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Here are my impressions of AH (plus free driving tips!):
I had my driving test today in Arden Hills and it went very well actually. It's a closed course, which I like, since you get to go as slow as you'd like. The first you're required to do is identify how to do certain things -- e.g., put on your seatbelt, adjust your seat, adjust your mirrors (very important for parking, do ahead of time), turn on your signal light, hazard lights (double-blinkers), headlights (dim and high-beam), windshield wipers, and emergency brakes.
Then you make a right out of your designated lane (signal every turn!) and perform the 90-degree back-up between two flags spaced nine feet apart. Drive up perpendicular to the flags and then turn left a little bit until you can see the flags in your rearview mirrors; then put the car in reverse. But be sure to stay on your side of the road. The key on that maneuver is to guide the right side of the car into the spot first by using the passenger-side mirror. As soon as the right rear wheel clears the first right flag, turn the wheel as sharp as you can to the right so you pivot the back-end in straight. Look out the left window to make sure you're okay on the other side and to also show the instructor that you're alert, aware, and observant. But the left side should take care of itself since you're basically pivoting around the right flag. As your car straightens out, adjust the wheel accordingly so you go in straight. As soon as the front-end is completely in the designated area put the car in park.
Then you'll be asked to make a right out of that spot onto the rest of the course and at the end of the block you'll come to a stop sign. Stop BEHIND the white line and stop completely. ZERO movement. Don't roll through the stop sign even if that's what you, your friends, and parents do in real life. Then you'll take another right toward the stoplight intersection. Before you do that, make sure you look in both directions at least once -- toward the flow of traffic (although there is little to none on your road test) going your way once, then the other way, and then again the other way. Exaggerate your head motions even if you feel weird doing so. Make sure your eye motion is genuine and in each of those directions, as well. The instructor will be checking for that. Also, when you do make your turn, ensure that you ALWAYS go in the lane closest to you. For instance, if you're turning right, go into the right-most lane; if you're turning left, go into the left-most lane. Take it slow down that stretch. My instructor then told me to take a left at the stoplight. Since the road had lanes on it, it's important to signal, use your mirror, look over your shoulder, and then go (the "SMOG" -- signal, mirror, over the shoulder, go -- routine) for each lane you cross. When I came to the light, it was red; I was in the left-most lane and I had my left signal on.
When the light turned green I looked right, then left, and then right again before turning left and then was instructed to take a right (right signal) and then another right (ditto) and then I came to an "uncontrolled intersection" -- i.e., intersection with no light, stop-sign, or other traffic control directions. Gently apply light, constant pressure to the brake to show that you know that you're supposed to yield; look in each direction at least once. Coming to a complete stop isn't necessary. Again, exaggerate your head motions. Even turning your shoulders a little can't be a bad thing.
After that, I don't accurately recall the rest of the route, but I was required to parallel park about midway through. Signal to the right before you do your parallel park, give yourself 1-2 feet between your car and the edge of the space, align your back bumper along the front flag, look behind your left shoulder before initiating the turn to check for oncoming traffic, and then turn your steering wheel nearly all the way to the right. Guide yourself back slowly and adjusting the wheel as you see fit. As soon as your front tire completely passes the front flag and your back end is as near to the curb as you can get, then turn your wheel as sharply as you can to the left and slowly continue to back into the space straightening out as you go. Adjust the wheel as you see fit. Getting close to the curb (without hitting it) while being straight is the goal. Go forward one time if necessary in order to get closer to the curb. You should be roughly centered in the spot.
When coming out of the parallel park, back up a little bit if you need to. Trust your mirrors and never ever hit the flags, as that represents hitting another car. Then signal left, put the car in drive (or first gear if it's a manual transmission), look into your left mirror for traffic, then over your shoulder and then gradually pull out and listen for your driving instructors next directions while moving.
Later on, I had to park down "a hill" (a slight down-sloping incline). I signaled right, pulled up slowly to the curb while slowly putting pressure on the brake, stopped, turned my wheels toward the curb, put the car in park, and applied the emergency brake. After the driving instructor assesses that, do your SMOG. If you get an instructor whose routine entails parking uphill, do the same, but point your wheels out toward the road. (Should your wheels ever give way while parked, the curb will stop them.)
The last "obstacle" that can really hurt your chances of passing is when you turn right onto a one-way street with four lanes. You instructor will ask you ahead of time to take a left at the end. Of course, when turning right, you signal, exaggeratedly look both ways, and then pull into the right-most lane. From there what gets a lot of people into trouble is that they move over three lanes in one motion. However, it's imperative to resist that temptation even though that's what nearly everyone does at some point in their driving careers on the freeway. You actually need to SMOG for every single lane change. Also, the stretch of road is only about a block long or less, so you need to go slow enough (10 mph or less) in order to get all your SMOG-ing in. Signal, mirror, over the shoulder, go (lane change). Signal, mirror, over the shoulder, go. Signal, mirror, over the shoulder, go. Then signal left again and then make your left-hand turn.
After the test is over, you'll be asked to park on a curb by your instructor, who will tell you how you did (pass or fail) and what you need to improve on. If you pass, you go through the side door to fill out the form for your drivers license and get a new ID picture. Your new state-issued ID should come in maybe 3-4 days.
Some final notes:
-Definitely keep your speed on the slow side. Even 15+ mph seems too fast for the course even though the speed limit is technically 30 mph. I think I averaged maybe 12 mph throughout. Whatever you do, don't vary your speed too excessively and don't accelerate or stop at a light or stop sign too suddenly. Keeping things relatively constant shows that you have good control over your car.
