Did you report her post?
I’m not really in the business of kicking people. I promise. I thought his name calling me ‘Miss Highpockets’ was being a bit too familiar. Not to mention his complete lack of good manners by looking at my chest.
If I need modding, so be it. I don’t think I was being a jerk or being sexist. Shortist? Maybe.
While I don’t doubt the guy was a dick, this doesn’t strike me as a helpful way of thinking about something that isn’t that big a deal in the grand scheme of things. Lots of people fail their driver’s test the first time. Once they reach maturer years, it’s either something they think of as a funny story or something they rarely think about at all. Almost nobody is haunted for the rest of their life by it.
Yes, this. I currently work for my state and have worked for the federal government in the past. Wearing anything with a political slogan on it of any sort is right out and if I’d ever be dumb enough to do it, I’d get told to change/remove the item immediately.
To the OP, this is why I think you and the other parent involved really need to consider sending in a pair of complaints. If you really want to take the sting ought of your daughter getting faked, justly or unjustly, on her driving test, then this is the best way to go about it IMHO.
What a weird driving test. Why would potential drivers be required to show they knew how to make a U-turn near RR tracks??? I can see requiring evidence a driver can make a U-turn. I can see requiring a driver to show she can safely cross RR tracks. But requiring a potential driver to make a U-turn after crossing tracks to ensure she doesn’t brush the tracks? WTF is that about?
Also, how does ONE error=failure? Usually there are point values attached to each required maneuver on the test, with different maneuvers worth varying point values. I can’t believe brushing a RR track while making a U-turn would be enough to fail a person.
MAGA hat or no (and I, too, think state employees should not wear political attire at work), this guy apparently has some issues that need to be addressed. The only way to do that is to complain to a supervisor.
“[E]xtort” people? Apparently there’s a six-dollar fee for taking the road test. Which, in any event, this MAGA-hat wearing examiner waived. Or paid out of his own pocket, which seems incredibly unlikely to me, but I wasn’t there. But either way, the examiner did not gain financially. There was no extortion.
As to why the two young women failed the test, the OP does not give a reason (although he/she apparently knows the reason, given that a “lame excuse” is mentioned).
The poster says that his/her daughter’s test appeared pretty good from his point of view. Okay, I believe that. On the other hand, as I remember from so many years ago, there’s plenty one can do inside the car that will result in failure.
And the best friend certainly seems to be a bit of a handful. Seriously, I don’t think her story is worth the paper it’s printed on.
But if the examiner was wearing a MAGA hat, well, then, all bets are off. Clearly he failed the two young women because of their appearance.
Edit: I see that the reason for the failure was given in a later post. It’s plausible. Things might look different from the poster’s vantage point.
Happened to me when I was in the process of getting my Virginia driver’s license after only having a learner’s permit. I had just exited the DMV’s service road when the instructor told me to return to the DMV. Failed to come to a complete stop when turning right on red.
OTOH, I passed the Louisiana driver’s test when I probably shouldn’t have. I was 16 and at least a full head taller than the instructor; I think she was afraid of having to ride with me again.
I tell ya, if I’d failed anything and had a parent who’d say “What a jerk! You shoulda passed - you’re an excellent driver!”… it would’ve been worth failing just to hear that. And having a common enemy with my dad or mom… awesome.
Having them believe in me, THAT’s the memory I’d carry with me the rest of my life.
Tell your daughter I said that!
In the State of Confusion, I mean, California, time must pass before another behind-the-wheel test can be taken again. One week, one month, whatever.
You get the score shhet, too, detailing what was tested, and if the driver passed or not. I remember losing points on two left turns, but I still passed with a respectable 92%.
Every-damn-thing is on the computer now. Mental fist fights with the examiner or trying to stiff the State out of a fee is not wise. Remember, driving is a privilege and not a right. It is only through the benevolence of the State that you are allowed to operate a motor vehicle. And the vehicle itself must be properly registered with the State, or you cannot even park it on a public street!
I am sorry for your daughter’s disappointment. If you did get her score sheet, brush up on the rules regarding u-turns and set backs from railroad tracks. I seem to recall that you need something like 50-foot clearance from railroad tracks. Even if your State permits the u-turn in less than 50-foot clearance, show Chloe how to estimate 50 feet, and tell her she must be at least that distance from the tracks.
IMHO, this should be a learning experience, not a demonstration of how not to behave when you disagree with someone in a position of authority.
I taught my kids: Life isn’t fair, get over it. Tough? Yeah, it is.
~VOW
Same in Washington state, at least it was like that 30 some years ago. I passed on the third try and my first try didn’t even las the entire 30 minutes (or whatever the time period was).
Slightly different bandwagon, I was amazed when I found out about my husband’s driving test. It was done in a closed course, not on public roads. I think PA has changed since then.
Passing a test like this can be a crap-shoot in any case.
My story: I passed my test in CA in 1968 at age 17 on my very first try. Bragging much? Nah – there was a certain amount of dumb beginner’s luck going on. I did rather better than my actual skill should have allowed, as I recall.
In particular was the Offset Backing test. (More commonly know as Parallel Parking.) Yeah, we had to demonstrate that in those days. Unlike the rest of the test, this was done in the DMV lot. There was a parking spot marked with bendy poles at the corners. I thought it was a DAMN TIGHT spot to try to get into without hitting the poles. I sure didn’t feel that skilled at the time, nor at any time since. By pure beginner’s luck, AFACT, I did it absolutely perfectly on the first try.
