Peter's Academy of Defensive Driving review: Unprofessional and unqualified. 25

I went to this school recently, and paid $407, but I did not get the services I paid for someone left the country with all the money. The driving instructors were protesting and not teaching any students classroom or car lessons as they were not getting paid. I then contacted the MTO, and found out about Leaside Driving Academy. I called the gentleman there then told him about my situation, and he was very kind and offered to give me the services for the minimum amount and he told me he won't make any profit from me. I think that is the best solution call Leaside Driving Academy, they will help you as they are helping me. And I heard they are taking over Peters Driving Academy.

the worst school! I just lost $400! While in class the drivers came to tell us they wil not teach anymore because peter hasn't been paying them forever and he left the country today, emptied all the bank accounts so there was no money for us to be refunded! stay away from this school!

Why does the web still say that the company is still MTO approved?

peter has been shut down
he is still operating from the same locations with the same phone numbers with the school being registered under a relative's name
beware
call the metro licensing commission and the ministry of transportation with all complaints
telephone numbers
[protected]
[protected]

Wow,

Thank you so much everyone.

I'm 21 and was looking for a good driving school to go to. I even dropped by the Pickering location to talk to an instructor (not sure who it was possibly peter). The class room was very small and it seemed that i interrupted the a class as i just stopped by to ask some questions before signing up.

He did seem eager to just get my money now and sign up... "Pay now and come on Saturday" he kept saying. I wasn't so comfortable on that so thought id look up some reviews.

Definitely not going to be going to any of his schools. He is on the list of revoked schools yet he is still trying to get new students...
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/driver/gradu/revoked.shtml

Again Thanks ALL, Saved me my money and allowed me spend it somewhere that will actually teach me.

I am glad to hear that Peter's Academy has been revoked, even if they are still running. It has been over ten years since I took his course with him and I still shake my head at the memory. At the time, I was a scared teenager who just wanted to get her driver's license. He made rude, sexual and racist comments to me and to women we saw in general. He made a friend of mind cry during one of their sessions, also making sexual comments to her, and once, he slapped the back of my neck when I had made a mistake. I was 16 at the time and I was intimidated by him. Sometimes, we drove to his house during the lessons so that he could run his own errands as well. Now I know that none of this should've have happened at all and that the guy was totally unprofessional to say the least. I'm sorry to hear that he hasn't changed at all. I can't speak about the other instructors, but Peter was a rude, unprofessional and abusive. DO NOT TAKE A COURSE WITH HIM.

This guy is so rude! Please dont go to this school. Peter the owner is so mean to the students and has no respect for women. If your a parent please do not send your young daughters there because chances are one of the old men working there will try to hit on them. I heard so many bad stories about this school and about peter himself. Stay far away from this racist/ pervert!

He has been shut down!

PETER'S ACEDEMY OF DEFENSIVE DRIVING ALL BRANCESH HAS BEEN "REVOKED" THEY ARE NOT ELIGIBLE TO TEACH IN CLASS OR IN CAR ANY MORE. PLEASE VISIT MINISTRY OF TRANSPORT WEBSITE AND SEE LIST OF REVOKED SCHOOL LIST. PETER'S SCHOOL ALL BRANCHES NAMES ARE THERE.
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/dandv/driver/gradu/revoked.shtml
OR
VISIT MTO APPROVED DRIVING SCHOOL LIST AND PETER'S ACEDEMY OF DEFENSIVE DRIVING IS NOT THERE ANY MORE.
BUT STILL THEY ARE RUNNING THERE SCHOOL. PLEASE CARE FULL

I cannot speak for the other driving school locations affiliated with Peters Driving Academy but I can comment on its Pickering one. Horrible. Unprofessional. Disgusting! My son learned virtually nothing here except how awesome the owner regards himself as and how much bling and money the owner has, WHO CARES, do your job and teach!
The road instruction was equally terrible. Ten lessons consisted of how many times they could drive through a Tim Hortons drive through and how to fill up the damn gas tank. He stayed on the same streets day after day and not once did he teach him how to park!
Go anywhere else but here! Waste of money, we will start over again elsewhere

Care*

He doesnt car about anyone he is rude and disgusting . That's about it.

DON'T BELIEVE THEM WHEN THEY PROMISE A CERTIFICATE! WE WENT WITH PETER'S BECAUSE OF THEIR REASONABLE RATES AND THE PROMISE OF A CERTIFICATE WHICH WE COULD USE TO OBTAIN REDUCED RATES ON INSURANCE WHEN OUR DAUGHTER GRADUATED.

STILL WAITING...SINCE JUNE 2011! IT IS NOW ALMOST DECEMBER...NEED TO REPORT THESE PEOPLE ASAP.

After reading these comments I have decided to leave one of my own. I took my course at the Warden location my instructor was a man named Marvin he was great he kept everyone involved in the class and was very helpful. He answered every question students had and made sure everyone was on the same page. I thought he was a great instructor and would reccommend him to anyone looking to take this course. On the other hand Peters wife works in the office there and is very rude to all the students. I witnessed her come out of the office during one of our classes she yelled at one of the female students to put her feet flat on the floor and said "This is not your house if you want to act that way here you can just leave we dont want your kind in our class room". Now Im not completely sure what she meant by "your kind" but the girl was chinese so you can draw your own picture from that. Peters wife was rude on more than one occasion and the only class that went very smoothly was the one she wasnt around for, some of their driving instructors are rude and will try to talk students into cutting their in car time down or try to hurry them along threw them just to try and make money quicker. I got lucky and got a good in car instructor that never steered me wrong in our whole process together. I took my test at Vic Park and passed with flying colours but while sitting in the parking lot waiting for my turn I witnessed two different students of peters that looked like they had no idea what they were doing behind the wheel and obviously failed their tests. So my point is to just be cautious of who your instructor is and if you feel your not learning enough switch instructors before its too late and you take your test without being fully ready.

