A Testing Experience

[HanaBelle]

Now see, Im not a whiner, on the whole Id rather take the blame than pass it along...but my encounter with this mutha&#*@ testing officer I met at Botany Downs, Akl, really needs a review from honest bikin folks, so I can work out whether I was stupid and in shock or set-up nastily and really should take the double bazooka degrees and shove a complaint as far internally as it can reach on the end of a ...well, you get the idea....

First, I did pass my final licence test the next day with a different dude. And alls well that ends with me and the Vulcan legal, I spose..but..tell me if you think this is fair, ok?...heres the story

So, um, onna borrowed EL250 I cruised over in the rain (argg but I ride daily, so ok) to Botany for the testing. :scooter: Lil young chicky sitting there sweating for her car test tells me the local kids all know there is One Bad Egg in the testing team here.

Great. Big mean limping old guy giving me subtle grief over signing the form (a lemon hint!), and it got worse from then, really. Leftrightleftrightleftright :shifty: bullshit in the rain from 100 yards behind me (ever tried peering into your RVMs to see an indicator in those conditions), but ok, and at least one sneaky evil speed sign trap (70km zone in open country, then 50km stretch, then more very open country but no speed sign change back up, uh huh, you didnt get me on that didya...

Didnt get me on the vertical mountain climbing bit either, despite the not inconsiderable load (me) and the coughing ancient 250, even if I had to chop it down into first to get the bike to actually continue up the road...

And then...the psychological primer warning ringing in my head "If you go more than 5 kms *under* the speed limit, you will fail"... and having noticed but not grokked the shifty eyed slidy look he did (evil hint!) while adding "but all speed decisions are yours to make"...I swallowed the set-up hook-line-and-locked-up-drum-brake-sinker... :o

So a few minutes later, we hit an 80km sign and about 50m down the road (having accelerated to 75ish, doh) I powered into a long tightening left curve, running down, on slick seal, and it is wet, right...whoops..

So I made it, anyway, around at least half of the ever increasingly tighter corner UNTIL I moved to avoid that piece of seal sprawled across the lane in front of me with the gravel sticking out and the lil holes here and there, and just then the corner tightens some MORE...ohoh..

...this was somewhere up the back of Botany downs?? Pete from Red Baron said he knows the corner..it aint speed signed and it should be because I realise Im a wussy pansy baby biker :baby: but Im wondering if its even an 80km corner in the dry?

Well, I didnt make that tightening, not with the end of the slight swerve I was in to correct from the holes avoidance and fished all over the lane with the back wheel sliding TWICE..and survived, corrected it, got under control, blah blah...

Failed on the spot (obviously) but I also got the distinct impression he was disappointed I didnt fall off! Really nasty creepy yuck... :Playnice:

I did yell at him just a teensy little bit when we got back to the AA, something about tricks and stupidity on his part, but then got all shaky at the might-have-beens and rode back to recover the next morning and pass the test as aforesaid...cost me an extra $200 so Im thinking hes a one man personal revenue collector...it appears the local kids know his rep...and I can bite him when the young kids and immigrants he's otherwise forcing into similar difficulties have zip ability to do so...what do you think?

He maintains shoving me into a primed-for-wrong-choice situation on seriously wet roads was acceptable in order to ensure my ongoing public safety, and while I see the point, I think I feel endangerment should not be a part of public testing...just as a policy principle..

Oh, amusingly, the dude the next day told me off for riding in the right hand wheel track.."you need to be in the middle of the road or preferably as far left as you can get"...maybe BRONZ needs a nomination process for testers who have actually ridden a bike??

Hana :ride:

[James Deuce]

:thud:

All I can say is I'm pleased you didn't fall off or hurt yourself.

[spudchucka]

He maintains shoving me into a primed-for-wrong-choice situation on seriously wet roads was acceptable in order to ensure my ongoing public safety, and while I see the point, I think I feel endangerment should not be a part of public testing...just as a policy principle..

Whatever choices you made were your own. If the conditions were that bad then perhaps you should have postponed the test untill the conditions were more suitable. If the tester was a grumpy old git then I'd say thats another matter but as far as the road conditions go, its up to you to drive appropriately and if you lost control, (even momentarily) then it was appropriate that he failed you.

[Hitcher]

maybe BRONZ needs a nomination process for testers who have actually ridden a bike??
I would have thought that competency on the vehicle in question would have been a mandatory requirement for any tester. Also competency with road laws and the road code?

Congratulations anyway, Hana. Shame about the agro.

[rodgerd]

If the tester was a grumpy old git then I'd say thats another matter

Quality of testing has degenerated massively since it stopped being a job for the cops, and became one for any officious plonker the LTSA sign off on. There's one in Wellington, for example, who is known to fail everyone the first time around, on the principle no-one can be good enough to pass their license on the first shot. Another's known for failing women. Period.

