Taxi Driver Online

I passed my driving test on Monday and I'm now due to pick up my badge next Monday morning (took bloody ages).

I was told in the siminar that the test is only taken once and then that is it, bit like any other licence. I read on many websites including this one that the test is quite easy, well so long as you remember that you have to drive like any other driving test and that on the scoring you are only allowed 10 faults (9 with DSA). I only got 2 faults.

I took my test with the Birmingham City Council examiner who was all in all a really nice chatty guy, not like the usual stiffs you get when you go through the usual DSA examiners.

I was also told at the siminar that although the council hasn't started doing it yet that they could if they wanted to also incorporate the hazzard perception part into it as well.

I'm not really sure what you mean Jimbo - the amount of huffing and puffing on the issue made the points seem self-evident to me - as evidenced I think by the statement above about the weekend drivers.

Perhaps you could explain precisely why you don't agree with me?

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

The Idea of testing qualified drivers, by the DSA is, well, fundamentaly flawed. Why? Because, if there was a 100% pass rate, the test would be pointless. If there was a 100% fail rate, the testing would be too onorous. Therefore the examiners would be required to come up with a "(UN)happy medium, that, by it's very nature, fail a percentage who should have passed, and vice versa.
if a double glazing salesman were to knock on your door offering you his companies services, the likelyhood of him catching you at the precise moment you were about to pick up the phone and call him, are remote, to say the least. The DSA cold called all L.A's a few years ago, and astoundingly, several apparently were just going to call them!
I understand that, at a cost of £100, the DSA test you in your own vehicle. The single vehicle I own is not fit for the purpose of testing, according to their own website. So what vehicle would I take the test in?
Would there be any point in taking a test in a vehicle type I would not be driving? If I was unfortunate enough to fail, would my license be suspended until I retested? And many more points, after I have caught up on my beauty sleep. It's not working, either.

There goes my extra hour.

Well the same could be said of the knowledge tests, except that the DSA test is assessed by qualified folk, unlike the knowledge tests which are assessed by pen pushers.

But don't you think the DSA taxi test is a good way of ensuring existing drivers remain good drivers? To me it's one hell of a deterent.

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IDFIMH

Yes, Jimbo's just proved that A-levels, an Oxbridge degree, the final bar exams, or indeed any proper examination system that you care to mention, is flawed

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

A knowledge test, is by nature an objective test.

A DSA test is a subjective test. The difference being?

The Olympics; The Marathon, first past the post wins, subjective.
Ice dancing, gymnastics, diving, are all judged subjectively.

So, how often would drivers need to be tested, in your opinion, Sussex, to mantain "standards"?

Why would I need to be tested, in any case? I have been a TAXI driver for 20 years. No Accidents, No Injuries to me or my passengers, I hold a full UK drivers license, a full, all types PSV license. And no (upheld) complaints of any description. Why would I need to take a test to prove myself a competent driver? I am not afraid to be tested, I just don't see the need to be tested, at my own expense, in time and money. Is the motivation behind your support of DSA testing merely to set an(other) artificial hurdle in the way of intending applicants to the trade? And let us for once set aside restrictions on plates, which you are in any case, confident will be removed soon. let us pre-suppose that the glorious day of de-limiting has arrived, you want "Quality control" in it's place, do you?

A good friend of mine ( ) sent me this link to a Telegraph story about a top copper wanting everyone to re-test several times in their life.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... ive201.xml

Blimey there will only be me left to meet all that un-met demand.

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IDFIMH

Yes, probably so, because I would seriously consider becoming a DSA examiner. God knows they will need a lot more. It is estimated that there are 35 million qualified drivers in the U.K. If retesting was every 10 years, that would mean 3.5 million ADDITIONAL tests every year. And on top of that, there would be the extra tests required for truck, bus, and taxi/ph drivers. My guess is that would mean an EXTRA 25,000 tests daily.
I reckon they will need thousands of additional testers.And who is going to test the testers? Me? I'm after the job of the tester who tests the testers who tests the testers.
Edmund King, of the RAC says "bureaucratic" Me, I repeat, "jobs for the boys"

Oh, yes, and A level results are so well thought of each year, are they not?

2+2=4 is objective.

An essay is subjective. QED.

I think your dichotomy is a bit simplistic there Jimbo.

There may be a small element of subjectivity as regards driving tests, but to call them subjective is surely overegging the pudding?

For example, in the standard driving test I think you get an quota of minor mistakes, but can't make any major errors - that certainly sounds fairly objective.

Most errors are just box ticking exercises, so to that extent it's objective - eg failing to indicate when changing lanes.

Similarly, if you pull out in front of traffic at a junction and the instructor has to use the dual controls to stop the car then that's a clear dangerous error.

Obviously there will be occassions where what is considered an error will be borderline and thus there may be an element of subjectivity or discretion, but to compare it to gymnastics etc is wrong if you ask me.

But in essence, driving tests are based on objectivity, but perfection in this regard won't always be possible.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

The answer is yes, I think

As for why YOU should be tested Jimbo, the only thing I can think of is impending old age

I've never really advocated tests for existing drivers, but it wouldn't bother me if I had to sit one.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

I think the bigger problem is that people know the rules, but just ignore them, which is due to lack of policing. Yet someone else passing the buck.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

But that's more dumbing down, which is a different issue surely?

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

I largely agree, but what's the point you're making? If the driving test was subjective, what would the problem be?

But even if the test required writing an essay on driving, there would still be an element of objectivity, for example:

How should you turn left out of a T-junction, from approach to exit.

Now if your essay missed out checking your mirrors and signalling, then that would be a quite straightforward objective deduction of marks?

And ditto if you said that you should signal THEN check your mirror, for example.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk