Getting your P's

[funkyducky]

The instructor is really for teaching you the more tricky stuff like reverse parallel parking and the stupid little head-check/indicating routines you have to go through in the test that nobody actually does in real life

Hey! Headchecks are important. My mum doesn't do them (she does this weird thing where she leans forward and peers into the side window) so whenever I'm in the car and she's driving, I do headchecks for her just to be on the safe side.

Also, I drove once with my Dad around a carpark at ~10 kph before I started driving with an instructor. TBH my parents have bad driving habits that they didn't want me to pick up, so I had 5 lessons with an instructor before I started driving around with them. However, I never did the "just slowly drive around the block" thing, on my first lesson, I had to go down main streets at 70 - 80 kph straight away and it was scary :S But the instructor controlled the pedals for a bit while I just steered. The best thing for me is that I live right in the middle of the Burwood Vicroads test routes, so I'm really familiar with the streets they use (there are ALWAYS L-platers driving around my neighbourhood. Moreso now, with summer holidays).

I've got 102.20 hours in my log book now, all 100% legit! Going for a drive up to Sydney in January, in my brother's G6E turbo, so I can't get my P's til after that because of the high powered vehicle rules.

[ninwa]

@nina, are you and enwiabe related?

I sincerely hope not

[nemolala]

so thats a no? okay

[iffets12345]

My friends all did the 120 hours, some had really asian parents that wrote "8 mins" down. My instrucotr, on the other hand, had such bad maths he would write that I drove 200km in 2 hours. SIGH

[Fyrefly]

the stupid little head-check/indicating routines you have to go through in the test that nobody actually does in real life -_-

Asian drivers: they don't change lanes; they swerve without warning and run over the cyclist they didn't see.

[ShortBlackChick]

Hey guys, I'm going for my P's today and I'm feeling really nervous! Anyone got any tips for me? I'll take any advice I can get!!
Wish me luck!!

[Russ]

The test is incredibly easy and after about 2 minutes/the 7th consecutive left hand turn you'll realise that you were worried for nothing

[ninwa]

Good luck!!

Always drive in the left lane unless turning right (even if the road has no line markings but is wide enough for 2)
- BUT remember if you are turning at an intersection from the right lane you have to stay in the right lane and merge later

HEAD CHECKS
Be very obvious that you're looking at your mirrors every 30 seconds or so - exaggerated movements
Wait 5 seconds at a stop sign and 3 at a give way sign even if there are no cars oncoming!
Wait 5 seconds of indicating when pulling out from being parked at the side of the road/street
Double check that you know how to defog (front AND back windscreens) and all that (I had no idea you could actually defog your back windows -_-)

DON'T FREAK OUT YOU WILL BE FINE

[dcc]

Whenever I see someone doing a license test near my home, I walk up to the pedestrian crossing and start walking across - instant fail if they dont know what to do.  So much fun.

[ShortBlackChick]

Thanks guys!! GUESS WHAT- I PASSED!!!!!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!!!

Be very obvious that you're looking at your mirrors every 30 seconds or so - exaggerated movements

Yeah I didnt end up doing a lot of this. I usually do, but I was nervous and I didnt do a lot of it, and the lady put that as one of my 'improvement needed' things.

And I effed up one part because I was so nervous that I didnt listen to her properly- she told me I had to turn right 2 streets down when I was on the left side of a 2 lane road, but for some reason I thought she said I had to turn left, so I almost missed it.

I didnt end up having to do a reverse parking either- I was worried about that the most, but they gave me a 3-point turn like 5 minutes in.

Thank god, I passed!!!!

Oh and they hardly check your log book in Pakenham- anyone living in the Casey area should go there. I was most worried about one entry that I had when I went to Sydney, coz I just put 10 hours in one entry, but they didnt even see that LOL
Except the lady took off an hour of my night driving time because I had an entry from 6.30-7.30 in Feb that I had put down as night driving. The lady took it off because she said it wouldnt have been night driving because of daylight savings.