I attended the Pickering location when I was 16 yrs old and can completely attest to all that has been mentioned thus far. Indeed, I remember leaving each 4 hour class with very little additional driving instruction, but greater distaste for Peter's lewd narratives. Today I found out that an instructor of this driving school was charged with sexual exploitation of his students. Apparently, this is not even the first instructor to be charged with the same crime. To be honest, I am not surprised at all. If the owner, Peter, is such a pathetic example of a driving instructor, go figure those under his chain of command would be too. If any parents are reading this, PLEASE send your children, especially your teenage daughters, somewhere else.

Currently in Peter's class, I love it! He's hilarious and I have learned a lot. For the people that call him disrespectful and complain that she swears, grow the f*** up and learn to take a joke and how to handle when someone swears.

I was going to registered my girl to Peter school becasue my sister in law's kids got licence through his driving company. She didn't mention anything wrong on Peter but I am so glad I read all these before put my girl through the hell which I may not know if she didn't tell me. This guy should be investigated and get his company complete shut down. Sorry for the students who went through this B.S. from him.

My daughter attended the warden location, her experience was horrific. the owner Peter (not his real name) is abusive, rude and unprofessional . I went in to speak with him after the last class, thinking that I could carry on a normal conversation with this man.Boy was I wrong! To say he was rude to me is an under statement.The guy swears, has no respect for his students or the people paying him. I will not let this go and am contacting the MTO and the Ministry of consumer services ( he already is on the consumer Beware list). not that I think it will do any good but if I can save one person from having to go threw this abusive behavior I will hqave done my part. Find another school it in your best interest and your childs.

DO NOT GIVE THIS PERSON ONE DIME AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. THE DRIVING INSTRUCTOR HARDLY SHOWED UP. WE THEN FOUND OUT THAT HE HAD QUIT AND HE SCHOOL NEVER INFORMED US. IT TOOK ALMOST A MONTH TO GET ANOTHER INSTRUCTOR. WE ASKED THEM TO HELP BOOK AN APPOINTMENT. NEVER HAPPENED. I COMPLAINED TO PETER. HE SWORE AT ME AND SAID IF I DIDN'T LIKE IT TO SUE HIM. HE WAS RUDE, AND DISGUSTING. HE SHOULD BE SHUT DOWN! IF YOU WANT TO LEARN TO DRIVE DEFENSIVELY AND GET YOUR LICENSE GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!

i agree regarding
"PETER ALSO GOES OUT OF HIS WAY TO MAKE LEWD AND LASCIVIOUS COMMENTS TO HIS CLASS, WHICH IS MADE UP MOSTLY OF HIGH SCHOOL AGE STUDENTS.

PETER MAKES COUNTLESS RACIST, SEXIST, HOMOPHOBIC REMARKS, AND HAS NO ISSUES WITH MAKING VULGAR, OFFENSIVE, OR SEXUAL COMMENTS TO HIS STUDENTS."

I went there a few years ago but never went to get my certificate. I failed my G2 the first time thinks to his excellent instruction. After going to college and passing my test I went back to the Pickering location to get my certificate and get a break on my insurance.
He told me "We don't do that any more" after a 5 minute conversation he took my license to photocopy, called me a liar and told me that
"you people need to tell the truth." I'm not sure we "you people" means, but it' either racist or ageist.
He then told me to, and this is a direct quote, "[censor] off". He still has my license.

I have gone to the warden location, our instructor (i can't remember his name) an older white gentleman, made our experience ( i went as a group with my boyfriend and a friend) wonderful. he was always wililng to stick around and answer questions. he was friendly funny as hell and very informative. I had zero experience prior to attending and found he made me understand everything very well. I have no knowledge of Peter himself and his demeanor and practices, but our instructor was fantastic. he got the knowledge in along side his stories, jokes, and personal experience. It made the long classes go quickly and made it very easy to learn.

I recommend giving it a try.

I completely agree with you. This was the worst 3.5 hours of my life. Everything you said was completely true, I wish I would have read this before going, now I am fighting to get my money back because there is now way I would go to any more classes. Peter would refund my money and I don’t know what to do.

although i must agree that peter is more than a little unprofessional, that does not mean that all locations and instructors are bad... i just wanted to point out that the other locations such as Markham, Morningside, Whitby and even Warden are very different from the Pickering location apparently... i know people that have attended all locations of this school and have receive more postitive than negiative by far.. not saying that i dont believe these situtations happend just saying the common denominator in most complaints are directed towards Peter himself... Who i have dealt with myself and had no problems personally

I went to the school in Pickering. This class is ridiculously over-cramped, peter is extremely rude and harasses the students. I honestly don't have the slightest idea why he is still in business. I didnt learn a single thing, all he talked about was how much money he had, how great his kids are, and his life story of how he came from trinidad.

I was missing one of my sheets and someone asked for another sheet and peter embarassed him infront of the class and never gave him another sheet so i decided to save myself the embarassment. apparently this sheet was important but it really wasnt, i had all my test sheets, signed the attendance and did everything i was supposed to but he said that he wasn't going to give me a certificate because i didnt have that sheet and said he wont give me another chance. my mom called and she said he was extremely rude, and after she left he discussed her business with the entire class! He calls everyone "losers, crackheads, stupid, gay, homo" he swears alot and he has alot of harassment.

NOT RECCOMENDED, please don't go!