[spudchucka]

Quality of testing has degenerated massively since it stopped being a job for the cops, and became one for any officious plonker the LTSA sign off on.
A lot of those officious old plonkers are ex / retired MOT traffic cops. Lou........

[vifferman]

Quality of testing has degenerated massively since it stopped being a job for the cops, and became one for any officious plonker the LTSA sign off on. Indeed. The "officious plonker" my son got for his restricted car licence test was one of that ilk, the kind who have a small bit of power over people and think they're some kind of god. Thank goodness the one he got for the re-sit was more human and less of a dick.
I don't know that things have changed much over the years, though. The MOT guy who tested me for my car license was a sadistic and Hitlerian type, who had me performing manoeuvres in the Austin 1800 (LandCrab) that would have been impossible in a Mini. Three-point turn in a lane about 8 or 9 fett wide? Yeah, right! Back into a small path at an acute angle to the road? Dream on! :spudwhat:
Thank goodness the cop who took me for my bike license was human: "That your bike in the carpark? Nice machine! Meet me on the other side, and we'll go for a blat!" He tested me thoroughly, but didn't play on my nervousness and treated me fairly, unlike the mini-Hitlers my son and I both had, who marked us down for 'sins' we weren't even guilty of...
There's a big difference between following the subscribed test parameters and using stretching those same parameters for some perverted power game.

[James Deuce]

Huh hh huh unnn hunh - he said perverted.

[750Y]

...isn't it amazing what a bit of power can do to someone...

[wari]

WEll ... at leaste you hava story to telll the grandkidds eh ... ?

BAckin my day when ... :sunny:

COngratulations bytheway :spudwave:

[jaxda]

Good to hear you did get your licence in the end HanaBelle :ride: I am also going for my next stage shortly and as i live in Botany i am curious as to which office you went to for your test. Is it the one on the cnr of Chapel and Kilkenny rd's?

[HanaBelle]

Whatever choices you made were your own. If the conditions were that bad then perhaps you should have postponed the test untill the conditions were more suitable. If the tester was a grumpy old git then I'd say thats another matter but as far as the road conditions go, its up to you to drive appropriately and if you lost control, (even momentarily) then it was appropriate that he failed you.

*yawn* Youre a cop, right?

[jrandom]

*yawn* Youre a cop, right?

Yes, and as unpleasant as it may feel for you at the moment, everything he said was entirely correct.

That doesn't change the fact that your testing officer was mean and, arguably, unreasonable. But Spud didn't say anything indefensible.

We're all instinctively handing out sympathy here (and you certainly have mine) but don't bag someone for adding balance to the discussion.

In any case, well done on getting the license in the end. :niceone:

[HanaBelle]

Good to hear you did get your licence in the end HanaBelle :ride: I am also going for my next stage shortly and as i live in Botany i am curious as to which office you went to for your test. Is it the one on the cnr of Chapel and Kilkenny rd's?

Chapel Road, and :moon: to the oafish old sod with a limp...pray you get one of the nice two...and no matter what deliberate pressure is put on you, do take spudchuckas advice!

:beer:

Hana

[MikeL]

There are, of course, two sides to every story. We want better standards of driving, but complain when we fail our test for what we see as minor faults. However I think there are some issues which need airing. Standardization and consistency of testing procedures would be a good place to start. At the moment it's a lottery...
One question I would like a reaction to: Is it unfair to fail someone solely on a "fault" that even good drivers commit all the time? My son was failed for no other reason than that he did not keep his hands all the time in the "10 to 2" position on the steering wheel.

[jrandom]

My son was failed for no other reason than that he did not keep his hands all the time in the "10 to 2" position on the steering wheel.

How long ago did that happen? These days, the jury is out on whether that's still the best position for control in modern cars. The 'quarter to three' style has its share of well-informed advocates. [Edit: it's what I, as well as a few rally-driving friends, use.]

Your son's experience presumably just goes to show the widespread inconsistency in our license test regime.

[Fryin Finn]

Dang. Things have changed since I got my full license. I fell off when I did my test - thought it was mandatory. They passed me too. :msn-wink:

[Ms Piggy]

Hey Hanabelle

Firstly - well done on getting your full license! :2thumbsup

Secondly - mean people suck! I remember back in the day when I went for my car license I got a real hard hearted bitch for my testing officer and I was sooooo nervous (15 and full of self doubt) that I did practically everything wrong - even just about ran over a pedestrian! :shit: But went back and sat it again and got a really nice chap...of course the fact that Mum and I had been driving around the course all morning possibly helped too! Years later (December last year) I sat my Basic Handling Skills test and even though I passed it left me feeling quite distraught for a good few weeks after b/c the guy who took it was a little bit too agressive for my liking.

