A Question of Perception
Today was the big day - the day I did my new stylee (well - it's been aroudn for ages, but not when I passed my driving test) theory bit. In my day, you just did the practical and got asked a few highway code questions at the end. That was it, done and dusted, or so I thought, until it came to wanting to get my big bike license, which apart from anything else, lets me take peeps on the back of my scooter and go on motorways, and never have to do CBT again, so even if I don't ever get a big bike it's a good thing.
Anyway - test was at 12:30, planned to set off about 11:30 to allow plenty of time. I was sat at my pooter busily doing practice Highway Code questions and hazard perception tests (HPT). Trouble was it was pishing it down adn there was thunder and lightening. By quarter past elevent I was worried, and I got a phone call from my mum (aren't mums great at times) asking if I'd like to take the car over to Croydon for the test as then I wouldn't start out wet. I do have waterproofs but it was so torrential it was tempting, so I said yes, and she popped round. This did however delay me a bit and of course you can't nip round stuff in a car like you can on a scooter
Anyway - off I set in the car, taking a back route. Then towards the bottom of a hill I saw a car doing a three point turn inn the middle of the road. Grrrr! Then a woman rushes up and says "I'm asking you politely if you coudl turn round please as the house down there is flooded and when cars go past it makes it worse as the water goes in". I looked ahead -there was no obvious surface water so I didn't reallys ee what she was on about, and in any case was late, and if it was flooded already then one car wouldn't make much odds. I said "I'm sorry, but I have an important appointment and I'll miss it if I turn round" (there were now cars backed up for ages and it was essentially a one car width road due to parked cars.
Then she started screamign hysterically at me and sayign "Don't you understand, the man who lives there has cancer!!", which seemed unreasonable - I can't understand that when she hasn't told me, and in any case, I'm not sure how driving past or not is going to have any affect on his cancer. Plus remember that there was no surface water either, so I wasn't going to create a massive tsunami. I wound the window up and she continued to scream hysterically about how I ought to be ashamed of myself and wagged her finger like I was a naughty six year old. I got out of there as quickly as possible, and guess what - no water being pushed towards the house in question, which had sandbags across the drive anyway so it wouldn't have gone into the house regardless.
Not what I needed to relax, but I got parked and went to the test centre with about 12 minutes to spare. There were two reception desks and I went to one but the person there ignored me completely even when I said hello, and I was about to be a bit abrupt when the person on the other desk called me across. He asked if I was there for a motorbike test so I said "No, I'm here for a theory test", and he said "...but a theory test for a motorbike" so I said yes. At this point I didn't realise there were different questions. The there was a long palaver sorting out phones into lockers and stuff and then into the test room. I'd found out by now that there weere different questions, so I was nervous - but figured I may as well have a crack.
The test goes through a long intro routine that's basically explaining how to use a mouse and stuff and then it was into the questions. Straightaway there was a bike specific one that I wasn't sure of, so I eliminated the obviously wrong ones and guessed. I had to do that on about five questions. The others all seemed fine though so I figured I stood a decent chance of passing. Then onto the hazard perception! I was pleased to see that the sample video quality was better than on the practice DVD, plus that the example person doing it was clicking seven or eight times on some clips. I resolved not to worry about clicking too much and clicked on everything that merited it just in case.
I was thirsty by this time but couldn't leave the room which was a shame. It was a horrible, dry, stale room and not conducive to good results. Anyway - I went through, thinking I'd got most of the hazards quickly but based on the practice ones still wondering. At the end I felt I'd done okay, and was hoping the computer would put up a message either saying "Congratulations" or "Better luck next time" but it didn't. I went to the woman outside who told me what to do next, and she didn't have the results either, but she said to get my bits out of the locker and then I can be told. Feck knows why they can't tell you straightaway. Then to the desk where I gave the key back in and he handed me some paper saying "good luck". WTF does that mean? Good luck next time or something?? Then I looked at the paper, and it took a few seconds to locate the word "passed"! I got 31/35 on theory (pass is 30/35) and 60/75 on the HPT, where the pass mark is 44. I think it was my best score ever on the HPT :-)
Anyway - test was at 12:30, planned to set off about 11:30 to allow plenty of time. I was sat at my pooter busily doing practice Highway Code questions and hazard perception tests (HPT). Trouble was it was pishing it down adn there was thunder and lightening. By quarter past elevent I was worried, and I got a phone call from my mum (aren't mums great at times) asking if I'd like to take the car over to Croydon for the test as then I wouldn't start out wet. I do have waterproofs but it was so torrential it was tempting, so I said yes, and she popped round. This did however delay me a bit and of course you can't nip round stuff in a car like you can on a scooter
Anyway - off I set in the car, taking a back route. Then towards the bottom of a hill I saw a car doing a three point turn inn the middle of the road. Grrrr! Then a woman rushes up and says "I'm asking you politely if you coudl turn round please as the house down there is flooded and when cars go past it makes it worse as the water goes in". I looked ahead -there was no obvious surface water so I didn't reallys ee what she was on about, and in any case was late, and if it was flooded already then one car wouldn't make much odds. I said "I'm sorry, but I have an important appointment and I'll miss it if I turn round" (there were now cars backed up for ages and it was essentially a one car width road due to parked cars.
