So tomorrow, since I was a late bloomer in starting to drive, is the day I finally go for my drivers Licence. I started driving in about April, and got my permit before that in march. So after the sixth month wait, it's time.


I'm very nervous. I'm not good with strangers, especially being alone in a car with one, and I never hear good things about the instructors. I drive fine, I can parallel park, but I'm mostly worried that my nerves are gonna cost me. So here's hoping I do fine and pass. 


What were you experiences like going for your licence? Did you fail your first time? Barely pass? 

I had anxiety. Major anxiety. And the lady I tested with had a resting bitch face.

I got almost a perfect score. My only infraction was driving too slow...but that was because the lady made me nervous as all hell. Passed on my first try and looking back, I was nervous for nothing. It was easy.

Didn't get my license till I was over 21, so you aren't the only late bloomer

Knowing how to parallel park puts you ahead of most people. Mine was weird. I took a week-long course and the final day we was our test. I had trouble staying in my lane. Kept drifting. It's a problem I have to this day, so I never go in the middle lane on the highway.

Make sure you don't get the fat guy.

I was nervous as hell, didn't help that the lady was a cop. Failed the first time, but I passed the second time. All I can say is, relax, try not to be nervous and you will do fine.

Never learned to parallel park. Never have, never will. It's not needed for our test.

I hated parallel parking, it sucks

I struggle parking near a curb when there are no cars around. I can't imagine getting it between two vehicles. I actually got mine pretty "late" or so I thought. I think I was 9 months into being 16 when I got my license. As a homebody loser it just wasn't a priority. I thought I was late until I see posts like this where people go well into their 20's without their card. I can't even imagine that.

Well, luckily as an introvert the only places I ever go to are school and work. I work with my family, so we go together. And I only needed a ride to high school, which was close, and then I took the bus home until senior year when I left with my cousin.


Now I'm in college, and my brother is in college, and my sister is back in college, and my dad works, and those three are my rides, so I needed to start driving so I didn't have to make them go out of their way all the time. And now work schedules are different.


My friend (brother's friend who has become my friend) is the one who really persuaded me to start after a convincing speech, and has been teaching me well. I don't ever have problems (except today when I tried switching lanes, and a car who knew I was trying to get on the high way after I turned into my lane, decided to quickly speed up past me and almost ran into me).



If I don't pass, I practice some more and try again next week. But I'd rather much go in there and get the sweet satisfaction of passing my test on my first try and finally shutting up everyone in my family and at work who have been bothering me about not having a license.

Yeah, I remember getting shamed at my first job because I was basically the only person that didn't have one. I had to drive with one of my supervisors to the bank and he told me "green means go" and it's something I've never forgotten...

Well the biggest reason I get yelled at about not having a license, and they're right about this, is that it's not fair to always make people take me places. It does make me feel terrible, but I've always been a bit nervous to drive. Though after doing it, I've regretted not doing it sooner.


The other reason, is because people just want me to be able to hang out with friends and try to pick up girls. But that's not really my thing, so I don't really care.

I was kicked out at 16 so no one to teach me and no money to pay for driving school. and as I got older it became less and less of a necessity. everywhere I worked was close to home or the city bus went right by the area. or occasionally, the person i dated gave me a ride or two.

I'm 29 and I still struggle with parallel parking so the fact that you can Dazz, you're gonna nail it.

It was such a feeling of freedom to be in a car on my own for the first time, endless possibility stretched as far as the eye could see.

I didn’t get my license till I was 18. I failed driver’s ed when I was 16 because I had an awful instructor who made me nervous when I drove with her. So, I just waited till I was 18, went to the DMV office & passed the written & driving test & got my license.

Oh, & I have no idea how to parallel park & have ever had to do so thankfully. Didn’t even have to do it in my driving test to get my license. 

I waited until I was 23 to get my Driver's License and what prompted me to finally get it was that I didn't want to ride the bus anymore or depend on others to drive me around. I failed the first time due to nerves which caused me to run a stop sign that I didn't even see at first, and I also went over a curb by accident when trying to parallel park and the instructor didn't really help me ease my nerves. The second attempt I passed and the only trouble I really had was parallel parking again but I remained calm and finally got it, and the instructor stayed calm with me and was easy on me which made me feel more comfortable. 

As long you've got the parallel parking down you should be good to go Dazz. Just stay calm and don't let your nerves get the better of you. I still have trouble with my parallel parking but I'm getting kind of better with it the more I do it.

I don't think I've ever actually seen anyone parallel parking in my life, besides one or two occasions. So I really just need to get it during the test, and I'll be good from doing it.


There's a lot of things I know how to do like overnight parking and three-point turns (things I'm not even sure will be useful outside of the test) which are on my test, but I'm nervous I'll goof.


A friend recently took his test at the same place I'm going, and the only hopeful thing is that he said his test was barely twenty minutes and they didn't even go on the highway.


I'm just gonna have to shake the nerves before I go.

Parallel parking was never a huge problem for me. I mean, it's not like I'm perfect at it, but I found bay parking to be a lot more challenging for some reason.

It took me four tries to pass my test. I barely failed my first test, but in a way I'm kinda glad it turned out that way because by the time of my third test I was a much more confident driver. Don't remember how I failed that one, but the fourth test was perfect.

