Brookline Driving School

Never go to this school to take road test any more. One of the examiner, an old guy, the ID/​signature of him is «TN11», has failed me 3 times in a row. I have many years of driving experience, I can’t believe he is so mean to me. I am a Asian, though I am not good at complain, I have to write this review to share.

I signed up for another 5 hours of driving, just to feel better prepared for my road test. The longer I drive with Brookline Driving School, the less optimistic I feel about them. Here are a few things to know, and a little bit about my experiences thus far:
— I specifically requested Manny for my additional 5 hours; Manny was sick, so the school sent me other instructors without previously notifying me.
— I had another instructor for the first time (I did not get his name, but he’s stocky, thick, had dark hair, and had an Italian gangster flair and attitude to him). He kept placing his hands on mine to teach me hand placement and what to do with the gear, which made me feel very uncomfortable. He also made comments like, «Good girl!» which I did not appreciate. I got vaguely ‘rape-​y’ vibes from him and I was glad I only had him for an hour. Of course, this may have been some sort of a cultural thing that I do not understand. He’s also very critical, and a bit condescending so try not to take it personally.
— If it matters to you, most of the instructors are Ukrainian and/​or speak Russian.
— There is a female instructor that talks nonstop about her personal life. It WILL drive you insane, no matter how patient you think you are. She speeds through her turns and criticizes you for speeding a little bit during driving. (The other instructors will encourage slow turns.) As a mental health student, I felt as if I were sitting with another one of my clients.
— If you have trouble with accents like I do, good luck. Try to get Manny. Or the female instructor if you don’t mind the nonstop chatter in your ear.
— All the instructors have their own style, which will conflict with the previous thing you learned from a different instructor. Try to stick to one person to avoid confusion.
— Half of the instructors tend to be unprofessional in various ways (leaving you alone in the driving school’s parking lot for several minutes with the ignition on, talking about awkward personal details, touching your hands, having you pick their friends up, etc.) Keep an open mind and be prepared for anything.
— Whoever picks up the phone is a bit unfriendly or sounds unsure of herself. (Two different people.) Double check to make sure they have the right address and phone number. Double check everything. I once missed a lesson because they wrote my phone number wrong.
— They do specifically tell you what to expect on the test (what questions you’ll need to answer, exactly what type of driving you’ll need to do and where). Despite everything, they make sure you know what to expect.
If it weren’t for the fact that I didn’t want to total my friend’s car during the learning process, I would not have paid money for these classes. I needed to drive something that allowed a more experienced driver to hit the brake if needed, so I had little choice. It also seemed that there weren’t many decent driving school choices in my area to begin with. I haven’t crashed yet, and I do feel that I know enough to be able to prep well for the test on my own.

they were great i had 3 diff instructor everybody was nice i loved vitali he was funny he would tell you what you are doing right or wrong in a very calm way. Yuri was nice too but he came off as rude but overall he taught me how to park and all. I would definitely recommend this place.

I moved here from the UK after having had my UK license for 6 years, so I wanted a few ‘brush up’ lessons and to pass the test as soon as possible. I came to Brookline Driving School after getting very badly let down and losing money to another driving school. The two experiences could not have been more different.
I was able to pay for the Saturday road test over the phone with a card. I booked an hour lesson at the same time, which I was told to pay for either with cash or check on the day. On the day of the lesson, they called me and said that they needed to change the time of the lesson as an instructor was out sick. I was told that the owner would be doing the lesson with me now. Clearly they care about their customers and making sure that nobody is let down or put out. The lesson itself went very smoothly and the instructor made me feel at ease as well as giving me specific advice regarding what the examiner will be looking out for on the day of the test. At the end of that lesson, the instructor said that he would recommend me having another lesson before the test, and offered to find out if there were any cancellations for that Saturday. He called me back and offered me a cancellation slot, which I took.
That Saturday I had my lesson with a different instructor, who was just as calm and patient. I had this lesson right before my test, and he was very reassuring. The test itself was a breeze… the worst part was waiting in line knowing that your turn was coming!
Thanks Brookline Driving School!

