Jacob Caroll, 27, a dad-of-three from Chichester, travelled more than 285 miles to Scarborough for his driving test – but says it was cancelled because the passenger seat had ‘a few raindrops on it’
A father-of-three who drove 285 miles for a driving test only to have it cancelled because of a wet seat says he will now have to wait until April before he can take the test again.
Jacob Caroll, 27, had spent months desperately trying to book a test closer to home – but without any luck. After exhausting local options, the dad-of-three expanded his search to Scarborough, near his wife’s grandparents’ home – a staggering 300-mile journey.
When he finally secured a slot, he said he had the car professionally valeted before embarking on the marathon drive. But when Jacob arrived at the test centre, a few drops of rain are said to have fallen on the passenger seat as his wife’s grandad exited the vehicle.
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The examiner reportedly refused to sit on the “slightly damp” seat and even turned down Jacob’s offer of a blanket to place over it. Despite his best efforts to reason with her, Jacob was informed the test had been cancelled and he would need to rebook.
Jacob, a shift manager 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 added that the entire ordeal at Scarborough Driving Test Centre on December 15 has left him feeling “anxious” about attempting another test, adding: “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, spoke of her disbelief at what had happened and of the impact on the family. The 46-year-old 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.”
