TGTO

Thank God That's Over. I passed my driving test!! It took David four tries back when he was a teenager--not uncommon. I had 34 years of driving experience on him, however that isn't necessarily a positive. A. I was on the other side of the road. B. I developed a lot of bad habits that I had to unlearn.

Of the four possible maneuvers (back into a parking space that is at a right angle and on the opposite side from the driver; back around a corner; parallel park; K turn, i.e. turn car around), I got the K turn, which I'm fine with. Both of the backing-up maneuvers are very difficult for me. Of the 19 possible show me/tell me questions (how to check brake fluid, how to check coolant level, how to turn on fog lights, how to use front and back demisters, how to check that lights are working, and so on...) the two I got were easy: how to test horn and how do you know if anti-lock brakes aren't working.

The hardest thing is traffic lights and turns (of which there are many on the test). Say you are going to turn right at a red light (this means crossing oncoming traffic b/c I'm on the left side of the road). The correct order: check mirrors; turn on signal; then get in turn lane; brake while in gear (don't go into neutral and coast--put in clutch as you near a stop); then once stopped take car out of gear and put on handbrake; when light turns green, check mirrors then take off handbrake and get in gear and go, checking mirrors again after you turn. That's a lot. And then there's roundabouts. And keeping track of speed limits (I was in 30, 40, and 50 mph zones at different parts of the test).

There are so very many opportunities to screw up over the course of a 45-minute test. You are allowed some minor mistakes but nothing major. Apparently I did well enough. One less source of stress in my life.

It's a gorgeous day so I celebrated my achievement by going to Ross auctions and buying a brass fender for $150--about half the price I've seen in antique stores.
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