Good school. But they don’t have a computer system that tracks their clients and schedules. This is 2015, not 1940. Get with it. Where is the tuition money going that we are all paying you? Get an electronic system to keep track of lessons so your clients don’t have to do all the work, and can focus on their driving skills!

James is the best! The other instructors were also nice, but their teaching methods weren’t as effective with me. James is patient, explains things well and has the best trick for parallel parking. After only one lesson with him, I was parallel parking like a pro! He’s also fairly hands off, once he feels like you can do it on your own, which I found very helpful, because it gave me a better idea of how I would do on the road test, which I just passed today! All in all, everyone there was very nice, but I recommend requesting lessons with James specifically.

I bought the 10 hour package and had Juan for 8 of my 10 lessons. I accidentally missed one but that was my fault. Note, if you are late they will call you and wait at least 10 mins. if you’re not there you will not get a refund for that lesson. A fair policy in my mind.
The rest of the lessons I had with Juan was great. He really helped me master parallel parking, which was what failed me the last time I took my road test. He was very patient and had me practice everything a million times. By the end of it, I was parallel parking like a champion. I never felt unsafe and he helped me become a more confident driver. I passed my road test in NYC thanks to Juan’s help! I would definitely recommend Juan.

So, to book your lessons and road test, you have to call the office. I made appointment for 5 hour lessons and road test for June and was asked to pay by 12^th of that month (May), but when I called on the 11^th I was told (very rudely) that I am late in paying my fee and hence my road test dates are being lapsed !!! When I told that the last day to pay the fee was 12^th, the person hung up the phone.
I again scheduled dates for August and took 5 hour lessons with coach Juan A. Martinez. Though language was a problem (with both of us), yet he did his best to teach me as much as he could in 5 hours. I had a bit of problem with indicators etc b’coz I am in a habit of right hand drive, still he was patient and repeatedly mentioned my mistakes so that I may rectify them. He was very patient and made me practice parallel parking almost 15 – 18 times and by the end of my lessons I was pretty comfortable with both parallel parking and three point turn.
On the day of road test, I reached the driving school coz nobody told me that the driving test is done near Brookline High School, so I had to rush from school to the test place. The road test went fine and I am glad that I got my driving license in the first go. I hope this review helps people who are looking to book classes with this school. 5 stars for Juan, zero for admin.
Thanks Juan! :)

I took the week of intensive class option that they have. The room was a bit cramped, but the person who taught my class, Ilya, was great. I thought I would not enjoy myself as much as I did. Granted it was not the most fun I’ve ever had in my life, but I had more fun than I thought. Favorite day was when Ilya brought in goggles that showed you what you would see when at various levels of intoxication. Ilya does not always do the class room portion, but it’s a good choice from my experience.

I was practicing with them before taking my driving test this week, and I’m so glad that I chose them! The instructor from Dominican Republic was a very nice and experienced driver and he gave me great advice about how to do well in parallel parking, which I’m least good at. Highly recommended!

I signed up for the ten lessson driving course and after my first lesson with a very rude, mean russian man, I was ready to find another driving school. The staff at Brookline certainly weren’t the reason I was going to continue using there services. Not until I read some reviews about a driving instructor named Juan!
If you already know how to drive and just want to touch up on your skills, I reccommend the 5 or 10 lesson course with Juan. He is so helpful, calm, and positive every lesson! Instead of berating you and making you feel like you can’t drive if you make a mistake, he teaches how to correct it and become a better driver. When I started with that first lesson, I felt so defeated and after taking 9 more lessons with Juan, I signed up to take the driving test and passed! There is no way I could have done it without him. Make sure to request him if you decide to use Brookling Driving School!

After a really bad experience with one of the people at the phone the owner gave me a all back and was very nice and helpful. I decided to schedule the lesson only because of him but they should be a little more careful with who they put on the phone.

