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dsa taking the piss...

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steppen22
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PostPosted: 11:46 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: dsa taking the piss... Reply with quote
I have my test booked for 3 Dec. The address on the letter is for the new test centre. Okay, I thought. Well, what are the test routes from the new centre? - it's not a part of town I know well and I'd like an indication of where I'm going. Sure, I'm not going ro rely on the routes, but given that other centres have them, it seems a little unfair if I don't.

So I contact the dsa and they have said that the routes remain the same as the previous routes (old test centre). So I respond, where shall I arrive on the day? At the new test centre, it replies. (email)

But the new test centre is 4-5 miles away from the old, so how can the routes remain the same? So the dsa is either intentionally misleading me - how can the routes be the same, unless a van is going to move me and my bike from the new to the old centre? Or, well... I don't know. But I feel the dsa is taking the piss, fobbing me off, and leaving me guessing where I'm actually going to take my test. If the test is at 11, maybe I'm expected to arribve extra early at one centre and then head off to the old centre to arrive at 11, wasting my morning completely.

I don't know. It just seem like it's not been thought out very well. Anyone else having similar issues?
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Xenocide
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PostPosted: 12:06 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
Is it worth asking a local school what they would suggest?
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Kal
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PostPosted: 12:09 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Re: dsa taking the piss... Reply with quote
Forget it. It's a driving exercise not a navigation exercise as long as you drive safely you don't have to be on any of the 'official' routes.

You really don't need the added stress of worrying about where you are going consentrate on your riding and as Mick says below let the examiner deal with all of the navigation chores.
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Last edited by Kal on 12:42 - 29 Oct 2008; edited 1 time in total
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NSR Mick
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PostPosted: 12:12 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
As Kal says. Thumbs Up

as long as you turn when instructed it doesnt matter where you are.

I did my bike test in Blackpool without ever having ridden on the roads we went on.

My car test was aroung an are I hadnt even been to, passed both no problems.
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plugger147
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PostPosted: 14:12 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
gsxrmick wrote:
As Kal says. Thumbs Up

as long as you turn when instructed it doesnt matter where you are.



You don't really have to turn where instructed either, I lost radio signal and didn't hear a few instructions and jut carried on straight ahead after a bit I tapped the side of my lid and he fiddled with his radio and it came back on. As long as you ride to the standard expected then you'll be fine.
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Syx
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PostPosted: 15:39 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
For my car test I took a new route that hadn't been published - not much I could do about it but the new route made me drive more cautiously. Whether or not this had an effect I'm not sure, but I still passed. My instructor asked me where the examiner took me when I got back - I told him it was a new route but I honestly couldn't (and to this day still can't) remember whereabouts I went because I was concentrating more on the driving than on the directions!

On my bike test the examiner followed me in a car, and I missed a turning due to not being able to hear him over the car radio. Being unsure I just carried on - he piped up and informed me (quite politely) that I had missed the turning and was to turn back at the next roundabout. Basically, if you don't navigate correctly then there's no reason to mark you down for it - as long as you ride safely you'll pass without a problem.

Best of luck fella! Thumbs Up

Last edited by Syx on 15:40 - 29 Oct 2008; edited 1 time in total
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Skudd
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PostPosted: 15:39 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
Just because they have routes posted doesn't mean they have to follow them. learn to ride a bike not follow a course. Anyway you will probably not remember where you went on the test because you will be concentrating on your riding.
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Wafer_Thin_Ham
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PostPosted: 15:50 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
No offence, but if you have to know the route you're going on before hand then you aren't really ready to pass the test.

You should be able to ride to the standard regardless of whether you've seen the route before or not. I hadn't seen my route before my test, still managed to pass.
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Last edited by Wafer_Thin_Ham on 16:04 - 29 Oct 2008; edited 1 time in total
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carvell
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PostPosted: 15:53 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
Do people really go round and practice the actual routes?

Swear this didn't happen in my day. Razz
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swiftb
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PostPosted: 15:56 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
I dont think its a terrible idea to check out the route. All it takes is a one way street with split lanes and parked cars or something unusual to throw you. I wouldnt say its a neccesity but i also say it wouldnt do any harm!
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Coxyzxr
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PostPosted: 16:08 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
carvell wrote:

Swear this didn't happen in my day. Razz


What was the test like in your day?

