On the pretest lesson we were running through all the manoeuvres. As we entered a retail park to do the Bay Park exercise, I said:
At the roundabout, turn left (first exit) and follow the road into the car park. We are NOT going into McDonalds – the road curves to the right.
So, we turn left off the roundabout and head straight into McDonalds (which is a left turn, as clearly indicated by the road markings). This was on top of another roundabout a few minutes earlier, where I’d said:
At the roundabout, turn right.
Admittedly, I didn’t say ‘third exit’ – but we end up going back the way we’ve just come!
(Incidentally, last night I was out with a pupil and I asked him to take the next turn on the right. This right turn is from a very wide road into another very wide one, and it heads down a steepish hill around a bend to the left. So, he tries it in 3rd gear, picks up 3rd gear speed on the turn itself, and then – and only then – tries to decide where the road goes and attempts to drive across it and into a small cul-de-sac. And better yet, he puts gas on as he panics. Things like this aren’t that common, but you have to be ready for them at all times!)
Anyway, back to that test. She was extremely nervous. Just about everything on the road was going wrong as we got closer to the test. But in spite of the bad pretest lesson, she passed with 7 driver faults . Well done AS.