Dilip Kuner
WHAT should have been the most nerve-wracking day of their lives turned into an outright fiasco – when their driving instructor was caught over the alcohol limit during a test in Palma, Mallorca.
Three hopeful learners climbed into the car on August 12 for their practical exams, only to have their dreams smashed within minutes. As the first candidate hit the road towards the airport, they ran straight into a Guardia Civil checkpoint.
The officers didn’t just test the learner – they breathalysed the instructor in the passenger seat… and he failed.
Tests showed he was over the legal alcohol limit, forcing the exam to be abandoned on the spot. Furious parents say the man had been ‘risking the kids’ lives all morning’ during earlier lessons.
One shaken learner told local media: “I thought he was just nervous, but now I wonder if he was drunk from the start.” Another added: “He was acting weird – laughing too much, touching people, nothing like his usual self.”
Worse still, the learners claim the driving school has washed its hands of the scandal. They say the manager refuses to compensate them, won’t cover extra costs, and is insisting they pay the official fees again to rebook their tests.
The Guardia Civil has launched an investigation, and the families have filed complaints with Spain’s traffic authority.
Shockingly, it’s not the first case of boozed-up instructors on the island – earlier this year, several were caught driving under the influence of drink or drugs.
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