A great feeling
It has been a little over two months now since we moved to Sarasota, and it has been quite an adjustment. For the other-half, our daughter and me every day and week is very different to what we were used to.
It was part of the charm to move to the United States, and we had our eyes open to change, but thus far there has been as the Americans say a fair bit of acclimating (sic).
One of the many things we had to do on arriving here, and the list is never-ending, is to take a driving test. We have already taken three driving tests – UK, Illinois and Bermuda, but Florida wanted us to also pass one as driving on an international license has a time limit and also bulks up the cost of car insurance.
My organized-other-half read her theory test book, studied videos, and booked a lesson with Bill the driving instructor and learnt how to drive to pass a driving test, which if you remember is nothing like how one normally drives.
She of course passed, probably with the help of an apple for the teacher.
I meanwhile pitched up at the Department of Motor Vehicles (the dreaded DMV), and winged the 60 question theory test. It is basically common sense and acknowledging that the Americans have their own language.
That was last week, today I went along and had my test, which encompassed driving around a car park slowly, looking left and right continuously, and stopping purposefully at every stop light. Reversing the old fashioned way, i.e. looking back over your shoulder, and parking in a gap, and not properly up against the curb.
There was a question on parking downhill, a three-point turn and an emergency stop at 20 mph, which the examiner thought was stupid. I actually thought that was about the one thing you might take out onto the road.
And after being told I should have looked more frequently when doing my three-point turn, and should’ve indicated a 100 feet before a left turn (the whole car park wasn’t that big) the examiner passed me.
I gave him a huge hug just as I did every other time I passed a driving test, and I maintain that passing your driving test is still such a great feeling. 🚙
Well done mate. Top work!! You never forget passing your driving test do you. My examiner in Sevenoaks was extremely old, he must have been way past retirement age and I wanted to kiss him! I didn’t. But you know what I mean…… 😆
Think about all of things you do in life, but passing your driving test is definitely near the top moments.
Yep CA I’ve experienced the same elation after passing my test years ago…similar to the elation I felt at Wembley when we won promotion to the Premiership.
Hope your thinking of getting a pilots license now ?🤣
On my bucket list, Chris.
Well done CA, I rembember taking both my son and daughter out to a car park first late evening, when no where was there, so they could get a bit familar with the car before going out on the roads and also having some lessons. Couldn’t do that now, as like most places, they are littered with cameras etc and you would probably get someone knocking on your door the next day, wanting to know what you were doing that late at night in a car park! 🙂
Thanks Mike.