Beau Peep Notice Board

Beau Peep Notice Board => Outpourings => Topic started by: Diane CBPFC on July 10, 2011, 12:45:04 AM

Title: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Diane CBPFC on July 10, 2011, 12:45:04 AM
So far it has cost me a trip to the city and $129.70 for the road tests, $44.90 for the updated licences, $610.00 to include them on our insurance for the next three months. Not got into gas costs yet as they haven't gone anywhere solo.

I will have to worry about drunk drivers, icy roads and moose. This growing up business is pretty hard on parents.

Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Joan on July 10, 2011, 03:08:50 AM
You're so right, Diane! My not so young lad has decided to get his licence to ride a motorbike now! Not happy, Jan! At least he's bought himself a decent helmet.
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Roger Kettle on July 10, 2011, 09:48:43 AM
Earlier this year, my daughter passed her driving test at the first attempt. The first thing she did afterwards was text her brother, who had taken two attempts to pass. I'm pretty sure some gloating was involved.
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Tarquin Thunderthighs lll on July 10, 2011, 11:59:11 AM
At the last count (she's stopped telling me now, I think), daughter No. 2 had failed five driving tests. Her mother failed one, but she did it in style, driving the wrong way round a roundabout.

I nicked the kerb with my wheel as I left the test centre for my first test, which is an instant fail apparently (although the examiner made me complete the test before telling me), and smoked both the cigars I had brought (for me and my instructor), on the long walk home. I was twice as nervous on my second test, and drove accordingly, but passed, much to my complete astonishment. I really enjoyed the solo drove to the tobacconist...
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Mince on July 10, 2011, 03:07:54 PM
At the last count (she's stopped telling me now, I think), daughter No. 2 had failed five driving tests.

It's not that she's embarrassed. She just doesn't think you can count past five.


I nicked the kerb

I nicked the examiner's pen.
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Diane CBPFC on July 11, 2011, 09:20:28 PM
I nicked the kerb

I nicked the examiner's pen.


 :)
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Diane CBPFC on July 11, 2011, 09:22:32 PM
At the last count (she's stopped telling me now, I think), daughter No. 2 had failed five driving tests. Her mother failed one, but she did it in style, driving the wrong way round a roundabout.

I nicked the kerb with my wheel as I left the test centre for my first test, which is an instant fail apparently (although the examiner made me complete the test before telling me), and smoked both the cigars I had brought (for me and my instructor), on the long walk home. I was twice as nervous on my second test, and drove accordingly, but passed, much to my complete astonishment. I really enjoyed the solo drove to the tobacconist...

I really don't think you learn to drive until you are driving solo. Hope "six times is the charm" for your daughter. Oh, now I will have to watch "My Cousin Vinny" again.
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Bilthehut on July 12, 2011, 12:23:44 PM
I failed my first driving test (in Germany, driving a Land Rover) as I should not have acknowledged my OC, nor drive so close to the gate sentry as we left the Barracks.  Needless to say, I had to complete the whole test before the examiner failed me.  The next time I just had to make it out of the Barracks safely.
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Diane CBPFC on July 12, 2011, 03:02:13 PM
Passing first go is highly overrated. I passed my Canadian learners and road test both on the first go. Only to drive "English style" i.e. in the wrong lane when driving solo which kinda freaked me out when a car started coming at me. THen I got pulled over for not having my headlights on at night downtown Red Deer, Alberta - "but officer, I can see just fine without them." THat turned out to be some sort of saftey issue.

I learned to drive in the UK under the tutilage of my father, but never took the test - then my dad's car was difficult because he had the foot pedals reversed in order to accomodate is amputated leg. Then all that "You're driving too close to the pavement!" "You're driving too close to the centre!" sure erodes one's confidence.
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Bilthehut on July 13, 2011, 10:25:43 AM
I did pass my flying test first time (before I had a driving licence).