So in short - I can totally sympathise with you. Have you thought about writing a letter regarding his general manner?

[HanaBelle]

Indeed. The "officious plonker" my son got for his restricted car licence test was one of that ilk, the kind who have a small bit of power over people and think they're some kind of god. Thank goodness the one he got for the re-sit was more human and less of a dick.

...There's a big difference between following the subscribed test parameters and using stretching those same parameters for some perverted power game.

Reading your post minus the feverish glazed mist which jrandom erased, I really think it was and is a personal power issue, which is actually a sad comment on the guy's life..and that makes me feel all benign and oxytocin'ed again, like "aww, he has no love in his world or he wouldnt have to do that to girlies, and scared kids"... :hug:

I WAS reinforced in making my own choices and for someone who rides in groups that include some flat-out feisty riders, remembering to resist the pressure of "authority" and do what will keep shiny side up is a good thing. Id noticed I always want to "keep up" with the front riders and it aint always the way I need to safely ride. So yes I did recognise that lil lessons like that one remove complacency which probably will save me from injury later on.

Doesnt mean I dont still want to run over his....foot. :yeah:

Mostly, though, it occurred to me that people with those kinds of humiliation power needs often do it only when they feel safe from come-back, like teenagers and new settlers are not going to have the credibility to complain. My biking buddy followed me throughout the test on Saturday. After the day before I wanted a witness (and warm support). Id recommend that to anyone with their test coming up.

Thanks too, all, for the congrats and reminding me the ordeal is over until Im 75. You rock.

Hana

[jrandom]

... the feverish glazed mist which jrandom erased...

Ja, zey haf called me, 'Ze Eraser'.

[Teflon]

*yawn* Youre a cop, right?


Don't think they like the name 'cop'. Some of the policeman i know don't anyway.

[jrandom]

Don't think they like the name 'cop'. Some of the policeman i know don't anyway.

Bollocks, that's just silly. It's been in the OED for decades, fer goodness sakes. Swot they *are*, innit.

For that matter, if it was so terribly offensive, why would the NZ Police have their recruitment office on 0800 NEW COPS?

[HanaBelle]

Hey Hanabelle

Firstly - well done on getting your full license! :2thumbsup

Secondly - mean people suck! ...Years later (December last year) I sat my Basic Handling Skills test and even though I passed it left me feeling quite distraught for a good few weeks after b/c the guy who took it was a little bit too agressive for my liking.



Thank you for getting the whole stress emotion part! Im sure Im taking it stinkily becos I hate that some nasty old guy got to cause me actual grief.

Are you up for your final soon? Take a friend!

Re the letter, LTSA insisted on sending "a Form" so Id guess it can be detailed on that. In the meantime, my blessed biker angel and I are going out there to photograph the corner on the offchance it felt worse than it truly is. Id like to have those facts very straight.

Standardisation of testing doesnt help when marking down (or not) is a matter for the discretion of the individual tester...what COULD count is an office continuing to employ someone whose results are consistently skewed...the AA denies all responsibility as they merely house the testers and do not employ them.

I reckon they should have to take a psychometric test (cf a psycho-on-a-metric :killingme ) that measures their overall sociopathic tendancies...OR get some concept of customer service???

Ah well, safe riding...

Hana

[HanaBelle]

Bollocks, that's just silly. It's been in the OED for decades, fer goodness sakes. Swot they *are*, innit.

For that matter, if it was so terribly offensive, why would the NZ Police have their recruitment office on 0800 NEW COPS?

Ive discovered a heap of riders in the resident biker circle (including my flatmate) actually harbour not-so-secret desires to join the (ahem) NZ Police. Weird. What does being a cop have in common with biking? I'd love to know.

A thirst for telly-fed images of A Life More Exciting, perhaps?? A need to affirm otherwise lagging sense of self-worth via uniform, badge, or big bike?? Alienation from the sheepish mob??

Curiouser..

HanaBelle

[jrandom]

Ive discovered a heap of riders in the resident biker circle (including my flatmate) actually harbour not-so-secret desires to join the (ahem) NZ Police. Weird. What does being a cop have in common with biking? I'd love to know.

Not much. It probably just means that most of your resident biker circle are decent types with a desire to serve their community.

[Blakamin]

What does being a cop have in common with biking? I'd love to know.

A thirst for telly-fed images of A Life More Exciting, perhaps?? A need to affirm otherwise lagging sense of self-worth via uniform, badge, or big bike?? Alienation from the sheepish mob??

you're reading too much into it... for the males its the pulling over cute chicks bit :pinch:

[jrandom]

you're reading too much into it... for the males its the pulling over cute chicks bit :pinch:

Based on empirical data from watching patrol car occupants, I'd say it'd be more likely to be the ongoing proximity of high-quality cop totty.

