I saw this cartoon in today’s Daily Mail. I don’t know why, but it cracked me up!
Chloe & Co
Odd how sometimes that happens. The idea of one in five kids being chinese in this context is a play on an old joke, but it’s still funny.
A couple of months ago, I wrote about the damage that had been caused by some moneygrabbers to a large expanse of trees in Toton, Nottinghamshire. They’d done this without any warning whatsoever, and the destruction was total. They had the weakest excuses imaginable – it would have been far easier to have admitted they wanted to build on the land and make money out of it, but they obviously were not the kind of people to do that in any way which was above board.
(I have to admit that I have a real issue with anyone who thinks that cutting down trees or shrubs is classed as ‘maintenance’. ‘Maintained’ woodland is virtually sterile, as far as natural wildlife is concerned. It’s like saying a zoo represents true wildlife.)
Well, a reader has sent me a copy of a letter which has been sent out by the Forestry Commission to the many people who complained and campaigned for reparation. It says:
TREE FELLING – TOTON SIDINGS, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE
With reference to your letter expressing concern over the recent tree felling at Toton Sidings. The Forestry Commission has fully investigated this matter and has concluded that the trees were felled illegally. We will shortly be issuing a restocking notice. The details of this, in relation to tree species and planting location, are currently being worked upon.
Yours sincerely
Neil Riddle
Grants & Regulations Mananger
East Midlands Region
This is what you would call “a result”. I have also since found that it is covered by This Is Nottingham as a news story. Entertainingly, a certain political party – which isn’t currently in power – is also on the case, but it is worth pointing out that what the people who live there have achieved has absolutely nothing to do with that political party or its attempts to win votes. If it had been left to them, we’d perhaps be due for a letter to be sent to the Forestry Commission sometime before the end of the next decade – especially since their spokesperson, Anna Soubry, says:
“Toton Borough Councillor Marilyn Hegyi has met with a senior officer at Broxtowe Borough Council and it is believed the Forestry Commission will not be able to prosecute the owners as the wood as it is not big enough.”
Just goes to show what value can be had from the Conservatives, eh?. If you want something doing, don’t ask them to do it!
But back to the main topic: I wonder if the halfwits who cut the trees down will be prosecuted?
This cartoon appeared in today’s Daily Mail Online:
EDIT: Please note that this was posted in early 2010. Obviously, the unions (including PCS) are still intent on having their little strike, no matter what concessions are made.
Just received an email alert from the DSA announcing that it has launched a consultation exercise to address the situation where the actions or behaviour of an ADI (or PDI) poses a danger to the public. It emphasises that this is a very rare situation.
The email says:
Suspension of driving instructors: consultation launch
The new Driving Instruction (Suspension and Exemption Powers) Act introduced a power for the Driving Standards Agency to suspend the approval of driving instructors in rare situations where the individual poses a danger to the public.
Before the suspension power can be used, a compensation scheme must be in place for instructors whose approval to instruct is suspended but who are not subsequently taken off the register.
We have today launched a consultation exercise on the compensation arrangements. The closing date for replies is 31 May 2010.
The proposals relate to the system for calculating the level of awards and the procedures for making claims,
This includes timescales, supporting documentation, validation of information and appeals arrangements.
We have posted the consultation paper on our website: dsa.gov.uk. The relevant reply form is also available on the website.
If you are unable to download the documents from our website, you can request hard copies by sending an email to Consultations@dsa.gsi.gov.uk or by calling 0115 936 6098.
We anticipate the suspension power will be used where the instructor is convicted of a serious violent or sexual offence, or is delivering dangerous tuition.
If you go to the website link they give it isn’t immediately clear where the consultation paper is (unless I am being very thick). There is a press release (if you search for it), dated November 2009! But if you click the Consultations link, then Current Consultations , there it is!
I guess it was me being thick – after all, you wouldn’t expect it to be on the front page of the link you provide, would you? And God forbid that the link would be a direct one to the actual consultation page.
Mind you, I’m dying to see how this one is covered on the multitude of web forums out there. This is a consultation exercise, giving people the chance to put their views across on the compensation terms following wrongful suspension. I wonder how long before the usual stirrers start behaving as if it is already agreed?
