Two wheels good.

[Hooli]

When it comes to getting a pupil through their test sometimes we got lucky. Here's a case in point.

The DSA were pretty regimented on what routes they took candidates on their test. This helped us take pupils on the test routes to get them up to speed on the sneaky one way streets and stop signs.

One lad was on his test. We weren't hopeful for a pass as his slow speed control was a bit shit and despite our best efforts, he'd only manage a perfect feet up U Turn maybe 50% of the time.

During his test the examiner took him to this DSA approved road to do his U Turn and emergency stop.

uturnrd1.PNG

During his set piece, the local feral teenagers started throwing rocks at not just our pupil, but the examiner too!

Needless to say, this meant that the examiner shat himself and instructed our pupil to get the fuck out of Dodge ASAP and head back to the test centre. The examiner, being a decent bloke, gave our lad the benefit of the doubt and passed him!

From then on, until the DSA test changed, all U turns and emergency stops were carried out on this road instead...

uturnrd2.PNG

Although a pretty non descript road in a middle class area, it will be familiar to some on the beige for being the road that the fabled Wirral Yugo Sana is situated off.

Part of that reminds me slightly of my test. I couldn't do U-turns for the life of me, dunno why as the rest of the slow speed stuff was easy enough. Fluked a damn good one on the test though. One of the first things I did when I got a proper bike on the road was ride around car parks for a few hours till I'd cracked it.

[paulplom]

It wasn't a left hand turn by any chance was it?

[Hooli]

Fuck off...

No U-turns are to the right.

[panhard65]

Fuck off...

No U-turns are to the right.

Only in the UK, it now becomes clear how that phone got lost in Europe. Did it involve a dead end road by any chance ?

[Hooli]

As it happens, no it didn't.

[paulplom]

What's the crack with the cbt? Is the boy allowed to do it even though he hasn't ridden a moped?

[Hooli]

That's the whole point of a CBT, it teaches total beginners to ride well enough to be safe* on the road. It starts off with the basics of 'this is the throttle, this is a brake' etc.

[paulplom]

There's a big, usually empty carpark at the Royal Quays. I might take him there for a blast.
He had a run up the back lane and seemed confident enough.

[DodgeRover]

Get him to practise looking/ knowing what's happening behind him, if there's mirrors make sure he's using them.
It's vital on a moped when faster drivers will try and force their way passed at the most inappropriate moment.
He wants to be riding about 2/3rds of the way towards the white line which means he's got room to get out of the way if needs be.

[paulplom]

He does around 3k a year on his push bike. I like to think he has some idea and awareness. Although being amongst the traffic is different altogether.