was standard(and I was advised to use automatic on the test).

Just remember to drive like an old grandma: obey all signs/rules and always pay attention to what is going on around you-you want to see a potential problem before it becomes one.

But I'm sure you'll do fine. It's nice getting your freedom, but driving gets old quick. I hate doing it now. LOL.

 

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

Thanks everyone I'm about to leave! It could be a while til I have news because I am going in for a walk-in and they squeeze walk-ins between the scheduled tests. So I don't know what time my test is, I'm just getting there when they open. I'm going a bit early to drive around the area a bit before the test, so I can see the area and the speed limits, etc. I'm pretty nervous but I think I'll be fine, even if I don't pass it. I'm trying to be really calm today.

 

[k9krazee]

Good luck!!!!!!

My twin brother & I took our tests the same day, our 16th birthday.

We both failed & came home to a surprise bday party --- it was the worst birthday ever but I did feel better that we both failed (I hadn't known of anyone else failing!!)

Our test started with different parking scenarios and if you passed you were able to go on the road.

The road part was probably 20 minutes, driving around town (with my mom in the backseat!), answering questions such as "what would you do right now if a car was in your lane coming straight toward you?".

I had 2 automatic fails - going 5mph over the speed limit -- they asked me at the last second to turn left at a light, I checked behind me and saw a lot of cars in the lane so I sped up briefly to get in front. The other fail was turning left at a really wide intersection and I corrected myself before I ran into the tiny cement median. "unsafe situation".

My brother was turning left at a light & turned before the oncoming traffic.

I was crushed and had to wait 2 months until I could try again.

 

[GipsyQueen]

Do some people not take their driving tests on the road?

I got stuck in traffic on the Autobahn for like 45 minutes. It was great, since the test only goes for 45 minutes.
I didn't have to p.-park, but I got asked questions like how think do the profiles of your tires have to be, and how do you check if the are fine. How do you know what kind of gas your car takes ect. ect.

 

[SaraB]

Good luck today!!

 

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

I passed!! Thanks so much you guys! The test was really easy, the guy was really nice, and there was no parallel parking but I practiced quite a bit and its actually not very hard lol!

 

[RedHotDobe]

CONGRATS!! I told you it wasn't that bad.

 

[Julee]

Congrats! I just signed up for my safety course today, haha.

 

[JessLough]

Do some people not take their driving tests on the road?

I got stuck in traffic on the Autobahn for like 45 minutes. It was great, since the test only goes for 45 minutes.
I didn't have to p.-park, but I got asked questions like how think do the profiles of your tires have to be, and how do you check if the are fine. How do you know what kind of gas your car takes ect. ect.

Oh god, 45 minutes?! Here you start in a blocked off section of the parking lot... Do parallel parking and 3 point turn, and then you drive around the block once or twice. The last time it took me 15 minutes because I got stuck behind school buses. The first time it was 5 minutes.

 

[Beanie]

Whoo-hoo, congrats!!

 

[Michiyo-Fir]

I'm surprised how short your driver's tests are!!

Ours, we have 2 levels, if it's your first license, it's a limited license and you can only carry one passenger (that's not immediate family) and that's for 2 years. That license test is a 30 minute test which includes parallel parking, 2-3 left turn with no traffic light, back into parking spot, 3 point turn, and the regular change lane, left/right turn with traffic lights, school zone, somewhere where there's a yield sign, etc. Oh and unless you dramatically failed, the exam doesn't end early and usually ends late.

Then for the full license which is taken 2 years after the first one and it's a 45-60 minute exam with more tricky situations and weird road signs and again parallel parking, back in, cul de sac, roundabout, etc.

 

[JessLough]

I'm surprised how short your driver's tests are!!

Ours, we have 2 levels, if it's your first license, it's a limited license and you can only carry one passenger (that's not immediate family) and that's for 2 years. That license test is a 30 minute test which includes parallel parking, 2-3 left turn with no traffic light, back into parking spot, 3 point turn, and the regular change lane, left/right turn with traffic lights, school zone, somewhere where there's a yield sign, etc. Oh and unless you dramatically failed, the exam doesn't end early and usually ends late.

Then for the full license which is taken 2 years after the first one and it's a 45-60 minute exam with more tricky situations and weird road signs and again parallel parking, back in, cul de sac, roundabout, etc.

We have 3 levels. First, you can't drive without a fully licensed driver (5+ years) in the passenger seat, can't drive on roads over 60km/h, can't drive between midnight and 5am. That's for a year, 8 months if you go to driving school.

Then, you get one with more freedom. If you're over 19, it doesn't have any limitations. If you're under, there's a limit to minor passengers, limit to what roads you can go on the first 6 months, and limit to time. That's another year.

Then you get your full license.

Through it all, there's one written and two driving tests.

 

[Michiyo-Fir]

Oh yea counting the Learner's we have 3 too...

Learner's - cannot drive without a full license 25 yr + person sitting in the passenger seat, can't drive between 12-6 am.

Novice - Taken 1 year after Learner's, can drive anytime but cannot carry more than 1 passenger other than immediate family, unless there's a full license 25 + passenger

Class 5 - taken 2 years after the Novice license, no restrictions on passengers


It's a huge hassle to get a full license lol. I understand it's for safety reasons but my goodness does it take a long time!

Jess, aren't you in Canada too? I think we have a very similar if not the same system...

 

[Psyfalcon]

US driving tests ARE very easy compared to Europe. Most people manage ok, but I have to wonder how it would be if we had to pass the UK or German test. You do see some strange things here.

 

[MandyPug]

I'm surprised how short your driver's tests are!!

Ours, we have 2 levels, if it's your first license, it's a limited license and you can only carry one passenger (that's not immediate family) and that's for 2 years. That license test is a 30 minute test which includes parallel parking, 2-3 left turn with no traffic light, back into parking spot, 3 point turn, and the regular change lane, left/right turn with traffic lights, school zone, somewhere where there's a yield sign, etc. Oh and unless you dramatically failed, the exam doesn't end early and usually ends late.

Then for the full license which is taken 2 years after the first one and it's a 45-60 minute exam with more tricky situations and weird road signs and again parallel parking, back in, cul de sac, roundabout, etc.

Ours is a Learners which is a written test only and you have to have it for 2 years minimum. You can only drive with a licensed driver with you.

Then a GDL which is for another 2 years, it's a 30 minute road test or so. Speed changes, parallel parking, regular parking, uncontrolled intersection, one way street left turn, parking up and down hills, turns, etc. Not supposed to drive between certain times, less demerits until license gets pulled.

Then after that you can take the hour long full license test or just keep paying to renew your GDL, which is what I did lol.

 

[milos_mommy]

Some parts of the US are CRAZY lax on driver's licenses. In Florida, my 16 year old cousin just got her full license (can drive at any time, with anyone in the car!) and I know in some states, you can do that at 15. I think that's way too young...it's one thing to allow a kid that age to drive with no passengers during certain times or to/from work and school...but I can't imagine being that young and focusing on driving places with friends in the car, or at night, etc.

NY is pretty strict as far as US states go. You can get a permit at 16, and you must have someone over 21 in the passenger seat with you...I believe you can have any other passengers as well. Any time, but you can't drive on a couple of major state parkways and over tunnels or bridges.

They just changed it, so now you can get a "junior license" at 16 with driver's ed or 17 without it (you still need 500 hours of supervised driver signed off by a parent). I'm not sure what those restrictions are...they're in regards to driving at night and passengers. At 18, you can get your full license.

When I got my license (they just changed these laws last year) you could get your full license at 17 or at 16 if you took driver's ed. So really they just upped it by one year.