[Phy124]

 

This is coming from a guy through that ultimately had 176 hours completed.

HOLY SHIT
Where the hell did you drive that much?? In this year, I only filled out 1 page in my log book because I didnt drive that much. I'm glad I drove to Sydney at the start of the year, otherwise I wouldnt have made the 120 hours!!

I have my drive test next monday and I'm really nervous guys!! I started going with an instructor to Pakenham, where I booked my test, and idk, I'm just scared that I'll do something the supervisor/examiner person wont like!
Apparently at Pakkie their really easy on your log book and your test in general and thats why I booked it there, but I'm afraid I'll fail in my reverse parking
I can do it, but I'm just not too confident in it

Yeah, reverse parking and parallel parking is usually the thing that gets people. Good luck with it though

Isn't that the same thing? Correct me if I'm wrong.

Reverse parking is going backwards into a parking spots and ending up beside the neighbouring car, the only place you really do it is in driveways and large car parks, because on the street you have to always go in forward (New South Wales is opposite - back of car faces shops)

Reverse parallel is when you drive up beside a car and then reverse backwards and left and end up behind them (often needs to be done in test)

1) Don't waste your money on an instructor for getting your hours up - just drive around with your parents until you get the basics. The instructor is really for teaching you the more tricky stuff like reverse parallel parking and the stupid little head-check/indicating routines you have to go through in the test that nobody actually does in real life -_-

2) My instructor was quite good, but it depends on where you live and where you plan to take your test. He knows every test route for the Burwood and (I think) Oakleigh (or thereabouts) centres like the back of his hand, so by the time I took my test I'd already driven along all of them and knew them very well. I had a few lessons with him before my test and he was able to warn me about all the little traps that students tend to fall for.

I'm not sure about other areas however.

Only downside: my lessons were pretty much all in Chinese, I don't know how his English is but he used to administer driving tests so it can't be that bad. If you're interested I'll pass on his number.

You can blame Allan but he told me to do this.

http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/35ddlh/

Sorry. (Peer pressure).

That made my day

Hey guys, I'm going for my P's today and I'm feeling really nervous! Anyone got any tips for me? I'll take any advice I can get!!
Wish me luck!!

Just don't get nervous, it's not really hard if you remain calm.

Good luck! (although, you probably already did it...)

Congratulations, kazdawg!

[ninwa]

WOOOO CONGRATS!

It's okay I missed a turn in my test too. I must've zoned out cos it was like
Examiner: turn right at the next street
<2 streets later>
E: Umm?
N: OH SHIT I'M SO SORRY

[ShortBlackChick]

Thanks guys
LOL these are some of the responses I got off facebook to the news:

Latest news: Motorists are being warned of a car driving recklessly down the Princes Freeway, reports say that the girl is approximately 4 feet tall and unable to see over the wheel. We recommend that motorists stay indoors... stay tuned

lmfao you know what I just did? I sang that christmas carol thats like "you better watch out you better not cry" but with [insert my name ] claus instead of santa claus lmfaoo

Except now my dad isnt letting me drive everywhere. He says I have to drive short distances on my own first. Boring :/

[Camo]

Thanks guys
LOL these are some of the responses I got off facebook to the news:

Latest news: Motorists are being warned of a car driving recklessly down the Princes Freeway, reports say that the girl is approximately 4 feet tall and unable to see over the wheel. We recommend that motorists stay indoors... stay tuned

lmfao you know what I just did? I sang that christmas carol thats like "you better watch out you better not cry" but with [insert my name ] claus instead of santa claus lmfaoo

Except now my dad isnt letting me drive everywhere. He says I have to drive short distances on my own first. Boring :/

Your not four feet tall are you..?

[ShortBlackChick]

Nah, thats an exaggeration. Its more like 5 ft LOL- I'm still pretty short.
I reakon I'd be lucky if I pushed 5 ft, really.