-Of course, when in doubt, use the SMOG routine (learned about it on the Internet and maybe it comes up in drivers ed but I never took it). Signal the direction you're going to turn or make a lane change in, look into the relevant Mirror, then Over the shoulder, and then Go.
-And if you think the course is this crazy thing with weird obstacles and traps scattered throughout, it isn't. It's like a little over 2 blocks wide by 2 block long with wide streets. This goes for pretty much all closed course DMV's. The entire test takes maybe 10-15 minutes. (Or 1 minute if you hit a flag on your 90-degree back-up right off the bat.)
-The best thing you can do to prepare is to practice your 90-degree back-up parking (using a nine-feet wide parking space) and parallel parking (using cones or dividers 25 feet apart). Practice it frequently leading up to the test until you're dead bored with it. It'll also soothe your nerves considerably on the day of the test since you'll be far more confident. Lack of parking preparation and nervousness are often far more responsible for failed driving tests than ignorance of road laws.
-Using the smallest car in your family is best for maneuverability's sake.
-Always keep both hands on the steering wheel at all times, unless you're stopped and changing gears (drive to reverse, for instance). Keeping them at roughly the 9'oclock and 3'oclock positions is good. One-handed driving at any time will be an automatic fail to many instructors.
-Don't crank up the tunes, put your arm out the window, or do anything to act cool. You have the rest of your driving career to do that. Getting the right to that in the first place is your goal.
-Be polite and cordial toward your instructor. Don't be afraid to ask questions if you need to.
My experience with Arden Hills was great. I had a really nice lady for an instructor the course was really simple. I passed easily on my first try. I had only two points deducted and that was because I parked a little bit too far from the curb on my downhill park, which I realized, but it was a little too late to correct the last few inches. Good luck to all future takers!
This is very helpful to me, and I'm glad that this is a recent post. I am taking my this July 30th (excited but nervous). I don't know why but it bothers me how these people are so uptight and never smile. I took my written test there and they are almost-always giving "are you deaf that you can't hear me" attitude. I really wanted to take it in Plymouth but no more space.
This is very helpful to me, and I'm glad that this is a recent post. I am taking my this July 30th (excited but nervous). I don't know why but it bothers me how these people are so uptight and never smile. I took my written test there and they are almost-always giving "are you deaf that you can't hear me" attitude. I really wanted to take it in Plymouth but no more space.
Don't let the instructor intimate you. You might even casually mention to him when he first gets in, that you are in complete control of this 2-ton combination of steel, plastic, electronics and gasoline that is capable of developing 50 tons of force if you were to crash it into an imovable object at even just 30 mph. I guarantee you that he probably won't even take his pen out of his pocket the whole time but just sit there all silent like glancing at his watch.
Don't let the instructor intimate you. You might even casually mention to him when he first gets in, that you are in complete control of this 2-ton combination of steel, plastic, electronics and gasoline that is capable of developing 50 tons of force if you were to crash it into an imovable object at even just 30 mph. I guarantee you that he probably won't even take his pen out of his pocket the whole time but just sit there all silent like glancing at his watch.
Haha. Let's just hope that I get one who woke on the right side of the bed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by asitshouldbe
Watch for the "hidden" no right on red sign, instant fail.
Oh okay. I'll ask my friends to see what they say about that part as well. Thx.
Anyway, I heard that if you do pretty well on the test, then it is not necessary for you to do the parallel/90 degree parking? And if you fail your parallel, there is a chance that you can still pass the test?
Haha. Let's just hope that I get one who woke on the right side of the bed.
Oh okay. I'll ask my friends to see what they say about that part as well. Thx.
Anyway, I heard that if you do pretty well on the test, then it is not necessary for you to do the parallel/90 degree parking? And if you fail your parallel, there is a chance that you can still pass the test?
I failed my parallel parking and still passed the test, but that was 15 years ago, in a different town (MN, though). Rolling stops cost me several points, too. I could have sworn I came to a complete stop.
I failed my parallel parking and still passed the test, but that was 15 years ago, in a different town (MN, though). Rolling stops cost me several points, too. I could have sworn I came to a complete stop.
Oh sad. I will remember to come to a complete stop.
Hey guys I read this before I went to Plymouth thinking it would be really hard and it wasn't. I had a nice instructor I did a walk in went there at about 6 got in at 11. Watch what othè drivers are doing if you d a walk in. Walk around the course. It wasn't hard at all. Goodluck!
Here's a few tips that will get you through this course. Right off the bat, buckle up. Both hands on steering wheel. Pay extra attention to one ways as you will be on them right away. there's a section that is one way with 4 lanes and an intersection in between. He'll tell you to take a left in 2 blocks. Look over shoulder at each lane change. Slow down at the intersection but do not stop.(unless car or ped coming) look both ways with your head, not your eyes and get in far left lane. Then pay attention to the street you're turning on to. (1 or 2 way)...They sometimes have pedestrians randomly walking the course, so watch out for them. He'll tell you to park on a hill. it might have a slight up or down grade. (upgrade - wheels turned out) (down - in) emergency break on. He'll tell you to "STOP!" You don't have to slam on breaks. Just come to a quick stop. When parallel parking, put arm over passenger seat and turn your head back, using combination head and mirrors to park. good luck.
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