Sept 29, 2017 2:09:23 GMT The Dazz said:

A friend recently took his test at the same place I'm going, and the only hopeful thing is that he said his test was barely twenty minutes and they didn't even go on the highway.


I'm just gonna have to shake the nerves before I go.

Ours was the same way. We did a quick trip around the neighborhood across the street from the license place.

I had anxiety, struggled in driver's ed, failed my learner's once, had my learner's for almost 2 years, and didn't get my license until I was 19. But I'm good at parallel parking now!

My driving test couldn't have lasted more than 20 minutes and we didn't go out on the road. Maybe it's a Maryland thing but we drive around..."courses" at the MVA to get our license. At least that's how it was back in the late 90s-early 2000s.

Yeah I failed. The nerves got me at the start, and I kept bumbling around. But it wasn't too bad.


From then, during the driving, I felt comfortable. I stayed in my line, stayed at speed limit.


The reason I failed because 1. I didn't know how to defrost. 2. There was a 100 meter reverse portion, and I had no clue how to do it. The lady told me to pull over, turn the car all the way to the right, and then back-up. And I was really confused on what to do. I didn't even think I was supposed to fix the car back before I actually backed up.


Anyway, just gonna practice some more, and go in two weeks. I felt good driving, so the nerves won't be as bad second time around. I just wish even though I did bad on the reverse thing, I could have at least finished the test, instead of just having it ended after that.

That sucks and extra features like that were not on mine. You'll get it the more you do it.

You'll get it the next time Dazz.

I failed my first time , I'm not sure I even know why but the second time I nailed it though I'm not sure I really did anything different. I just connected with the second instructor more and was wearing a Packers jersey that day which we got to bullshitting on my 20 minute ride around - so I'm not sure if she even noticed how terrible I was. She also didn't make me parallel park which was a relief because I probably would have failed - I haven't parallel parked in over a decade though so that portion of the test is pointless anyways.

I'm not sure what I can say to help , try to make conversation and distract not only your instructor but also yourself from your own nerves. Good luck and please don't drive in Wisconsin.

The defrost thing really took me by surprise, had no idea what I was doing there. I'm just gonna spend the next two weeks learning the car and practicing that reverse thing.


The people at the DMV are just so stone faced and silent. Luckily it doesn't intimidate me or anything, but as someone who's very awkward with strangers, I'm not good at making conversation. So I just drove in silence, and felt fine. I basically ignored her unless she said something.


I just wish I knew about the reverse part, because her instructions made no sense, and really screwed me.


I'm not one to dwell though. Just gonna practice some more and go back and hopefully pass.

Learn to make conversation , your ability to bullshit your way through things has become just as important than actual know how in this country. For better or for worse.

I failed my first time nearly putting the car in the ditch on the 3 point turn. I didn't try again for six months (practicing intensively) and got it quite easily. I have to parallel park in my neighborhood so I'm quite good at it now. I find starting off at a slight angle when you pull up next to the car parked in front of you is a huge help.

Don't get too discouraged Dazz, I failed the test twice before I eventually got it and felt like an idiot on both occasions. Like you I froze when it came to the interior stuff. I completely forgot it was a part of the test until a few minutes before the test when my driving teacher pointed out where all the controls were.

My best piece of advice is just keep driving. If possible try to drive with people you've yet to have as passengers. They might give you more perspective or even challenge you to become a better driver. I know that's what helped me eventually get my Ps.

Of course if you fail a second time you will be banned.

Sept 29, 2017 17:46:21 GMT Big Pete said:

My best piece of advice is just keep driving. If possible try to drive with people you've yet to have as passengers. They might give you more perspective or even challenge you to become a better driver. I know that's what helped me eventually get my Ps.

This is good advice. Even after getting my license I was nervous. I'd only stick to roads I knew close to home and I was afraid of highways. Dumb idea. The more you drive the more comfortable you get until it becomes second nature after a while.

Sept 29, 2017 14:51:22 GMT The Dazz said:

Yeah I failed. The nerves got me at the start, and I kept bumbling around. But it wasn't too bad.


From then, during the driving, I felt comfortable. I stayed in my line, stayed at speed limit.


The reason I failed because 1. I didn't know how to defrost. 2. There was a 100 meter reverse portion, and I had no clue how to do it. The lady told me to pull over, turn the car all the way to the right, and then back-up. And I was really confused on what to do. I didn't even think I was supposed to fix the car back before I actually backed up.


Anyway, just gonna practice some more, and go in two weeks. I felt good driving, so the nerves won't be as bad second time around. I just wish even though I did bad on the reverse thing, I could have at least finished the test, instead of just having it ended after that.

I'm sorry, hun but yeah this just gives you more time to practice. im sure you will do much better next time.

like Ness, our test didnt have those extra involved. and considering how much snow we get, im shocked they dont ask us how to defrost.... My fiance taught be how when we met. and also helped me learn to drive in the snow..something else they dont teach us here.

We had our learners course through school which took place in November and December so our first time behind the wheel was on snow and ice, fun.

They have special schools here  to teach how to drive on snow and ice, not to mention a special defensive driving course sponsored by our local newscasters, since one lost his daughter to distracted driving. i want my kids to take those courses when they get older.