But then anyone can fly a plane as my instructor was always saying.  Landing is easy - gravity will ensure that you do land.  The trick is to leave the aircraft in one piece so it can fly again!
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Diane CBPFC on July 13, 2011, 02:32:52 PM
How old do you need to be to get your pilot's licence Bill?
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Bilthehut on July 13, 2011, 10:57:40 PM
No idea.  I was 19 at the time, so it's at leader that. It took 35 hours flying in three weeks and £100 spent (I did have a scholarship and liver in a marquee on the airfield during those weeks.
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Diane CBPFC on July 14, 2011, 12:37:39 AM
The trouble in Canada is that kids can get their learners at 14 and drivers at 16. I think it is a bit young what with the the icy roads 5 months of the year.
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: The Peepmaster on July 14, 2011, 05:49:53 AM
I did have a scholarship and liver in a marquee on the airfield during those weeks.

Why did you have your liver in a marquee? Was it a special canteen extension for offal eaters?
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Bilthehut on July 14, 2011, 10:52:44 AM
You've never eaten scholarship and liver? shame.
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Diane CBPFC on July 14, 2011, 03:03:58 PM
I thought it was a version of Old Blue Eye’s “I left my heart in San Francisco”; Bill, “I left my liver in the beer tent”.
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: The Peepmaster on July 14, 2011, 05:37:39 PM
When I was a kid, we sang, "I left my heart in San Francisco, I left my legs on Ramsgate pier".
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Malc on July 16, 2011, 08:01:37 AM
 Failed twice the first time in Scotland, and once on my Australian licence after emigrating.

In Irvine I had the worst driving instructor in the world, Mr Stirratt, an ex headmaster who wore a collar, tie and jacket with leather elbow patches. Yes he wore other clothes too, Peeps.

He kept saying "now watch Mr Stirratt..." when demonstrating, and shouted when you turned the steering wheel too sharply, as he felt it gave the wheels an uneven tread. He was basically a Sunday driver who had been let out on weekdays with a licence to tell people off, he was a tit.
My best instructor was a young fellow, not much older than me, whose teaching technique was to hunker down in the passenger seat, put his feet up on the dashboard and say "go for it".
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Malc on July 16, 2011, 08:10:43 AM
My older son here in Oz only passed his test a few weeks ago, he is 17. He then got himself sorted out with an electrical/mechanical apprenticeship by phoning every bugger and emailing hundreds of employers, and within days was driving the company truck hundreds of miles, fully loaded with thousands of dollars of supplies and equipment on the busiest, fastest roads in Queensland.

Considering my dear wife had been lambasting him for months about his alleged indolence after leaving school, saying (to me, not him) that he needed to get his lazy arse in gear and stop wasting his life, I am exceedingly proud of him. He remains a grumpy git, far too curmudgeonly for a teenager, but the way he has comported himself over the last few weeks shows he will do alright.
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Vulture on July 16, 2011, 12:25:21 PM
Good on him, Malc! He got up when he was good and ready!
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Joan on July 16, 2011, 02:43:50 PM
What Vulch said, Malc! You're right to be so proud of him. Our kids are doing all right. I should have been trumpeting about our boy, who has graduated with a degree in Engineering, is working as a Senior Analyst with Origin Energy, a major energy company, and has started studying for a Masters in Applied Finance, part time. Very proud of him, we are too.  :)
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Joan on July 16, 2011, 02:47:40 PM
The trouble in Canada is that kids can get their learners at 14 and drivers at 16. I think it is a bit young what with the the icy roads 5 months of the year.

That is very young, Diane. Here in NSW they can get their learner's licence at 16 and take their test at 17, which I think is still young.
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Diane CBPFC on July 16, 2011, 05:37:56 PM
What Vulch said, Malc! You're right to be so proud of him. Our kids are doing all right. I should have been trumpeting about our boy, who has graduated with a degree in Engineering, is working as a Senior Analyst with Origin Energy, a major energy company, and has started studying for a Masters in Applied Finance, part time. Very proud of him, we are too.  :)

Well if he couldn't build a picnic table, I guess that is the next best thing.