My father said it was something akin to
"See that road there?"
"yes"
"ride to the end of that, u-turn and come back up"
"Ok done that"

"congratulations you've passed"

Baring in mind he's like 60 now though so was some time ago.
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Ste
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PostPosted: 16:14 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
carvell wrote:
Do people really go round and practice the actual routes?

I've wondered that as well. Laughing

IMO if someone is unable to pass their test without having practised riding the specific test routes before hand then they shouldn't be doing their test.

On your test they'll say over the radio to take the third exit at the roundabout or to take the next available left turn, none of it's complicated.
Quote:
All it takes is a one way street with split lanes and parked cars or something unusual to throw you.

How would that be a problem? Confused
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carvell
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PostPosted: 16:15 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
My day wasn't even that long ago!

Only 6 odd years.
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Clanger
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PostPosted: 18:23 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
Both my bike and car tests were taken along routes I had never been before.

I would have thought it would be usual practice to take you round places you hadn't been, so you couldn't memorise what to do, and know most of the hazards etc. Question

The instructor will direct you where to go, so it won't be a case of you getting lost. And the route 'away and back to the centre' are all part and parcel of the test, so don't think otherwise!
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jonchivers
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PostPosted: 19:03 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
Big_Ham wrote:
No offence, but if you have to know the route you're going on before hand then you aren't really ready to pass the test.

You should be able to ride to the standard regardless of whether you've seen the route before or not. I hadn't seen my route before my test, still managed to pass.


I don't agree BH

I reckon local knowledge can help a lot. If you are on roads you're familiar with, you know the speed limits and where they change, you know any tricky junctions, and which lane you need to be in ahead of time etc it all helps.
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swiftb
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PostPosted: 19:09 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
Ste wrote:
carvell wrote:
Do people really go round and practice the actual routes?

I've wondered that as well. Laughing

IMO if someone is unable to pass their test without having practised riding the specific test routes before hand then they shouldn't be doing their test.

On your test they'll say over the radio to take the third exit at the roundabout or to take the next available left turn, none of it's complicated.
Quote:
All it takes is a one way street with split lanes and parked cars or something unusual to throw you.

How would that be a problem? Confused


Caught the person out i was riding behind in a lesson the other day. After a series of quick succesion left and right turns we ended up in a one way street which was literally 50yds long. Two small lanes but cars parked all along the right lane so rider in front was in left lane and pulled up at junction in left lane even though we were making a right turn. Instructor said almost every pair he takes down there the leader does the same thing every time. Its recently been incorporated into one of the test routes, hence he took us down there, hence it was a good idea.
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NSR Mick
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PostPosted: 19:56 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
jonchivers wrote:
I reckon local knowledge can help a lot. If you are on roads you're familiar with, you know the speed limits and where they change, you know any tricky junctions, and which lane you need to be in ahead of time etc it all helps.


That's what road signs and road markings are for. What happens when you ride down a road you have never seen before after your test??

There is a standard that has to be met and you should be able to ride to that standard whether it's the 1st or 100th time you have ridden that road.
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jonchivers
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PostPosted: 20:10 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
gsxrmick wrote:
jonchivers wrote:
I reckon local knowledge can help a lot. If you are on roads you're familiar with, you know the speed limits and where they change, you know any tricky junctions, and which lane you need to be in ahead of time etc it all helps.


That's what road signs and road markings are for. What happens when you ride down a road you have never seen before after your test??

There is a standard that has to be met and you should be able to ride to that standard whether it's the 1st or 100th time you have ridden that road.


so have you never ended up on a stretch of road and realised you don't know what the speed limit is? Or ever ended up in the wrong lane in a city centre when you're not sure where you're going? all things that might happen on any given day without any real consequence. But could fail you a test.
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NSR Mick
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PostPosted: 21:00 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
jonchivers wrote:
But could fail you a test.


I see your point but I did pass all my tests one of them extended without having to know the test route.

