Edit: Sorry really long.


I hate it when my kid works really hard for something and she gets let down. Yes I know it is part of life and they will get shot down many more times.

Soooo dilemma. My daughter has had her driver permit for just a few days short of a year. She has taken driving education class and has been practicing. She had been doing very well. She took her driving test this morning. We are 6th in line. 2 boys and 3 girls ahead of us. Well, both boys high five parents and drive away and the 3 girls leave in tears. Yup you guessed it, she flunked. She was girl 4 to leave in tears.

Now I am not a parent who will make excuses. If she was not ready or did something bad I will me the first to say ok, we need to work some and try again. I was shocked to see that she was back in 3 minutes, WTF!!! Come to find out she was at the stop light heading east. The ambulance base is just a short ways down the road, it came out and approached the intersection heading west bound. She was already stopped waiting for the light to change and if she had pulled to the right she would have entered the intersection blocking the south road and ran the red light. She stayed right where she was and waited for the ambulance to pass. He failed her on the spot for not moving. Now I guess I would have failed myself because I would have done the same thing. I spoke to an officer I know and he said that to would have stayed put also.



Ok after all this background when my kid gets home from school, and I know most of you have young kids but I will ask anyway. I want to be able to have her smile a little and since she will be 17 tomorrow and pretty much an adult how do you think I should handle this?


1) Do I just leave it be and tell her again I am sorry she didn't make it and we are trying again. Ya I know be the adult mommy type person.

or.....

2) Should I tell her that she has every right to be pissed, the fucker boned her and if we get him again she should go right for the gravel pit drop the Jeep in low and take that SOB for the ride of his life. Then of course tell her that noooo we can't to that after I see her pretty smile and then do number 1.

Option 2.

I though you were required to stay out of the way of an ambulance. What a dick.

Yup I went for 2! She knows that what happens happens and ya need to deal but the guy was....well

Posted by shellyl 1) Do I just leave it be and tell her again I am sorry she didn't make it and we are trying again. Ya I know be the adult mommy type person. or..... 2) Should I tell her that she has every right to be pissed, the fucker boned her and if we get him again she should go right for the gravel pit drop the Jeep in low and take that SOB for the ride of his life. Then of course tell her that noooo we can't to that after I see her pretty smile and then do number 1.

Both. She's obviously going to take the test again, and she may even be disappointed (ripped off) a second time. Tell her she did very well (obviously) and that the next time she does the test, she'll do even better.

Of course, she is going to hear this, turn to look at you, and scream "MOM...you don't know ANYTHING. GET OUT OF MY LIFE."

parenting...it has its own pleasures.

I would question the examiner.
If you are stopped, in many states you are not required to move UNLESS you are obstructing the lane of traffic.
Further, you are not required to do something:
--Illegal or
--UNsafe
in order to yield right of way to an ambulance.
There are grey areas and there are grey areas.
I think the examiner is an asshole.

Posted by KublaKhan Both. She's obviously going to take the test again, and she may even be disappointed (ripped off) a second time. Tell her she did very well (obviously) and that the next time she does the test, she'll do even better. Of course, she is going to hear this, turn to look at you, and scream "MOM...you don't know ANYTHING. GET OUT OF MY LIFE." parenting...it has its own pleasures.

She did kinda say that. She said "MOM!!!!! you said I was ready to take it you don't know anything !"

Posted by DevilC I would question the examiner. If you are stopped, in many states you are not required to move UNLESS you are obstructing the lane of traffic. Further, you are not required to do something: --Illegal or --UNsafe in order to yield right of way to an ambulance. There are grey areas and there are grey areas. I think the examiner is an asshole.

They don't give you a chance to talk with them. While they are still in the car they print out the sheet, tell you pass or fall and then go to the next car in line. By the time she explained it to me he was gone with the next kid. Yup he was an asshole for sure.

She is taking it again next Tuesday. I hope this guy does not work every Tuesday.

You can file a complaint, but either way she has to re-take the test. A driver in England was failed for splashing a pedestrian which isn't even a law. I have to take my motorcycle test soon and I went to the DMV for a book. They wouldn't give me a book or answer any questions I had saying that I did not need to take the test as I drove a scooter....So ..What if I want to get it anyways?

Also, staying put is the best options usually for emergency vehicles. If the driver wants you to move he will blare his horn and come up behind you. Your more dangerous if your moving out of there way. Wait till there behind you and telling you to move as you can use there sirens to safely cross the intersection.

...or we (parents in general) can tell them to get over it, study, practice and do the whole fucking thing again.

Disappointment: it's part of growing up and learning to manage your expectations.

Get this printed on a t-shirt and give it to her as a Second Prize reminder.

Consider the benefits of this disappointment: you won't have to drop cash to insure her as a driver, you won't spend your days/nights worrying about her behind the wheel, and you won't have to spend more on gas, which, as I've heard recently, is quite expensive, in short supply, and is generally responsible for fucking up the air quality.

This is a WIN for you. If she gets snippy (what...a teenaged girl getting snippy? GTFO), tell her you'll buy her a cute little pony instead. Or a scooter with a bell.

Most of all...and I know this sounds cruel...have fun with it. The laughter you have now will balance out the fear/misery/headache you get later after she actually passes the test.