DVLA 1 Allison 0

Well I failed my driving test! I’m still a little sore about it (literally, I have a several day old headache that’s not helping). It was this morning and I went into it knowing I was a good driver but that the odds of me passing first time were pretty steep – and I accepted that. My attitude was, how much better prepared am I going to be if I have to do this all over again!
Anyway, my instructor was an ARSEHOLE. Yes, yes I know bad workmen always blame their tools and I’m keen to stress that even if it had been my lovely girlfriend testing me, I may still not have passed, but does it help the driver if you’re abrupt and unreasonable? You get asked two question about your vehicle before you even put your key in the ignition. The first was about how to check your oil the second was how do you know if your power steering was working. I almost rubbed my hands in glee! Those were the two I particularly wanted to be asked! (Good start, thought I.)
Anyway, he nodded that my oil answer was correct and then we got into the car and he said, ‘how do you know if your power steering is working?’ I replied that if you are driving your steering will feel heavy, to which he butted in and said, that’s not what I asked! I asked you how do you know if your power steering was working before you start driving. To which I wanted to snap, that’s NOT what you asked! I stayed calm and replied that you held your wheel – pulling it slightly to the left – and when you started your engine the wheel should give a little jump. Now this is a text book answer. How do I know? Because I’m dyslexic. I memorise things. He replied, ‘what? Well alright I suppose…’
An answer can ever only be right or wrong, supposing is supposition. And he said this in such an unreasonable way – like he was really pissed off with me! – that I began to think I’d got it wrong. Anyway, I won’t run you through the entire test. However, I will say I am unsure why he failed me on the two things that he did fail me on. Especially the second reason; my positioning coming out of junction. He said I’d pulled over to the left when I was about to turn right. I did. And the reason I did so was because a transit van was turning right into the street I was pulling out of and was taking up a lot of space. I call that awareness and safety. But what do I know. As we pulled up after the test, he made me stop really abruptly in a parking space and did not let me adjust my position so that I could park more safely (the back of the car was in my opinion sticking out too far).
I was really cross afterwards, but I’ve processed it all now and feel better. What does it mean? Well, it certainly doesn’t mean I am a crap driver. I was unlucky, I did make mistakes (I almost gave myself a slap reversing round a corner because I was a little way from the kerb and had to re-position) but I also believe my environment was made more stressful than it needed to be. Never mind though, I shall re-book and I shall carry on until I have that licence…