A warning not to cough under any circumstances, an instruction to keep windows open in the driving rain, and glasses fogging up due to a facemask were among the complaints made by learners following the resumption of driver testing by the Road Safety Authority.
The issues were among 61 written complaints made to the RSA since driving testing restarted in mid-July after the Covid-19 lockdown.
One candidate explained how they had asthma and had advised the instructor they had recently changed inhaler and might need to cough.
“I was advised that if I coughed at any stage the test would be over immediately,” wrote the candidate. “This was difficult to control while under exam pressure, and added a huge amount of unnecessary stress.”
Another said it seemed strange that an instructor had only used a mask with them, and not with other people they were dealing with.
“[The staff member] was talking with other Irish without having the mask but to me was … using the mask; is that because I’m from different skin colour?” they asked.