[James Deuce]

How long ago did that happen? These days, the jury is out on whether that's still the best position for control in modern cars. The 'quarter to three' style has its share of well-informed advocates. [Edit: it's what I, as well as a few rally-driving friends, use.]

Your son's experience presumably just goes to show the widespread inconsistency in our license test regime.
The jury has returned a verdict on that one. 2 to 10 may get your radius and ulna broken when the big giant airbag they put in to restrain big giant Americans who refuse to wear seatbelts in accidents goes off. Quarter to 3 guarantees it will slap you in the chest and face instead.

[Blakamin]

Based on statistical data from watching patrol car occupants, I'd say it'd be more likely to be the ongoing proximity of high-quality cop totty.
Yeah... that too :2thumbsup

[jrandom]

The jury has returned a verdict on that one. 2 to 10 may get your radius and ulna broken when the big giant airbag they put in to restrain big giant Americans who refuse to wear seatbelts in accidents goes off. Quarter to 3 guarantees it will slap you in the chest and face instead.

Well, there you go. I was sure there was a good reason, just too prematurely senile to remember it and too lazy to Google for it.

[HanaBelle]

Yeah... that too :2thumbsup

Thats mucho tacky. :msn-wink: AND...if jrandom is to be believed, apparently my friends are too busy being "community service minded" to form such rankly hormonal and cave-personish desires...besides, theyre (mostly) girls! (Not that this by itself means "totty" is not their particular police-type drawcard, but the odds go down, statistically speaking)...

:calm: Hana

[F5 Dave]

There are always some hilarious test stories.Like Finn I heard of some chap going for a licence & got there, apathetic cop (traffic in those days) told him to basically ride around the block & come back to where he was standing. Goes off, falls off out of sight, dusts himself off & returns to get a licence.

Another friend was told to follow a cop in a car. “how will you see me to test me?” Oh I’ll be looking in the mirror says old cop. He followed him & gave him the fingers a few times when he realised he wasn’t looking. Passed test. Shortly after becomes cop (following in daddies footsteps).

When I did my test I got balled out for not following the street directions he gave (he carried on in the right direction so I had to turn around & follow him on the route till the next stop) I explained this was the first time I’d been to Kilbirne but he couldn’t fail me as I was able to catch up with him + had done well at the basic course they had in the carpark (this was when the traffic cops were doing it in the 80s.

I took my car licence in peak hour Welington traffic. This 6ft quite-a-bit bike cop gets out of the building & groans when he sees the 850 mini. One of the last bits was an on-ramp before the tunnel which is basically a give way & cross a couple of motorway lanes to get into the middle, else you wouldn’t get to the tunnel lane. I realised the only way to get this poor car across the lanes & into the middle from a standing start was; max throttle, flailing revs & a reasonable amount of assertion. I was worried that it was a touch aggressive (& somewhat mechanically unsympathetic) but he later said he’d waited 10 min sitting there with timid learners.

Having ridden in Taxis driven by immigrants taking corners in brakey-jerky sections & thinking this guy shouldn’t have a licence let alone a Taxi one, is our licensing tough enough? How much is left for the learner to learn on the road unsupervised? What about the ones that don’t get better or seemingly get worse?

How could we test (or train for) high pressure/stress & emergency situations?

[jrandom]

Thats mucho tacky.

Yup, you got us pegged.


"totty" is not their particular police-type drawcard...

Don't pop our fantasy bubble. We KNOW about those police station girls' locker rooms.

[HanaBelle]

There are always some hilarious test stories.... is our licensing tough enough? How much is left for the learner to learn on the road unsupervised? What about the ones that don’t get better or seemingly get worse?

How could we test (or train for) high pressure/stress & emergency situations?

Well, I know the answer to that last question - but we've been there all day...

Regular licence re-sitting has potential? I drove for 25 years but couldnt tell you half the nancy lil rules without swotting it all up again for the tests. And its useful to have to adjust all those bad habits youve picked up to fit the "standard".

IMHO, tourists shouldnt be given room to drive without testing either (but then the resident angel was run over by one recently on New North Rd so I dont like em anymore :bash: Practical and theory, like Hitcher suggested in another thread. Good little earner for whomever-but-not-us-policemen likes the revenue. Unfortunately, with the current waiting times for testing appointments, dont think it could be done on existing resources.

Hana
I'm not a guy, Im just a freaking lawyer. Sorry. :sly:

[HanaBelle]

Don't pop our fantasy bubble. We KNOW about those police station girls' locker rooms.

