A father-of-three from West Sussex has spoken of his frustration after a 285-mile journey to a driving test was cancelled because of a wet passenger seat. Jacob Caroll, 27, had travelled to Scarborough from Chichester after months of failed attempts to book a test closer to home.
Upon arrival at Scarborough Driving Test Centre on 15 December, the examiner refused to sit in the passenger seat after a few raindrops had fallen on it when his wife's grandfather exited the car. Despite Mr Caroll offering a blanket to cover the damp patch, the examiner deemed it unsuitable and cancelled the test.
Mr Caroll, a shift manager, said he had the car professionally valeted before the journey. He described the cancellation as "a joke" and said he now faces waiting until April for the next available test, just before his theory test voucher expires. "I didn't even get the car moving," he said.
The incident has left Mr Caroll feeling anxious about attempting another test. He said the examiner did not mention the weather when taking his name, and that a dark patch on the seat was a stain, not moisture. His mother-in-law, Vicky Bagshaw, said the family's three young children would benefit from him being able to drive.
A spokesperson for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) said it could not comment on individual complaints but encouraged anyone who felt mistreated to report it.
