I passed my bike theory test last Friday, so I am one step closer to achieving a goal I thought unreachable until quite recently. It went quite well, except for the teensy problem that almost got me an automatic fail.
I’d been studying for the thing for the previous week so I wasn’t really worried about it and I’d downloaded software to go over the hazard perception (HPT) portion of it. I was all set to go.
I got there with plenty of time to spare and with all the necessary paperwork. The dude at the reception counter told me to put my bag in a locker and to step into the exam room. As i was sitting down, I realized that I had my mobile in my back pocket, so I put it face down on the “place personal items here” area of the exam cubicle along with my provisional license and I started the test.
I breezed through the theory portion and then came the HPT section, where I was instructed to put on headphones and listen to an audio clip. Unbeknownst to me, my phone bleeped while I was listening to the clip, and later on while I was concentrating on the hazard videos (as it happened, it was the alarm on my calendar giving me an event reminder – for the test I was currently taking). At some point, the little lady looking over the exam room came in and asked who had a phone. I swear I never heard her even come in!
So when it bleeped the second time, apparently some people complained and the head honcho from the reception desk came in and spoke up loudly to ask who had the phone. I heard him that time and knew I was in trouble from the tonage. Since the English aren’t known for their sense of humour in official terms, I was rather worried. I did my best to concentrate on the task at hand – i.e. not failing the test – and figured I could deal with the consequences afterwards.
So when I was done, I came out of the room and the lady pointed me towards the head dude. She looked rather concerned for me. The dude then proceeded to tear me a new one for 10 solid minutes, telling me that in the 10 years he’d been doing this, nobody had ever been stupid enough to bring a phone in an exam room and that this was just not done in England. In the end, I looked pitiful enough and said yes sir, no sir, thank you sir enough that he stopped yelling at me and gave me my passing grade papers.
In the end, it was an honest mistake and I never meant to cause bother. But it doesn’t matter now, because I am one step closer to getting my full license and buying a motorcycle.
Amusingly though, when the guy who is taking the courses with me and was taking the exam with me left (after me) and asked the head dude what had happened with me, he was also regaled with a 10 minute barrage of verbiage.
I have my CBT this weekend and lessons a few weeks later and then I simply need to pass an eye test and a driving test. No pressure. Easy peasy. I’m freaking out.