You wanna see a “road test” that will REALLY curdle your blood? Take a look at this:
Private Pilot Certification Standards (PDF, 80-some pages :eek: )
The good thing about those wearing MAGA caps is you know exactly who Jesus wants you to pray for. That’s why God also made those caps bright red and placed it on their heads, so there is no missing it. Mark of the beast, forehead location??? Hmmm
Regarding the “one error equals failure” - my state uses points, but certain infractions, like running a stop sign are an automatic failure. And regarding an immediate retest - the examiner couldn’t do that in my state. I mean he *could *, but he’s not supposed to ( he doesn’t know how many road tests you have taken already, and only two are included with the permit fee, plus they have to be scheduled so you don’t end up with more people than the examiners can test in a day) and there might be consequences. I don’t just mean from his employer - I mean from the other people who failed and now want an immediate re-test and the people had to wait longer because of the re-tests.
About the MAGA hat- yes, he shouldn’t have been wearing it, but road test examiners have been assholes since before anyone outside NYC heard of Trump. I know someone who was told 40 years ago that she failed because she took the test on her birthday , and he didn’t want her to think that was a lucky day.
I’m still not sure what his age had to do with anything. Would it have made a difference if the guy had been 40?
IT took me two tries to pass my drivers test, failed the parallel park bit. ALso took me two tries to pass my motorcycle safety course, put my foot fown on the slow obstacle course.
WHen my eldest finally at 20yo decided to get her DL, it was for a summer job she got driving camp kids around. She had no practice time beforehand. We worried about her passing, she hadn’t had behind the wheel time in a while. SHe said no problem I watched you tubes of parking so I’m good. Ya think? My only advice to her was dress conservatively, you’ll probably have an old guy who doesn’t appreciate casual dress like leggings and rude tshirts. OFf she went in jeans and a flannel to take her test. She had to go way across town to an unfamiliar area to get the test. I made her Dad go with her as I would’ve jinxed the whole operation I’m sure.
She passed, with flying colors! But to drive children in 8 passenger vans? I did not express my doubts and glad I did not. Turns out she was the only one of her peers at camp who could pull a trailer of canoes and expertly park it anywhere.
I think that it was wrong for the guy to wear a MAGA hat. I don’t think that government employees should be making any overt political statements like this as part of their employment, especially in a public-facing job. In California, state employees are only allowed to wear campaign buttons or political message clothing at work if they “do not have direct contact with the public or clientele they manage or serve.” So, in California at least, this guy would be violating policy. (I use California as an example because I’m an employee of the state.)
But you probably need to get a better grip on reality. For better or worse, driving in a testing environment like this is usually far more stringent and nitpicky than the normal driving conditions that people face every day. Driving testers will often dock points for incredibly minor offenses that would never attract the attention of a police officer. They often dock points for things that aren’t offenses at all. For example, failing to check your blind spot before changing lanes is not, by itself, a ticketable offense, but in many jurisdictions, it will be marked as an error on a driving test and contribute to a failing grade.
We can argue about whether the system of driver testing that we have in this country is any good. Personally, I tend to believe that passing your driving test is more an indication of an ability to pass the test than it is of whether or not you’re actually a good driver. You might be right that your daughter is an excellent driver, but the fact is that passing the test is really not the same thing as being a good driver. Maybe that sucks, but it’s the truth.
It might make you and your daughter feel better to believe that this guy was a dick who denied her a license for political reasons, but it could also be that your daughter did, or didn’t do something on the test that he would have failed anyone for, even someone wearing their own MAGA hat.
I’ve had drivers licenses in four countries, and taken driving tests in three of them. Nowhere I have ever been has a rule allowing a person who fails their driving test to turn around straight away and take their test again on the same day. As others have noted, some jurisdictions have minimum wait times before you can take another test. Beside the fact that they want you to wait before retesting, the fact is that most DMVs are busy enough that there is probably someone else waiting to take their own test when you finish yours. That person also has an appointment. Why should they be inconvenienced just because you believe that your daughter has a right to an immediate do-over?
The thing is, there ought to be some objective way to tell. Whether you pass or fail should be based on standard, clearly documented reasons. The tester shouldn’t be able to decide ahead of time that you’re going to fail just because he doesn’t like your looks. That’s what the OP suspects happened, and I think she might be right. A guy who would behave unprofessionally in one way (wearing the MAGA hat at work) would behave unprofessionally in other ways.
I absolutely think that there’s a possibility this happened. I also tend to agree that a person who would be unprofessional in one way might be more likely to be unprofessional in others. It’s entirely possible that the OP is right. But it’s also possible that she’s wrong.
Here are the reasons she said she was given:
We’re relying here on the OP’s own observations, and she has her own motivations to view things in a light most sympathetic to her daughter. Her final sentence is also quite instructive, because it betrays an ignorance of the way that driving tests work. The tests aren’t really about how experienced drivers drive on a daily basis.
I’ve been driving for over 30 years, in multiple countries on three continents, and I consider myself an attentive and thoughtful and defensive driver. I’ve never had an at-fault accident. And in the course of my driving I probably do at least a dozen things every day that would cause me to fail a driving test. I exceed the speed limit, especially on freeways and highways. I sometimes don’t come to a complete stop before Stop signs or right turns on red. I occasionally complete u-turns in business districts. I do my best not to endanger or inconvenience other road users when I do this, but I’m under no illusion about the fact that I’m violating road rules.