The Theory Test for learners learning to drive a car costs £31.00, and the Practical Test £62.00 (or £75.00 for a weekend or evening slot, where available). The current prices are always shown on the Direct.gov website.
You can book online directly through the DSA’s website, or by telephoning them on 0300 200 1122 .
It stands to reason that these prices are the lowest possible, since anyone booking through the DSA will have to pay exactly the current price in order to book a test!
So beware any online service which says it will do this for you. At the very least you will have to pay more – unnecessarily. In the worst case, you may not get anything at all except lost money and a compromised credit card. If they are charging less than the DSA prices then you have only got yourself to blame if things go belly up.
There is a warning being circulated at the moment about two online service urls – www.booktheorytestonline.co.uk and www.bookpracticaltestonline.co.uk. It is suggested that you do not use these, even if you are still daft enough to want to get someone else to do it for you.
EDIT 5/4/2010: Can I just emphasise that you do not need to use a booking service to book either your theory or practical tests. It is the easiest thing in the world to do via the DSA’s own website or by telephone.
I have noticed a number of booking services in the Google ads which appear on the right hand side of this blog (I cannot prevent individual company ads from appearing). I don’t know if they are legitimate or not, but one thing is certain: if you pay more than the DSA’s price to book your test – and all you want to do IS book your test – then you are definitely being ripped off.
It is insane not to just book directly with the DSA. I wish someone could explain to me what the attraction is for using one of these services – assuming people do it knowingly. What are you trying to avoid?
But if it is just these sites misleading people into booking using a 3rd party premium service, then it IS a scam. So be warned!
The DSA is running a survey for Pass Plus, inviting input from ADIs and new drivers.
The ADI survey is here , and the one for new drivers here .
As far as the ADI survey goes, it appears to be looking at demographics more than anything else. I’m sure there will be some who have plenty of opinions, but it is after simple facts and straight answers from contributors.
It is running until 5th April 2010.
This week started on a bit of a sour note. A pupil had his driving test on Monday, and he’d only got one fault until 10 minutes before the end – at which point he drove through a red light! It was a sunny day, and he said the sun just blinded him and he didn’t see the lights. The examiner (actually, the SE) is just about the nicest person you could meet – and she was extremely apologetic. So he failed with one serious fault and one driver fault. Aargh!
Today was better, though. Well done JY for passing with 5 driver faults. It’s been a rocky ride, with two tests being cancelled due to snow (and both of them early morning ones, so I had to go and pick her up before 7am because no one was at the test centre that early!)
She’s got her car all ready, so just got to get the insurance and tax (it’s SORNed, and she’s been holding off until she passed). She’s a great driver and will be all right!
This has been talked about for a couple of weeks, but at the test centre today it would appear that not all ADIs are aware of it.
Here’s an email alert that I received from the DSA today:
Driving examiner strike – candidates to attend tests
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union is asking its members to take strike action on Monday and Tuesday, 8 and 9 March.
If you have a driving test booked for either day, we ask you to attend as scheduled.
We won’t know the effects of the strikes until the day as not all of our examiners and staff are members of the union.
We don’t know at this stage who will attend for work, which is why we ask that you arrive for your test regardless.
You don’t need to do anything and there is no need to contact DSA.
If you can’t take a test because of the action, you will have the test rebooked automatically, free of charge, and an appointment confirmation will be sent by email or post.
If your new appointment isn’t suitable you can change it online at direct.gov.uk/drivingtest.
Nottingham seems to get away without much disruption (well, it has in the past) – it all depends on whether examiners are members of the PCS Union or not. The wording of this alert also suggests that even PCS members may not comply with the request for action.
Just turn up for test as usual. And if you do have one cancelled, don’t forget to get a claim form (electronic version here) (the candidate must fill in the form and make the claim). You can get the cost of the lesson and other legitimate expenses back.
From 6th April 2010 you will be asked if you would like someone to sit in the back during your driving test. Ideally, this person will be your intructor or someone who has been teaching you to drive. The choice is entirely yours – you’re the one who is taking the test.
The DSA would rather it was your instructor. This change is part of an ongoing series of changes to the driving test, and is a compromise – possibly temporary – between it being mandatory for your instructor to be there (what the DSA originally wanted), and the instructor usually not being there at all (unless it is one of those busybody types who can’t wait to get in the back on every test).
