Road Test Adventures

It was road test day. 

It was also, a whole bunch of hurry up and wait.  I arrived in time for a 6:30 appointment and didn't drive until almost 8.  It's very confusing here, so when your name is called, it's best to follow.  Quickly. 

As I am led to a car, they point, and I assume they want me to get in.  Since I was first to the car, I got in the drivers seat.  Lucky me, first up!

That's when I found myself in a world of frustration. 

First I adjusted all the mirrors and my seat, as she told me to go, I put my sun glasses on.  Big no no apparently.  Since there is a huge language barrier here, I wasn't sure what she was saying, but it was to remove my sunglasses.  First strike.  I guess seeing the road isn't important when the sun is glaring in your eyes ;).

Driving in a small car, going over LARGE speed bumps, means bottoming out, over both of them.  That was fun, and I cringed each time we slowly went over each one. 

Merging left to get out from behind a bus as arrows pointed that the lane was ending left me questioning whether the sign was accurate or not, but since I was behind a ginormous bus, I took my chances and turned on the signal to get over, and looked over my shoulder to check the lane, and started to merge....Enter, horn happy local, who was pretty far away from me, but didn't want a school driver in front of him, so he laid on the horn.  I had plenty of time to get over and didn't cut anyone off, but the driving instructor said, you didn't look, to which I quickly said, that yes, I had looked and it was fine.  Then I cringed for standing up for myself...  :)

Next, my biggest worry was in front of me.  A very busy roundabout. The language barrier proved to be difficult as to what I was being asked to do, so, I tried to clarify, to which the reply was, ma'am, this is a test.  Um, Hello!  I do need to understand where I am going, do I not?  Haha!  I managed to get through and go the right way in spite of this, and drove and drove, what seemed like forever.  Then got a tisk tisk sound from her as I entered another roundabout without my blinker.  Who does that?  There is no where else to go? The round about entrance is just that, an entrance to go forward.  I noticed the others around me hadn't received that memo either.  She also instructed me to speed up on certain roads that I knew had a speed limit of 50, in a construction zone, no less. I made sure she knew I saw the sign and what speed it said...She didn't care.  Speed up, woman. LOL.

Anywho, after several other things she had me do, she told me to pull over, to which, I again didn't understand and had to clarify.  I felt like a little kid. 

Next up were the two ladies in the back seat.  One gets out, and drives a whole 5 minutes, and is told to stop. and I felt my life flashing before my eyes as she quickly drove a roundabout.  She is told to  stop and next up is the younger girl who struggled as well with her 5 minute drive. She was also told to pull over as the instructor chastised her as she asked me to get in the drivers seat. 

AGAIN!

Oh my goodness. I had to drive us back.  So, twice I drove, the first time she was marking my skills, (Haha) and the second time she was just barking difficult to understand directions.  We got to our destination in one piece! (I was actually quite glad to be the one behind the wheel again to drive us back after the other two were so scared.) Before we left the car, the instructor starts reading our names, and to my surprise, after being so rough on me, she passed me, and not the other two unfortunate souls that were in the backseat. 

I had to wait for paperwork with the rest of the approximately 100 other women who were also driving this morning, to get our approval or disapproval for licensing.  That basically ate up the day, when finally, I was again victorious and was able to leave and never return, with license in hand.  Hallelujah!

About 70% did not pass this portion.  I know because they announce if you failed, when calling your name to hand out the papers after the testing. How embarrassing. 

I am so glad that is done!

Now I am legal, and know to use my blinker when entering a roundabout...when others here couldn't care less about that blinker.  ;)