THIRD Failed Driving Test, Same PRICK of a Driving Instructor...

Below is an email I just sent off to the head of the Department for Planning and Infrastructure, a formal complaint against the driving Instructor I have had 3 times now! Read it and comment so I feel better :(


To The Head of The Department of Planning and Infrastructure,


I have just participated in my third driving test with Steve (sorry dont know his last name) from Kelmscott licencing centre. This is my third failed test with Steve. The first was of my own fault. The second, Steve failed me because he said that I had swerved into the second lane while waving to a friend. I did in fact wave to this friend, but I DID NOT swerve into the second lane. There was not even a second lane marking on the road until after the train tracks (just before Kelmscott trainstation). He also said that I waved exuberantly in front of his face, "a ol' good wave to your mate" he called it. I must admit that I took an immediate disliking to Steve. I had heard about him before I even met him. He is known around Kelmscott as 'Sleazy Steve' and it was said if you were a girl and wore a short skirt, he would pass you. I did not know I was getting Steve, in fact, I hoped I wasn't getting him. And then I did.

My other half also had Steve about two years ago when he was trying for his licence. He said that he was doing a reverse park in his '83 Celica and Steve yelled "STOP", pulled up the park brake agressively and said he was about to hit the car beside him. My other half was not impressed, he said "I'm about a 12 inches away from that car" Steve said he was an inch away and my other half detested and Steve got out to have a look.. My other half was right, he was "about 12 inches away from the other car" (in Steve's own words), he said to prove that he could do the park without hitting the other car, he would finish it, and so he did. A perfect park! And Steve failed him anyway bacause of that.

The second test I had, I was dissapointed to see Steve again. I found he does not speak nicely and respectfully to me, treating me as though I am stupid! I do not appreciate this, however I kept my mouth shut. When he failed me for what I thought was not true, I didn't even want to continue trying to get my licence. My intructor Dennis talked me back around and I booked another test.

The third and FINAL test I am ever going to have with Steve was today, 10th March 2006. I was immediately discouraged when I saw him and felt I had failed before I even got in the car, especially after the last time when he had asked me how many lessons I had done since the last test. I said I had had 3 or 4 in the month since my last test. He said that wasn't enough, why didn't I have more? I told him that my instructor, Dennis, had said that I drive very well and that we had covered everything we could. If I had any more driving lessons, it would be to run through the test, which I do perfectly everytime. There was no point in doing more than one lesson every week or so. And so that is what I did. Steve however did not think that was good enough.

And so I got in the car with Steve. I was thinking I must drive carefully and concentrate because Steve picks on the littlest details of my driving. (ie. I do no accelerate fast enough, tells me that it is 60km/hr on a road that I was going 50kms because I was unsure of the speed.) I completed my reverse park in the carpark of Amadale/Kelmscott Hospital. I must admit it was not my best parking, within the lines but a bit fast due the the downward slope of the carpark. We then continued on.

Steve took me to a rather steep hill which I started up in third gear. I realised halfway that I was not goin to make it in third and so changed down to second. Again I realised I was not going to make it in second and changed down to first. Steve said (approx.) "That was not fast enough, you need to change gears faster, your going to blow the engine up" (I must point out that the way he was talking to me was upsetting and demeaning, the 'I'm-so-much-better-than-you' tone, for want of another explaination) "Do you understand?!?" I said yes Steve under my breath which he did not quite hear (still trying to not get upset while I'm driving!) He said "What was that?" and I said gritting my teeth "Yes - Steve" He then proceeded to tell me that I must have an attitude problem (!) to which I said, "You're the one with the attitude!" After that he made me pull over so he could drive back to the Licencing Centre.

I found Steve to be a worse driver than myself. I found that his driving on the way back to the Licencing Centre to be careless, as if he was trying to show off to me how much of a better driver he is than me. He fiddled with the air con and the radio while stopped at a red light and so did not realise straight away when it had turned green. I thought he was driving rather close to the curbs and thought he was actually going to hit a few of them. I did not speak to him on the way back.

Once in the carpark of the Licening Centre he drove slowly to the very end and said to me on the way, "If you have a good reason for being in a bad mood today, then I can arrange for this test to be classed as cancelled due to personal reasons and you wont have to pay for the next one." I said, hiding how upset I was, that I didn't really want to do this again and got out of the car. I think he only offered to do that because he knew I was going to write this letter.

I had told Steve before we got in the car that I was not having a very good day. Apparently Steve thinks I said I had a c**t of a day." (Steve said this to Dennis afterwards) I would NEVER say that word like that! NEVER! My mother does not like that word and so I have NEVER used it like that! AND I would NEVER say it to someone who is marking me for my driving test. I am not that stupid!

Also, during my second test, Steve immediatly put the air con on. I said I did not like the aircon on, i liked the wind in my face and the window open. He persisted asking me to turn it on until I gave in. He also said, "What are you going to do if it's raining?" I said, have the window down a little and it would probably be too cold to have the air con on if it was raining. (Again, talking to me as if I am an idiot!!!!) I find the air con drains the car of power, makes it hard to get up hills and speed up. I am not used to driving with the air con on and I do not like it. It is not up to Steve to turn it on, it is my choice, he should respect that! He had the air con on again today and when I said to him that I thought it affected the car, he snorted at me and said it doesn't do anything!

I find him rude, arrogant, demeaning and full of himself. I have no idea how he got his job, he makes me nervous to drive and eventually angry. I do not wish to see him again, let alone drive with him again! It makes me wonder how many people has he ever passed in his career? My instructor, Dennis, does not like him and I bet I could find more people who he has done wrong to. I want an appology and to resit my test with another instructor. Maybe he should be reviewed.

Thank you for your time and patience in reading this email. I hope to hear back from you soon.

Regards

GeeOh