...whatever, they still wont let you watch... :yeah:

[aff-man]

this guy sounds like a prick. I did my full in the wet and i swear the fastest i went anywhere was like 45 (except on the motorway where i did like 80 odd) the only thing he couldv'e got me on was following to close on the motorway and eh said it but luckily didn't fail me because i had a guy right up my ass and he was boxing me in. That 5km/h under the speed limit doesn't count when in wet conditions cause you're meant to alter your speed to these conditions.

[gav]

Sorry, but I tend to think an inexperienced rider on a unfamiliar bike going for a driving test, should involve a route that is going to be difficult. Ifif you fail, maybe you arent ready for your licence or should spend more time riding the bike you are going for your test on.
So what happens if you do your test on a dry flat road, and first time you ride in the rain and come to some tightening downhill off camber corner are you going to stop and complain to someone that this road is too hard and unfair? (Congrats on not crashing though :ride:)

[HanaBelle]

Sorry, but I tend to think an inexperienced rider on a unfamiliar bike going for a driving test, should involve a route that is going to be difficult. Ifif you fail, maybe you arent ready for your licence or should spend more time riding the bike you are going for your test on.
So what happens if you do your test on a dry flat road, and first time you ride in the rain and come to some tightening downhill off camber corner are you going to stop and complain to someone that this road is too hard and unfair? (Congrats on not crashing though :ride:)

Hey! Im not a dry weather weekender, I did NOT stop and complain about facing a wet road and a bitch of a corner and I resemble the implication *sniff*. I complained about the general shittyness of the set-up being told I would flunk based on *speedlimit* rather than conditions, and, besides, Im all zen about it now so phhht.

There is a difference between giving someone a fair test that does put them through their paces and electing yourself Chief Eliminator of Women Bikers at the level of dangerous-test-situation-creation.

Peace, love, and chainlube.

Hana

[spudchucka]

*yawn* Youre a cop, right?
No shit Sherlock!!

[spudchucka]

Don't think they like the name 'cop'. Some of the policeman i know don't anyway.
Doesn't bother me at all.

[Bob]

Having read the various posts here, it sounds to me like you do not have set standards for your test, or indeed testers?

Over here in Blighty, any tester must have passed a rigorous set of examinations. Likewise, any test circuit is put together by the relevent agency and must contain a number of elements - one of which is a set of variable limits within one stretch of road.

You cannot be failed on any old thing the examiner fancies. There are set "Major" and "Minor" faults - these are set in stone and cannot be 'dreamed up' by an examinor. Any "major" is an instant fail - you are allowed a small number of "minor" faults.

I am also fascinated by the "do less than 5kmph than the limit and you fail" comment. This does not take into consideration weather - if a tester was forcing you to ride to the limit in severe conditions, then that sounds very off - but as someone said, if the conditions were so poor, should the test not have been postponed?

Maybe I am reading what has been said here wrong, but if you've got set standards, then this sort of thing should not happen.

(That said, when I passed my test, I am sure the examiner wanted to fail me - at one point we had to pull in and then I had to pull out when I felt it was safe - to this day I swear he was rocking forwards to make me pull out before I was ready)

If you have got set standards and routes, then the examiner was within his rights to test your bike control where you went over the line (lack of vehicle control being a "major" fail). But it does sound like he was in "one of those moods" that day.

Well done on passing though...

[Her_C4]

First, I did pass my final licence test the next day with a different dude. And alls well that ends with me and the Vulcan legal, I spose..but..tell me if you think this is fair, ok?...heres the story

Congratulations Hana - and bloody well done you for handling the wrought resulting from the day and getting back out there the next day to do it again!! :niceone:

[AMPS]

I would have passed you just because you didn't bin it.
I met more ex-cops than ex-MOT testing, but then you do find the occasional strange person in every occupation.
Lou

[sAsLEX]

this guy sounds like a prick. I did my full in the wet and i swear the fastest i went anywhere was like 45 (except on the motorway where i did like 80 odd) the only thing he couldv'e got me on was following to close on the motorway and eh said it but luckily didn't fail me because i had a guy right up my ass and he was boxing me in. That 5km/h under the speed limit doesn't count when in wet conditions cause you're meant to alter your speed to these conditions.

I failed my license for slowing down for wet roads and not accelerating fast enough?? Now I did the test in my parents 2l mitsy and got to speed a hell of alot faster than my 1300 Sunny would of, and the paticular bit of road aint the safest in the wet (as proved by the cops). But hey the guy was renowned for failing Males first time around.

