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teletubby-warrior

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http://tovx.blogspot.com/2007/01/woman-finally-passes-driving-test-after.html

Woman finally passes driving test after 23 years & 250 lessons

A woman from Devon who finally passed her driving test after 23 years is now hoping to use her wealth of experience to help others.

Maria McCarthy from Sidmouth ripped up her L-plates after taking about 250 lessons, which cost her between ?2,000 and ?3,000.

The 42-year-old said getting her licence has given her a "badge of adulthood" and changed her life.

She has now written a book aimed at helping other women succeed.

'Terrifying' ordeal

"When I started learning to drive, I absolutely hated it," she told BBC News.

"I was quite good academically, but I knew immediately I wasn't going to be a natural. I was so clumsy.

"It was taking all the things I'm bad at and putting them all together.

"I was an aid worker in Romania, working in dodgy areas and seeing some really awful things, but I didn't bat an eyelid. Driving was something else entirely."

Her saving grace was a stubborn streak which would not let her give up, but she said her two driving tests were the "most nerve-racking experiences" of her life.

"I was a bit like Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind - shaking my hands at the heavens," she said.
When she finally passed her test two years ago, she set out to write her book - The Girls' Guide to Losing Your L-Plates - because of an "evangelical desire to spread the word".

The book has information, advice and some humorous anecdotes.

"I wrote about a woman who booked five tests, but failed to get out the test centre for three of them because of nerves."

Ms McCarthy said the reason it took her so many years to pass her test was simple.

Automatic success

"I just wasn't prepared. If I'd asked my instructor if I could put in for my test, he would just have laughed at me."

She finally passed her test at the second attempt after swapping to an automatic and taking a period of intensive lessons.

Ms McCarthy has presented her long-suffering driving instructor with a copy of her new book.

"He was quite pleased when I passed my test, but I think he was glad to see the back of me."

I'm sold. Where can I find a copy of her book? :|
 
Yeah, I really wanna read a book written by someone who took 23 years to learn to drive. She must be a female Tiff and has lots to teach me... :roll:
 
?2000? We'll end up on that anyway, when getting the licence.
 
Great, it will be good to have her on the road.
 
Call me a sexist pig (hardly), but this reads like a Cathy strip: I bet lots of women can relate and are going to be inspired at her sucking at life.

Why couldn't Helen Keller drive?
Because she was a woman.

:p
 
Um...does anyone want to be sharing the road with someone who took 23 years -- about a third of a lifespan -- to pass the required testing to get their license?

Me neither.

Call me a sexist pig (hardly), but this reads like a Cathy strip: I bet lots of women can relate and are going to be inspired at her sucking at life.
Dang, you beat me to it. I was going to say that you were all so up-tight and politically correct...pfft, women drivers :p
 
Her saving grace was a stubborn streak which would not let her give up
Lol... That is kind of an understatement. :)

And i indeed cannot think that the roads will be safer now someone who took 23 years to master the elementary skills of passing a driving test (lets be honest, you only really learn to drive when driving on your own).
 
Especially in America, where getting a license isn?t THAT hard......

and I paid 1800? and only used the minimum required lessons and passed on the first time :D
 
Especially in America, where getting a license isn?t THAT hard......

and I paid 1800? and only used the minimum required lessons and passed on the first time :D

Holy shit, that much? And I though the lessons and examinations in Belgium were expensive. I paid 50*10 euro for the lessons, 15 for the theoretical test, and about 100 for the practial test, and I passed. It's still a lot of money but nowhere near 1800. Damn!
 
Well. I won't say what each thing costs, but you'll be lucky to come below 15-20000NOK ($2300-3100).
 
Here in Georgia the license fees are $20! They give you the book for free, and you can pass it with your eyes closed. Then again there are some of the nation's worst drivers here. I wish the test was as hard and expensive as it is in europe, so as to keep those who shouldn't be on the road off.
 
This is ~ what it costs in Germany:

1. Before you start
Viewing test ca. 6,00 ?
First aid course ca. 18,00 ?
Photo made by a photographer ab ca. 8,00 ?



2. Fees on the "Strassenverkehrsamt" (road regulation bureau)
Get a copy of your file from the central register 3,30 ?
Approval and working on your license request 5,10 ?
Production of your license card and giving it to you 33,20 ?


3. Driving school

(price differs @ region)
Base price 220,00 ?
Book & some copies of the test (you can skip those) 45?
Driving lessons: 45 Minutes (normal lesson) 30 ?
Special lessons: 45 Minutes (Autobahn (4 needed), Night (3 needed), outside town (5 needed) (but you can combine them like drive at night on the autobahn ;)) 25 - 45 ?



4. Test
Theoretical test (30 questions, you can have ~3 wrong (I had none ^^)):

Driving school fee (not raised by all schools) 0 - 75,00 ?
Fee of the testing company (T?V, DEKRA) 10,09 ?


Practical test (45 Minutes inner town, outside town, Autobahn):

Driving school fee (not raised by all schools) ~100 ?
Fee of the testing company (T?V, DEKRA) 77,72 ?

~1.736,41 ? in this case.



//edit:

LOL I just found a complete list of our traffic signs.....this is insane :)

http://gettingaroundgermany.home.att.net/zeichen.htm
 
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how much would her insurance be?! :lol: maybe around ?5000-6000!
 
^ No the Insurance Company would only take the fact that she has not built up a no claims, her sex and age into account as their main personal attribute rating criteria (as well as location, type of car/insurance group etc. for non-personal attributes) - I work for one.
 
I paid I think ?20 roughly for the license (I think). Then 27 x ?19 for lessons. The theory is about ?27 I think and the main test is something like ?40 (I can't remember even though it was only a few months ago.)
Total = ?600 ($1183 ?913)
 
This road sign just owns.
http://img440.imageshack.**/img440/9469/magicroundaboutschilddbbb9.jpg
 
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^ Swindon, used to use it every working day - good fun when you know the ropes. Go round the other way to normal, works nicely.
 
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