There are enough bad drivers / riders on the road without us having to contend with people who have ridden the test route a hundred times to make sure they dont get it wrong.
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Ste
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PostPosted: 21:06 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
swiftb38 wrote:
Caught the person out i was riding behind in a lesson the other day. After a series of quick succesion left and right turns we ended up in a one way street which was literally 50yds long. Two small lanes but cars parked all along the right lane so rider in front was in left lane and pulled up at junction in left lane even though we were making a right turn. Instructor said almost every pair he takes down there the leader does the same thing every time. Its recently been incorporated into one of the test routes, hence he took us down there, hence it was a good idea.

So those students are safe road users able to deal with anything. Unless they come across an unexpected parked car. Laughing

If someone is unable to safely ride the test route unless they've ridden it previously then that person obviously isn't capable of passing their test.

The idea should be to teach people how to ride or drive safely, not just teach them how to pass the test. Especially if that's done by teaching them what the test routes are. Rolling Eyes
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steppen22
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PostPosted: 21:17 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
Big_Ham wrote:
No offence, but if you have to know the route you're going on before hand then you aren't really ready to pass the test.

You should be able to ride to the standard regardless of whether you've seen the route before or not. I hadn't seen my route before my test, still managed to pass.


As I said above, I don't intend to rely on the routes but it would be nice for me to have a feel for what kinda roads I'll be taking.

I don't think your argument is entirely valid, not 100%, because the day of the test is different to any other day on the road. The test has to be perfect, wheras day to day riding doesn;t (can you honestly say that if you pinpoint any particular section of a weeks riding you know exactly what the speed limit is, etc?)

I also am a very nervous person when being observed. Nlot a concern day to day, but it will be on the test - hence the extra confidence of at least thinking I know where I'm going will benefit me, even if it wouldn't hve you.

I also have a very poor sense of navigation, and get lost looking for my keys each morning. It's fine, again, day to day becuase I like going nowhere and anywhere on my bike.

You say that I should ride to test standard, gnostic or not. It may come as a surprise to you but plenty of people fail tests, of all sorts, not due to a lack of ability but to the artificial conditions in which they are examined. I'm the sort of person who can ride well hour after hour, every day I'm on my bike. Yet tell me that you're rating me out of ten and I'll fuck up due to nerves. It's called performance anxiety, fella.

If knowing the routes help me, they help me, and if most test centres oublish them I don't see why mine shouldn't.
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Last edited by steppen22 on 21:37 - 29 Oct 2008; edited 1 time in total
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swiftb
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PostPosted: 21:31 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
agree steppen22, whatever makes you feel more comfortable i would go with. Dont listen to ppl who think they are perfect riders and couldnt possibly make a mistake just because they have passed Rolling Eyes
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NSR Mick
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PostPosted: 21:35 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
swiftb38 wrote:
agree steppen22, whatever makes you feel more comfortable i would go with. Dont listen to ppl who think they are perfect riders and couldnt possibly make a mistake just because they have passed Rolling Eyes


You couldnt download test routes when I passed (all 3 times Wink ) why should people have an advantage over what I had. Laughing

People just have it too easy these days.
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Ste
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PostPosted: 21:36 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
Who is claiming to be a perfect rider? Confused

Passing your test isn't anything to do with navigation. If they tell you to turn left but you actually turn right then you won't be marked down as long as you do it safely.

If you can't ride confidently and safely on the test unless you've ridden the route before hand, what do you do if you need to go somewhere new?

Test routes should not be published, there's isn't really any need for them unless you need to know the route before hand to be able to ride to a 'test pass standard'. Penny Coin Penny Coin
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swiftb
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PostPosted: 21:46 - 29 Oct 2008    Post subject: Reply with quote
I just dont see how its a bad thing to be made aware of a part of the route that numerous people are failing by making the same mistakes. Obviously riding the route over and over again is going to be a bad idea because you will be relying less on your instinct and more on your memory, but i think riding the route at least once just so you dont get cuaght out by anything stupid is not as ridiculous as some people are making out. Like somebody else said, acan you honestly say you've never been on a road and not been 100% sure what the speed limit is, or you have never been in the wrong lane at a junction or roundabout? Confused
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