My experience in general was pretty positive with Brookline Driving School. I hold a foreign driving license but I needed to do the test here to get a US license. I picked the school because they have Saturday driving tests, they provide a car and they provide a sponsor. This was much easier for me than going through the DMV! I was able to get a lesson and a test within a month of contacting them. I had an hour driving lesson and then took the test a few days later. Test was less than 10 minutes long and straightforward on very empty streets and I passed!
The only negative is that their costumer service is a little brisk! About a week before my payment was due, somebody from the office rang asking very rudely where my money was and demanded that I pay immediately or my test would be cancelled! The day of my lesson, they changed the meeting point and asked if I could come early (no big deal really, it was more the manner in which they ask!). The guy giving the lesson was really very nice but it took me a while to realize that as he was quite hard to understand! The morning of the test was chaotic — peoples tests had been cancelled by the DMV and so the DMV testers and the man from the driving school were having a heated arguement! It all seemed a bit chaotic but may have been just a once off and not a regular occurence.
Overall it served my purpose extremely well but not sure I could recommend this place for everyone!

I took several lessons with Brookline Driving School over the course of my last semester in college (it was my first time driving ever). At the end of the semester I took a road test and passed.
The lessons prepared me very well for the test. However, the instructors on staff vary greatly in quality. I’ve taken lessons with 6 different instructors, and was only satisfied with two: Ina and Juan. I ended up specifically requesting Ina and Juan when I scheduled lessons, and was very glad I did. (Juan especially is a lovely guy and a fantastic teacher.) If you decide to take lessons with Brookline Driving School, definitely request them!

I had no driving experience whatsoever when I took my first lesson with the Brookline Driving School. I did 1.5h trial with Juan, and then signed up for 10h. I had various instructors throughout: Victor, Boris with glasses, Boris without glasses and Juan. I have to say that every instructor is a bit different but they are all patient and extremely helpful! I would perhaps recommend asking to always keep the same instructor because it helps them to get to know you and you get used to their style. The hardest part for most drivers is parallel parking and they do a good job explaining it, but you just have to do it a million times to get it. I think I would have preferred to practice it more times with the instructors, but sometimes you waste time in traffic getting to/​from where you will be practicing, so it does not always work out.
I then scheduled my road test also through the school (about two months after I took my first class) and it was easy. I passed on the first try! You will be familiar with the street where you will take your exam and will know exactly what to expect!
I think the price is very reasonable, too (360 USD for 10 hours). The owners are Russian-​speaking, so it was a bonus for me. Sorry if they feel grumpy, but they can come off that way! :-) Good luck!

I did 10 hours with these guys and they were great! Victor, Juan and this other guy who’s name I just can’t remember were all very good! Passed the road test on my first try!
If you do book lessons, do fridays (victor), and mondays (juan for parallel parking). Good luck!

Poor service?
More like great service!
After my first exam I was rejected because my permit was all folded up, and then I lost my permit the next time I was suppose to take it. On both occasions I got a discount on my next exam.
Additionally these teachers are great and push students to their limits. I was stressed out, I was pissed but I never quit.
Brookline driving school is aces and they are worth a shot for anyone considering getting their license. I passed FINALLY last week the first time I was finally able to take the exam. And I thank it completely to this school. Great service, great classes.

1 star it too much for me i never complain about the service even their were rude to me but this time it really disappoint i have one hour lesson for road test but the person who teach me doesn’t teach about the road test he just teach about how to drive that i really know i paid 40 $ and register road test class not formal drive he said because he has the student before me and after me so he can not teach me about the road test and then i ask for the road test that i register for lesson he book me to the lesson and after that he ask me for 40 $ again. This situation it not my fault this schol so rude vere rude

The person who answered the phone (I’m assuming is the boss) is SO SO RUDE. He wouldn’t even let me speak and started yelling at me… Like do you want customers or not? My god.
I also remember the driver instructor I had said his boss was awful. I’m assuming it’s the same man. The instructor was awesome though.

I just called to book appointments for both driving lesson and the road rest,
The person I talked to was very rude, mean and not helpful at all.
I am sure there are great teachers in this school but having person like this to answer the phone call is not a good idea. I am not sure if he teaches the lessons but I truly don’t want to learn how to drive from someone so inpatient, careless and rude.