[F5 Dave]

Bit of topic of bikes here, which is odd for me esp. when the subject is cars; My dad taught me to drive a car (in aforementioned 850 Mini) but decided to pay for some lessons. The driving instructor asked what I’d driven before & then informed me that I would have to 'be careful' as this was a high powered 1200 Toyota (station wagon on CNG!). What a dork, even at my lowly experience it didn’t take me long to work out the Mini would have Dicked it. :2guns:

He then insisted that I use the shuffle method on the steering wheel (don’t cross your hands over -you will get confused). Even though at that age being fairly well familiar with sliding things through clenched fists :tugger: , it made the whole process erratic & jerky & limited your ability to turn a steep angle quickly. I ignored that advice as soon as I finished the lessons & haven’t been ‘confused’ about the matter since. Turkey!
This was a weird experience; at 15/16 I was brought up to respect elders & thought an instructor would be some sort of expert. Fortunately when I did my riding course a couple of years later this was indeed the case.

Oh yeah, after the last lesson he asked what my dad did for a job & I said Dentist, so he then says that he felt I needed more lessons & my driving had gotten worse & surely my father could afford to pay for it.

Piss off Noddy. Wish I could meet this plonker now. :bash:

[MikeL]

at 15/16 I was brought up to respect elders & thought an instructor would be some sort of expert. :bash:

It's always an important and liberating moment when as a teenager you realize for the first time that the superior knowledge, competence, and moral behaviour of those in authority (i.e. parents, teachers, in fact all adults) is just a facade...

[F5 Dave]

Sure is, however I still respect people who have obvious skill I can learn from. Even if I don’t like them as people. The Bike school I went to taught me heaps & had a lasting impression on me. The main guy was very hard for people to get on with & he rubbed many up very badly, including the instructors. Sure knew his stuff though & was always nice enough to me.

Later when I was helping teach people to ride I was surprised at the occasional clown who thought they knew everything & believed they were great riders when clearly they were not. Typically young males full of themselves & getting by on confidence alone.

They gained nothing from the tuition & were just there to shorten their restricted period.

[badlieutenant]

I think councils should be liable for the conditions of some of thier roads!!
Just recently Ive been thru some parts out back of puke (in the rain of course) and some of the shiny "replacement" seal is so bad that even in a straight line both my tyres are sliding. nor is it marked. My first accident on a bike was because the local council failed to mark new seal with small chip laid down but not swept. My mate up north recently pulled over to tell some road workers to put more signs up because the repairs they were doing were dangerous and not marked properly. They didnt and there was an accident and a death because of it that night. sorry a little of topic.

[Lou Girardin]

Yes, and as unpleasant as it may feel for you at the moment, everything he said was entirely correct.

That doesn't change the fact that your testing officer was mean and, arguably, unreasonable. But Spud didn't say anything indefensible.

We're all instinctively handing out sympathy here (and you certainly have mine) but don't bag someone for adding balance to the discussion.

In any case, well done on getting the license in the end. :niceone:

Not quite, you don't have the option to postpone your test, unless you wish to pay twice. Spud wouldn't have done many tests.
The tester was a dick.

[Lou Girardin]

*yawn* Youre a cop, right?
What gave him away.
The avatar? Shurely not!

[Lou Girardin]

Like so many things, standards have slipped in driver testing. When the AA got the contract to test in the northern half of the NI, they also did their own training with a cursory check by the LTSA at the end of the course.Although even one of their trainers had to have three attempts at gaining approval of his full licence test route. The course itself was less than a week. Applicants did not even have to have any history in driver training, testing or much to do with cars at all.
Add the fact that it was a commercial operation and testers were 'encouraged' not to be too strict for fear of upsetting 'clients' and you have the standard of drivers we blessed with today. Our 1st time pass rate is the fail rate in Holland, 75% to 80%.
For instance, full licence test were scheduled so that the 100 km/h section was carried out in peak traffic. Not a good test of higher speed competency I'd say.
I think testing should be returned to the Police.

[MikeL]

I think testing should be returned to the Police.

Except that the police would say that they have more important things to do...
Hey, here's a radical idea. Why not split the traffic enforcement section away from the police who could then be left to concentrate on fighting crime (properly resourced, of course). The new traffic enforcement agency could have full responsibility for road safety, licence testing, and so on, but they could, if they wished, delegate some of those responsibilities, such as licence testing, to local councils, which would charge appropriate fees reflecting the cost of the services, but without being required to make a profit. Private companies and organizations which are heavily involved in driver training would not be allowed to provide a licence testing service because of possible conflict of interest.
Meanwhile, the new road patrol officers would be fitted out in smart uniforms and vehicles that were distinguished from the regular police by a different colour - say, black and white instead of blue and white. Thus the general public, which will always complain about tickets and what they see as unreasonable enforcement of arbitrary speed limits, will direct all their petty anger and resentment at the chaps in black, leaving the boys in blue to bask in a new-found respect and admiration.
Such a brilliant idea. I wonder why nobody has thought of it already...??

