A father who journeyed more than 285 miles for his driving test was left gobsmacked when an examiner declared it couldn’t proceed because the passenger seat had “a few raindrops on it”.
Jacob Caroll, 27, had been attempting to secure a driving test appointment near his home for months.
However, after struggling to find an available slot, the father-of-three decided to expand his search radius and began looking near his wife’s grandparents in Scarborough – almost 300 miles away.
Much to his joy, he managed to book one and ensured the car was professionally valeted before embarking on the epic journey north.
Yet, upon arriving at the test centre on a wet day with his wife’s grandfather, a few droplets had landed on the passenger seat as he exited the vehicle.
He alleges the examiner refused to occupy the passenger seat due to the damp upholstery and also turned down his offer of a blanket to sit upon.
Following his unsuccessful attempts to persuade the examiner, Jacob was informed the test had been cancelled and he would need to reschedule.
Jacob, a shift supervisor from Chichester, West Sussex, said: “It was just a few raindrops and she patted it and said she couldn’t do it. It’s literally a joke.
“The next one there is April, just before my theory runs out. I didn’t even get the car moving.”
Jacob has revealed the entire encounter at Scarborough Driving Test Centre on December 15 has left him feeling “anxious” about attempting another test.
He said: “The first interaction was when they take your name and she didn’t say anything about the weather. It was chucking it down and we went to the car.
“I’ve opened the door and she said she couldn’t sit in it. There’s a dark patch on the seat, but it’s a stain and that wasn’t wet – I had the car professionally cleaned the day before.
“I’ve leaned back to get a blanket […] and before I put the blanket down, she said she can’t sit on it because it’s all creased up. She went to sit on and then said she couldn’t do it. She walked off and said I had to pay for another test and that was it.”
Jacob’s mother-in-law, Vicky Bagshaw, 46, expressed her disbelief at the situation.
She said: “They have three small kids and him being able to drive would take a massive load off my daughter. He’s a very competent learner driver and is insured on their car.
“He was shocked. He wasn’t allowed to speak to anyone to dispute it.
“A couple of driving instructors were waiting with their pupils and they were absolutely flabbergasted. She didn’t attempt to sit on it, she had a long coat, it was literally sheeting rain on the seat and that was it, a few drops.
“He was so upset. They’d paid for a hotel, gone all the way up there and paid for a test he’s never got to do.”
A spokesperson for the DVSA said: “DVSA cannot comment on individual complaints. We would encourage any learner driver who feels they have been mistreated to report it to us at the earliest opportunity.”