 :)
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Diane CBPFC on July 16, 2011, 05:39:05 PM
My older son here in Oz only passed his test a few weeks ago, he is 17. He then got himself sorted out with an electrical/mechanical apprenticeship by phoning every bugger and emailing hundreds of employers, and within days was driving the company truck hundreds of miles, fully loaded with thousands of dollars of supplies and equipment on the busiest, fastest roads in Queensland.

Considering my dear wife had been lambasting him for months about his alleged indolence after leaving school, saying (to me, not him) that he needed to get his lazy arse in gear and stop wasting his life, I am exceedingly proud of him. He remains a grumpy git, far too curmudgeonly for a teenager, but the way he has comported himself over the last few weeks shows he will do alright.

There is hope for son #1 then who has been home from Uni for two weeks working up the energy to get a hair cut and clean his nails.  :)
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Joan on July 18, 2011, 02:04:26 PM
What Vulch said, Malc! You're right to be so proud of him. Our kids are doing all right. I should have been trumpeting about our boy, who has graduated with a degree in Engineering, is working as a Senior Analyst with Origin Energy, a major energy company, and has started studying for a Masters in Applied Finance, part time. Very proud of him, we are too.  :)

Well if he couldn't build a picnic table, I guess that is the next best thing.

 :)

 ;D ;D ;D

When I said "our" kids I meant those of us Beau Peepers who have kids.  :)
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Malc on July 18, 2011, 11:29:50 PM
Happy Birthday!   Oops wrong thread :-\
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Jerry Attrick on July 19, 2011, 08:56:22 PM
But... drivers!!! Especially foreign ones...

Today is 'work' day for me (volunteering at a workshop for a certain Scottish Trust of the National variety!).
Less than a mile into the journey a foreign (SWISS) motor caravan home chugs it's way out of a side turning from a local campsite ahead of me followed by another UK MCH onto the Edinburgh 'B' rated ring road. Most traffic uses the 'A' bypass these days but it is easier for me to use the aforementioned B road to reach the bypass. We crawl along at 25mph (speed limit is 40!) thanks to Swiss MCH and then get to the roundabout that takes us to the bypass. Having previously and legally passed the UK MCH I am now correctly in the righthand lane, indicating right, SMCH is in the lefthand lane - no indicators so assume he is going to take the first exit? No way, a sudden a right indicator on the roundabout followed by an immediate swerve into my lane missing me by inches. Hopefully the blast on the horn accompanied by the universal double digit salute got the message across?

Maybe not!

He then forced his way into a busy traffic stream on the by-pass causing an artic-lorry to have to swerve into the fast lane to avoid him (who also used horn!). Finally as I was at the point to get off the bypass who was a couple of vehicles behind me? Yes SMCH. A last minute decision to use the same slip road, as in drive across the entire chevron area and across four lanes of traffic (without indicating of course!) causing another driver to have to take avoiding action to prevent another crash.

So three potential life threating actions in the space of 5 miles,  God knows what he did futher on as he was on a Motorway!
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Diane CBPFC on July 19, 2011, 09:56:14 PM
The Swiss are nothing but trouble-makers – I learned this from Colonel Escargot.
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Joan on July 21, 2011, 03:32:56 AM
Happy Birthday!   Oops wrong thread :-\

Thanks, Malc! I'm honoured! :)
Title: Re: My boys are now drivers
Post by: Joan on July 21, 2011, 03:44:38 AM
Jerry, I assume he was heading north and was driving something like a Winnebago. Never mind the motorway, at least there's some chance of getting out of his way on one of those. I'm thinking of meeting him on one of those narrow roads in the Highlands, with dykes on either side. Where do you go? They shouldn't allow things like that on those roads, I say!

Glad that his arrogance didn't result in any catastrophes, as far as you know!