[Lou Girardin]

Ooooh MikeL, you are naughty.
And to take it a step further, local bodies could have their own traffic Departments.
Would we then see failed Pleece men then trying to become highly 'respected' Traffic Enforcement Officers?
This has just reminded me of the recent confrence of Parking Wardens. apparently they're sick of being bullied and viewed with disdain by the public. So they want the power to deal with other traffic offences (speeding) and want to operate speed cameras. That'll earn them respec'
I don't know what planet they're from, but I do know it's crowded.

[FzerozeroT]

1. sitting HT licence, guy wanted me to back around a blind corner in a 22tonne stock truck, in a residential area not 200m away from a kindergarten, an argument then ensued "did you know theres a kindy there?" 'no, so what would you do if you missed your drop-off back up the road' "go around the block!" but what a guy in a 1/4 acre section is going to do with 200 lambs is beyond me!

2. mates story of having to do his car restricted with two cops, one teaching another how it's done, he had to do everything twice, once the right way, and once the wrong way so the student in the back seat could learn.

3. my basic handling skills test, guy yelling across the car park, left right left. do it coming back towards him, one point off for not following instructions, he wanted it from HIS perspective.

[Posh Tourer :P]

What gave him away.
The avatar? Shurely not!

IIRC he had a different avatar at tha point...

[HanaBelle]

What gave him away.
The avatar? Shurely not!

Aww, I looked before, ya know? And theres this TONE thing? Like its your father catching you sneaking back into the house at 3am without your jeans?

Anyway, I bet hes cute.

H

[Lou Girardin]

Aww, I looked before, ya know? And theres this TONE thing? Like its your father catching you sneaking back into the house at 3am without your jeans?

Anyway, I bet hes cute.

H

Well he reckons he hasn't got a fat butt.
But would you want him to whisper sweet nothings like he's giving evidence?

[scumdog]

Ive discovered a heap of riders in the resident biker circle (including my flatmate) actually harbour not-so-secret desires to join the (ahem) NZ Police. Weird. What does being a cop have in common with biking? I'd love to know.

A thirst for telly-fed images of A Life More Exciting, perhaps?? A need to affirm otherwise lagging sense of self-worth via uniform, badge, or big bike?? Alienation from the sheepish mob??

Curiouser..

HanaBelle

Nope. If they're like me it was a desire to pick up warm body pieces after a violent death, the pleasure of informing people that a loved one ain't coming home no more, meeting drunk drivers for in-depth philosophical discussions on the advantages of drink-driving and a love of all-in wrestling with psychos that would do you in if the won..... and if you believe that then I have this really big bridge in Auckland that I want to sell you..... :wacko:

[badlieutenant]

Nope. If they're like me it was a desire to pick up warm body pieces after a violent death, the pleasure of informing people that a loved one ain't coming home no more, meeting drunk drivers for in-depth philosophical discussions on the advantages of drink-driving and a love of all-in wrestling with psychos that would do you in if the won..... and if you believe that then I have this really big bridge in Auckland that I want to sell you..... :wacko:

hmm sounds like fun, how much for the bridge ?
:not:

[HanaBelle]

Nope. If they're like me it was a desire to pick up warm body pieces after a violent death, the pleasure of informing people that a loved one ain't coming home no more, meeting drunk drivers for in-depth philosophical discussions on the advantages of drink-driving and a love of all-in wrestling with psychos that would do you in if the won..... and if you believe that then I have this really big bridge in Auckland that I want to sell you..... :wacko:

After that life, anyone would indeed desire a warm body, the pleasure of philosophical discussions and the advantages of love, for its sheer humanness. I havent got a lot of time for anticop deals - they just seem like real people to me if suffering from the effects of spending their day inside society's colon. Im glad you wrestled well.

Best piece of advice if stopped?: tell the truth. He/she might be so relieved to NOT be bullshitted for once you will get off. I do that and Ive seen the spreading smile just from knowing they finally heard the truth today. I like paying them that compliment. Its a warm world thing to do.

HanaBelle

[spudchucka]

Well he reckons he hasn't got a fat butt.
But would you want him to whisper sweet nothings like he's giving evidence?
You have no idea how uneasy the fact that you ever mentioned my butt in the first place makes me!

By the way I changed the avatar just for you, hope you like it better.

[spudchucka]

Best piece of advice if stopped?: tell the truth. He/she might be so relieved to NOT be bullshitted for once you will get off. I do that and Ive seen the spreading smile just from knowing they finally heard the truth today. I like paying them that compliment. Its a warm world thing to do.
I've always enjoyed dealing with people that can keep a sense of humour even if they are getting a big finger wag for being a bit stupid. Happy people often get a warning from me. Grumpy opinionated people can get stuffed. Of course telling the truth is a good way to earn credibility with a cop. If you get snapped doing 130 and you insist you were only doing 110 the cop is just going to think you are a nobend. If you get caught fair and square owning up can sometimes help your predicament. Its not a guarantee but it does go a long way.

