Today...

[Distracted]

Failed my driving exam today. Apparently I didn't slow down enough at places where there's a road on the right side. I'm bummed because I was feeling real confident (especially because my friends and my family all told me I drove well). Oh well, I can try again Thursday morning, and I'm feeling even more confident for that exam since I know now what my pitfall is.

[Furah]

Failed my driving exam today. Apparently I didn't slow down enough at places where there's a road on the right side. I'm bummed because I was feeling real confident (especially because my friends and my family all told me I drove well). Oh well, I can try again Thursday morning, and I'm feeling even more confident for that exam since I know now what my pitfall is.

 

Don't feel too bad, I failed for not turning my head when indicating to change lanes. After that I kept getting the 2 terrible instructors, one of them failed me because she mumbled her words and I didn't hear her properly. If you get it before your 4th try, you went better than I did.

[Randox]

Ah driving exams...

 

Not sure how you guys did it, but I did one of those driver courses, which aside from allowing you to take the exam sooner and being good for your insurance, has the benefit that your instructors know (in theory at least) how your test works. So I learned to drive in the area where I would be tested, in the car I would be tested, and I got specific pointers about the places they take you to try and catch you. Speeding is a particular one, you need to go slow enough that your clearly under the limit to someone looking from the passenger seat, since it's an instant fail (as is stalling if your testing in a stick shift).

 

I'll never forget my test (which went much better than I thought I was doing at the time). For added pressure, I would have been the first person on Dad's side of the family to fail the test I think, though that really only counts back to my dad's generation since my grandfathers driving test consisted of going to the gas station and being told "oh ####, everyone knows you've been driving for years!" and giving him one. About on par with the motor cycle test my dad took where you go around the block, and if you come back in one piece, you get a license.

 

Not quite so easy now.

[Vezon Dash]

I just got back my lab report for my nuclear engineering lab. I got a 48% on it. I swear half of the points that they took off were complete bullshit, but at least I got higher than the class average.

[Will H]

Speeding is a particular one, you need to go slow enough that your clearly under the limit to someone looking from the passenger seat, since it's an instant fail (as is stalling if your testing in a stick shift).

 

Stalling fails you? That's a little bit harsh. For me it was just considered a minor fault (accumulating 15 or more fails you).

[jasignhagj]

I still don't have my license, it's a giant scam here. $30 every time, and you have to wait 6 weeks to get a follow up.

[RpgGamer]

Why would you take your drivers test in a manuel? Compact car, automatic shifting. You deserve to fail if you can't pass the test in a Compact automatic.

 

My test was literally a K turn followed by a parallel park, then I drove in a doughnut. Then I passed. Easy peasy.

[Randox]

It is actually quite possible that I am totally making up the fail for stalling. I found a sample scoring sheet (no easy feat), which conveniently lacks any explanation of what anything is worth as a penalty or how many you need to fail (pretty sure any dangerous action is an auto fail though). However, here is the entire section for, what I am assuming are all penalties, the shifting gears section:

• wrong gear
  
• while turning (seriously?)
  
• rides clutch/looks down
  
• coasts with the clutch (*)
  
• too soon/not soon enough
  
• cannot shift
  
• other than intended
  
• coasts in neutral (*)
  
• dangerous action
  

I am having a little touble understanding the ones I marked as (*). I assume the first is coasting with the clutch still engaged, which normal people like to call engine braking. The only objection I can see with this is that your brake lights wont be on. I seriously hope the second one means coasting with the clutch up and no gear selected, and not just clutch in.

 

As for while turning, that's just unreasonable and also no fun.

 

There is also a criteria in starting for stalls or trying to drive with the handbrake engaged.

 

I also learned that only police and community officers are allowed blue lights, though now that I think about it, our ambulances use red and white. Not sure why I though they also used blue.

[jasignhagj]

Stalling is an insta-fail here too. So is driving too close to parked cars, even if you weren't close to them...

[Giordano]

I failed in an automatic compact car. Looking away from the road in front of you is apparently a good idea, especially when turning lanes. I wrongly thought that's what the mirrors were for, so I paid dearly.

 

Second time passed it with flying colors.

