A man with three children who traveled 285 miles for a driving test, only to have it canceled due to a wet seat, expressed frustration as he now faces a wait until April for a rescheduled test.
Jacob Caroll, 27, had been struggling for months to secure a test slot near his home without success. Eventually, he expanded his search to Scarborough, a significant 300-mile journey from his location, near his wife’s grandparents’ residence.
After meticulously preparing for the test by having his car professionally cleaned, Jacob encountered a setback when a few raindrops reportedly fell on the passenger seat as his wife’s grandfather exited the vehicle at the test center.
Despite attempts to reason with the examiner and offering a blanket to cover the slightly damp seat, the test was abruptly canceled, leaving Jacob with the need to rebook for a later date.
Expressing disappointment, Jacob, a shift manager from Chichester, West Sussex, described the incident as a joke, especially since the next available test is in April, just before his theory test certificate expires, and he did not even get the chance to start the car.
The entire experience at the Scarborough Driving Test Centre on December 15 left Jacob feeling anxious about a future attempt, with the initial interaction at the center on a rainy day adding to his stress.
Jacob’s mother-in-law, Vicky Bagshaw, shared her disbelief at the situation, highlighting the impact on the family, especially considering Jacob’s competence as a learner driver and the support he provides by being insured on their car.
A spokesperson for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) stated that they could not comment on individual cases but encouraged any learner driver who feels mistreated to report such incidents promptly.