[MrMelon]

Based on empirical data from watching patrol car occupants, I'd say it'd be more likely to be the ongoing proximity of high-quality cop totty.

I'm surrounded by them all day long ,and I'm yet to see any! :(

[MrMelon]

Oh yeah, nice avatar Spud :D

you boys know why I pulled you over?!

[spudchucka]

Oh yeah, nice avatar Spud :D

you boys know why I pulled you over?!
The bear scene is my favourite!

[spudchucka]

I like to think of it as a training video.

[stunz]

Indeed, it all comes down to the testing officer and sadly, if he didn't get his weeties this morning, then guaranteed the fail rate would be astronomical for the day. An unfortunate fact of life. Quotas to meet, bosses to please etc.
Of course, riding a bike on NZ roads requires 100% concentration ALL of the time. Nature of the beast etc, etc.
Well done and congratulations :second: on getting your full and after such adverse conditions on the previous day. Good to see you got right back out there and nailed that pathetic excuse of a test we call driver licencing in NZ. :Punk:

[MrMelon]

http://www.webwombat.com.au/entertainment/movies/images/supertroop1.JPG

Moustache rides for everyone!

[spudchucka]

Isn't Farva brilliant!!


"Hey, let's pop some Viagras and issue tickets with raging, mega-huge boners".

[vifferman]

Of course telling the truth is a good way to earn credibility with a cop. If you get snapped doing 130 and you insist you were only doing 110 the cop is just going to think you are a nobend. If you get caught fair and square owning up can sometimes help your predicament. Its not a guarantee but it does go a long way.So, when I got pinged doing 132, and the nice, polite pleeceman asked me if there was any reason I was travelling at that speed, what should I have said?
I said, "Ummm.... I was just passing that car." or summat like that.
I was a bit nonplussed that I'd been caught out being naughty, wasn't sure where I'd been pinged, and didn't know what to say.
The truth was, I'd been following a 4WD for quite a long time, the bloody thing was smokey, I was getting buffeted around quite a bit in its slipstream, it was quite windy, I was getting cold, my knees hurt, and I just wanted to get home. Otherwise I wouldn't have been on SH1, but on some backroad.
Should I have said all that, and asked if he could drop the speed to say 129? Is there any bargaining room?
I just thought, "Hmmm... I'm screwed here. No excuses, no way to wiggle out." :o

Didn't help that I'm not used to getting tickets, so I was a bit shocked. And waiting for my wife to :kick: for being so naughty.:o

[spudchucka]

If I was in your position I would have told him all that, if it was the truth whats the harm?

Some cops do write up lower speeds on tickets. I don't have a problem with it but some people consider it to be a form of corruption because it isn't telling the truth about what happend.

[vifferman]

If I was in your position I would have told him all that, if it was the truth whats the harm?The reason I didn't, is because I was standing there like a stunned mullet. :crazy:


Some cops do write up lower speeds on tickets. I don't have a problem with it but some people consider it to be a form of corruption because it isn't telling the truth about what happend.It was just something I wondered about, because of the points. I'm not intending to win any more, but the points were more of a shock than the $300.
I didn't say much, because it was a fair cop, and circumstances, excuses, etc. would have been somewhat irrelevant.
If I'd known where he had pinged me (he did tell me, to make sure I knew, but I still didn't get it), and there was any doubt (mebbe it was one of those guys on classic steeds that went past while he was ticketing me?:shifty: ), I might've disputed it, but there wasn't, so I didn't. :no:
And he was so pleasant, and nice! I almost felt like I needed a beating for being so naughty, and him being so pleasant was somewhat incongruous. Especially compared to that wanker on a bike who bawled me out for "riding like an idiot" when I was carefully and safely lane-splitting. :moon:

[HanaBelle]

...didn't know what to say.
The truth was, I'd been following a 4WD for quite a long time, the bloody thing was smokey, I was getting buffeted around quite a bit in its slipstream, it was quite windy, I was getting cold, my knees hurt, and I just wanted to get home. Otherwise I wouldn't have been on SH1, but on some backroad.


I woulda said that. All of it, but JMO wouldnt have asked for the speeddropping, kinda let *them* think of it themselves? Just a Dealing with Guys trick. :msn-wink:

H

[speedpro]

Especially compared to that wanker on a bike who bawled me out for "riding like an idiot" when I was carefully and safely lane-splitting. :moon:
Ah yes. Me as well - $150 plus $30 costs in court.