Then she started screamign hysterically at me and sayign "Don't you understand, the man who lives there has cancer!!", which seemed unreasonable - I can't understand that when she hasn't told me, and in any case, I'm not sure how driving past or not is going to have any affect on his cancer. Plus remember that there was no surface water either, so I wasn't going to create a massive tsunami. I wound the window up and she continued to scream hysterically about how I ought to be ashamed of myself and wagged her finger like I was a naughty six year old. I got out of there as quickly as possible, and guess what - no water being pushed towards the house in question, which had sandbags across the drive anyway so it wouldn't have gone into the house regardless.
Not what I needed to relax, but I got parked and went to the test centre with about 12 minutes to spare. There were two reception desks and I went to one but the person there ignored me completely even when I said hello, and I was about to be a bit abrupt when the person on the other desk called me across. He asked if I was there for a motorbike test so I said "No, I'm here for a theory test", and he said "...but a theory test for a motorbike" so I said yes. At this point I didn't realise there were different questions. The there was a long palaver sorting out phones into lockers and stuff and then into the test room. I'd found out by now that there weere different questions, so I was nervous - but figured I may as well have a crack.
The test goes through a long intro routine that's basically explaining how to use a mouse and stuff and then it was into the questions. Straightaway there was a bike specific one that I wasn't sure of, so I eliminated the obviously wrong ones and guessed. I had to do that on about five questions. The others all seemed fine though so I figured I stood a decent chance of passing. Then onto the hazard perception! I was pleased to see that the sample video quality was better than on the practice DVD, plus that the example person doing it was clicking seven or eight times on some clips. I resolved not to worry about clicking too much and clicked on everything that merited it just in case.
I was thirsty by this time but couldn't leave the room which was a shame. It was a horrible, dry, stale room and not conducive to good results. Anyway - I went through, thinking I'd got most of the hazards quickly but based on the practice ones still wondering. At the end I felt I'd done okay, and was hoping the computer would put up a message either saying "Congratulations" or "Better luck next time" but it didn't. I went to the woman outside who told me what to do next, and she didn't have the results either, but she said to get my bits out of the locker and then I can be told. Feck knows why they can't tell you straightaway. Then to the desk where I gave the key back in and he handed me some paper saying "good luck". WTF does that mean? Good luck next time or something?? Then I looked at the paper, and it took a few seconds to locate the word "passed"! I got 31/35 on theory (pass is 30/35) and 60/75 on the HPT, where the pass mark is 44. I think it was my best score ever on the HPT :-)
posted by XFR Bear @ 6:18 pm
7 Comments:
Scared of getting a bit wet? You big girl.
Er, I mean well done you :-)
Wow. You passed. Congrats!!
Now where do you go from here?
Well done on the test, glad I didn't have to do any theory quizzes when I went for my bike test. Glad I didn't have to do U-turns in flooded roads either. I did manage to wedge myself between a parked car and a truck but I survived so he passed me anyway.
congrats:)
the weird thing was that the road wasn't flooded - the way the road slopes it had all gone into the drive of a house or two but wasn't on the road, which is why I couldn't see what the fuss was about
Next for me is my 5 day DAS course with a test at the end of it. Then I can drive a big 600cc plus bike if I so choose, although in practice I'll stick with the scooter for now
How long do think you'll be able to stick with a scooter when you've get the licence for a nice big Thunderbird or whatever floats your boat?
he he!
very true - the scooter is good for cutting through the London traffic though, which is most of the journeys I do. There are plenty of bigger bikes, but I think the 125 is going to be better for weaving than the bigger beasties.
It's going to be veeeeery tempting though :-)
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