[Nekyia]

My mom's boyfriend took me to my driving test and I used his car for the test. I passed just fine the first time, but when I called my mom after the test I told her that not only did I fail the test, but that I had failed because I had crashed the car. She was freaking out. She asked to talk to her boyfriend and he totally played along with it. By the time we got home she was in hysterics and had called my grandparents about it even. It was great :lol:

[Tim]

I am so close to snapping. I'm perfectly qualified for a job, they denied me an interview last week because they felt "I'm not qualified"

 

I go in today, I can see the guy they hired because he was the interview after me, asked him some basic questions about the camera products; he couldnt answer one of them.

 

WHO KEEPS [bleep]ING HIRING THESE PEOPLE OVER ME!!!

[Riku3220]

I failed in an automatic compact car. Looking away from the road in front of you is apparently a good idea, especially when turning lanes. I wrongly thought that's what the mirrors were for, so I paid dearly.

 

Second time passed it with flying colors.

You gotta check your blindspot dude.

 

I am so close to snapping. I'm perfectly qualified for a job, they denied me an interview last week because they felt "I'm not qualified"

 

I go in today, I can see the guy they hired because he was the interview after me, asked him some basic questions about the camera products; he couldnt answer one of them.

 

WHO KEEPS [bleep]ING HIRING THESE PEOPLE OVER ME!!!

Someone probably recommended him.

[Furah]

Why would you take your drivers test in a manuel? Compact car, automatic shifting. You deserve to fail if you can't pass the test in a Compact automatic.

 

My test was literally a K turn followed by a parallel park, then I drove in a doughnut. Then I passed. Easy peasy.

 

Because you have to redo the test here if you want to drive stick before you get the next licence up. I passed the test in a 6m long work ute.

 

I am so close to snapping. I'm perfectly qualified for a job, they denied me an interview last week because they felt "I'm not qualified"

 

I go in today, I can see the guy they hired because he was the interview after me, asked him some basic questions about the camera products; he couldnt answer one of them.

 

WHO KEEPS [bleep]ING HIRING THESE PEOPLE OVER ME!!!

 

Were they younger? Seemed more cheery? Kept their head up? These are all things that are more likely to get you employed. Companies will put up with a worse-qualified person for a job if they're cheaper, and they're seen as more enthusiastic.

[Distracted]

's our cover of the Flobots'

that we performed on my birthday. I'm the bass player/vocalist.

 

It's kind of surreal to see that we've gotten just under a 100 likes in the first 4 hours our band's page was on Facebook. I didn't link there because I don't feel too comfortable putting that kind of stuff here. Not that I don't trust you or trust my own privacy settings, I just don't like connecting my Facebook to my anonymous accounts.

[TTanT]

Considering actively hitting a gym for what would be the first time in my life (I've always relied on body-weight exercises to stay in shape, but I figure I'll get more progress faster if I move up from that).

[Estonian dude]

That automatic stuff and easy driving exam guys talking: [bleep] you. In my country if you do exam with an automatic, you get a special mark on your license which indicates that you can only drive an automatic... And when 80% of cars are manual, sucks to be you.

 

And our driving exams consist of 1 hour drive through the city with the inspector and they can fail you for practically anything, including stalling and switching gears mid-turn. But no engine-braking? Are you bullshitting me? My driving teacher specifically taught us to engine-brake, since it is a LOT more economical. And gas is around 1,5€ per litre here, which is like 6,7€ per gallon or something. Which should be over eight bucks per gallon.

[Distracted]

Our exam is half an hour of driving with an examinator in the backseat. Here, I don't think they give a damn about the way you shift, as long as you have control over the car. The system's pretty fair, except they're way more strict on young drivers such as myself. I still can't help but feel annoyed at my failing, since I know I drive safer than a lot of people on the road right now.

[Estonian dude]

On a differerent topic, today we had the second inter-school basketball match. First one was on Wednesday, there I twisted my left thumb so that it got okay only by yesterday. Today, I twisted the finger following the thumb on my left hand... Next match is tomorrow, wonder if I twist the middle finger on my left hand... Luckily right now the finger is not that bad as my thumb was, but it still hurts a lot. If we hadn't won the games, I'd be furious right now.