You have always been allowed to ask for your instructor to accompany you. The only change is that now you will be asked specifically if you want your ADI there. That’s all.
I have always made it clear to my learners that they can have me there if they want to. I have made it clear that it is their choice. I have also pointed out that I can have absolutely no positive effect on the outcome of the test, and seeing as I weigh roughly the same as a moderately sized herbivore (more usually seen wandering around the Serengeti, not cramped in the back of a driving test), I might even have a negative one.
In the end, it is your choice. It always has been.
This is a very old post. Sat nav devices are used now.
EDIT: Please use the blog search function to look for more recent posts on independent driving. This one was posted months ahead of the launch.
From 4th October 2010 a new stage will be included in the driving test, where the candidate is expected to drive to a specific destination as directed by the examiner. The new stage will only last about 10 minutes, so we’re not talking about finding your way from Lands End to John O’Groats or anything. It will be quite simple and over with quickly.
According to the DSA, the directions could be given in a number of ways (and the following is paraphrased from an official document).
In one case, the examiner might ask the candidate to drive to a specific place using traffic signs. Or, the examiner could give a series of verbal instructions to get to a specific location. Or it could be using a combination of both the above methods. The purpose of this exercise is to allow the candidate to demonstrate to the examiner how they will drive when they are out on their own – which is exactly what they will have to do when they have passed their test and no one is there to prompt them.
The DSA is currently putting together appropriate test routes for this part of the driving test. I can imagine that this isn’t as easy as it sounds, because they aren’t going to produce routes akin to Hampton Court Maze or choose ones where there are missing road traffic signs.
When it comes to this part of the driving test the examiner will have diagrams like simplified route maps to support the verbal instructions they give to candidates. These diagrams will be similar to the two shown here – though the DSA points out the final design isn’t yet agreed.
Much is being made of this change by the usual crowd of agitators.
It is actually very simple, although to listen to some people you’d think it was advanced calculus or something. The examiner will merely ask the candidate to drive from the current location (let’s say the road outside the Colwick Test Centre in Nottingham) to (let’s say) West Bridgford, using the road signs (and before anyone says anything, I don’t know if West Bridgford is signposted from that location without looking – but it doesn’t matter: it’s just an example). It’s a journey of about 3½ miles, and one which is covered by existing test routes. It involves two roundabouts and some traffic lights, and most candidates will have done the route plenty of times during their lessons anyway. The examiner may show a simplified road map like the ones here of the route, and the candidate can refer to it as many times as they like (safely, of course).
Personally, I think this is a great idea. I also believe that if someone cannot complete what is essentially an extremely simple exercise then they have no right to be on the road, as they are a danger to themselves and everyone else. I believe this applies to anyone who drives on the roads. And that means anyone.
I should point out that I have always taught my pupils to drive properly, not just to pass the test. I was out on such a lesson this afternoon, and I took my pupil (who is close to test standard) on a long drive using roads she’s not been on before.
I asked her to navigate using road signs – first of all to Mansfield via one route, then back to Nottingham via another. She immediately interrupted me and said that she couldn’t possibly look at the signs and drive at the same time!
After we got round that little situation, it did become clear that some signs just didn’t make sense to her at all – the ones on junctions being a particular problem.
She understands them now, but if all she had ever done is drive round and round near the test centre we would never have picked up the problem. And when she passed her test, she’d go straight out on her own without knowing how to drive on anything other than memorised routes. She is no different to most of my other pupils.
Anyone who is worried about this change shouldn’t be. I’ve seen websites (and blogs) where ADIs are advising people to do their tests quickly to avoid the change – this is appalling and alarmist behaviour, and rushing people to test who may not be ready also raises questions about the professionalism of these people.
The bottom line is that you will have to drive like this once you’ve passed your test, so learn how to do it properly now! You couldn’t drive a car at all before you started taking lessons, so a little bit of navigating won’t hurt you. In any case, if your mates arrange to meet you somewhere you’d probably have no trouble finding it on your bike – it’s not much different in a car.
But one last thing to remember: it is a driving test, and you can fail it. If you can’t navigate using the simple method proposed then there is a good chance you will fail the test.
EDIT 1/1/2012: There is an updated article here – you don’t need actual DSA diagrams to teach independent driving to pupils!