As I came into work this morning (21st April 2009) I was listening to the man from the Driving Test ‘agency’ on Radio 4.

The person was asked about the proposals for adding a new section to the test where the examiner gives the trainee driver a set of instructions similar to directions obtained from a passer by,  and whether a trainee would be failed for getting the instructions wrong.

The man from the agency replied , with a straight face, that “We do not fail people. We have people who pass and people who don’t pass”. The Radio 4 interviewer practically wet himself laughing.

Me? I was screaming at the radio again! What the hell are we doing to this country with all this crap about political correctness and not hurting people’s feelings? It is madness I tell you, madness!

There are failures in exams, driving tests and so on, no matter what you call it, they are failures and it is a fact of life. Stop trying to kid on that people don’t fail, they effing well do—I should know, I failed my maths Higher (A Scottish Educational exam) where you get a grade between A and F, I got nothing, not a mention, zilch, bugger all in fact.

I failed it so miserably indeed.
Am I bitter? No.
Has it affected my life since them? Not yet.
Do I care that I failed, well yes I do, but I know for a fact that I did fail, I didn’t not pass!

Cheers.