[decebal]

Now that we are on the topic of driving, can someone tell me why does North America use mostly automatics, while Europe uses manuals? Always thought they both would use the same.

[The_Gabe]

My driving test was pretty easy. It was maybe 15 minute driving, and you'd have to get a certain amount of offenses to actually fail. In the U.S nearly everyone drives automatics so it's really easy. It's enjoyable getting your licence at 16.

[Blake]

My driving test was pretty easy. It was maybe 15 minute driving, and you'd have to get a certain amount of offenses to actually fail. In the U.S nearly everyone drives automatics so it's really easy. It's enjoyable getting your licence at 16.

 

Mine was the same. Although, I took drivers ed in a manual. It's a lot more fun. My current car (2006 Tiburon V6) is a manual, and I'd never go back. In my test, the only thing he said I did wrong was not use the blinker when I pulled up to the curb next to my house.

[Distracted]

Now that we are on the topic of driving, can someone tell me why does North America use mostly automatics, while Europe uses manuals? Always thought they both would use the same.

 

I doubt there's one conclusive historical answer to this, but I think there are multiple factors that come into play. Automatics are easier to learn, and considering the driving age is lower in the US, that might be a factor that comes into play. A theory I read on Yahoo answers (yeah, I know), said that it might be because Americans view their cars differently than Europeans: while the former see it mostly as a tool to get from point A to B easily, the latter enjoys the car itself more, and it's commonly known that manual transmissions are more for the car lovers since they give a higher sense of control. Also, since points A and B are usually much further apart on the American continent (in 4-5 hours, I can drive from here to Paris, to Amsterdam, to London, etc, while in the US that would probably not even be enough to get out of my state), ease of use might factor more into the choice to buy an automatic transmission. Also, keep in mind that odds are, if your parents drive automatic transmission, you'll drive automatic transmission too, since in many cases they're the ones that teach you to drive.

[RpgGamer]

I'm not gonna lie, I'm not that good of a driver. I can barely shift at all. I feel roads are structured differently in europe too. I picture european traffic to have more freeways and less start-stop crap in suburbia. Might also be because back when cars first started coming around the age was much younger so that laborers would have access to them eariler, thus a simplified machine was designed. Besides, who has time to shift gears when you're texting/applying make up/eating berakfast/making coffee/switching CD tracks/adjusting your mirrors/insistantly honking on your morning commute?

[Serpent Eye]

I am so close to snapping. I'm perfectly qualified for a job, they denied me an interview last week because they felt "I'm not qualified"

 

I go in today, I can see the guy they hired because he was the interview after me, asked him some basic questions about the camera products; he couldnt answer one of them.

 

WHO KEEPS [bleep]ING HIRING THESE PEOPLE OVER ME!!!

Don't snap. Job hunting isn't always easy, and there may be a lot more to an employer's hiring criteria than you would imagine.

 

As a friend I hope you know I don't mean anything bad by this, but just based off of my experiences as a senior manager at my work (and I was in charge of all interviews/hiring for well over a year) I would suggest you look at how you are selling yourself to potential employers, rather than wondering "why they keep picking other people" or questioning their hiring decisions. If someone who has less outright qualifications than you (ie, not being able to answer any questions about a product) gets hired, they are obviously doing/saying something else in their interview to win the favor of the interviewer.

 

You should be confident when you interview. Don't ever lie, but you should give the impression that you know you have the skills it takes to do the job. Illustrate your point with past experiences/situations you've been in that have used those skills. Don't fidget around (playing with a pen or paper that might be in front of you, etc.) Maintain eye contact with the person interviewing you (don't be a creep and stare them blankly in the eye the entire time... I mean, just don't be looking down or avoiding making eye contact.) If they ask you a question, don't give short, one- or two-word answers. A lot of times I've hired someone over someone else simply because one of them (say they were equally qualified otherwise) was able to hold a conversation with me and trying to get them to talk wasn't like extracting a tooth.

 

I could go on and on, but my point is, it isn't always a black-and-white process of "This person met this requirement, let's hire them."