The Driving Test

I hate tests.

Always have, always will.  I am much better with assignments.  At school, I got As for my assignments and barely scrapped by on my exams.  Exams just make me get all nervous and forget everything under the time pressure.


I especially hated that I had to undergo a test as an adult, against my will really, with a stranger eyeballing my every move.  I didn't get my learners until I was married, and only went through the ordeal of learning to drive and sitting my restricted when I was 7 months pregnant with Jaimee and facing a life stuck at home if I didn't go through with learning to drive.

So you may understand why I had been putting off sitting my full licence for...oh about 5 years now.It didn't really bother me about having to be home by 10pm, and I can take my own kids on my restricted, so who cares.  But now Jaimee is at school, and we have a people mover, I realised that the time had come to get this thing sorted.  Especially after Jaimee's teacher had to drive my car while I sat beside her in the passenger seat on a class trip last year.  How embarrassing.

So I booked it in, feeling a little smug as I had managed to book in the test AFTER they swapped around the full and restricted tests a bit (meaning I was doing another 20 minute test like I had done to get my restricted) and also just days BEFORE the give way rules changed over!  Good timing, me thinks.

I didn't sleep a wink last night.  All I could think about was railway crossings, road works and blind spots.  And then, to top it all off, the wettest darn downpour this year.    I 'woke' up with my heart racing and a sore tummy.  Oh the joy of anticipation.

When I got to the testing station, I realised I had left my license in the car (I had already done my paperwork two days earlier).  So I sat there wondering whether I should run and get it, or whether I should stay in the room in case the tester was looking for me being there the mandatory 10 minutes early.  I didn't leave.  She didn't come early.  When she did come, she asked for my license.  I ran to the car.  Not a great start on the nerves.

Luckily, the tester was very lovely.  She told me that she had a daughter who was also putting off sitting her full as I told her about my three sweet young children on the way to the car (hey, had to get a sympathy vote after forgetting my license!).  I did inform her I was nervous, and that I do have a tendency to get my right and left confused under pressure.  She gave me a pen and told me to write a big L on my left hand.  It worked too!

Of course, it decided to rain during my test.  Or should I say drizzle.  I spent half the test trying to work out whether to put my wipers on steady or just occasionally.  It changed depending on which way we were facing.

I constantly checked things off mentally as I drove...speed...mirror glance (my driving instructor recommended M.I.B - checking Mirrors every time I used my Indicator or Brake)...side streets...stop sign (3 seconds mandatory).  I  got down to 30km for the roadworks (pointless of course as 10 metres down the road it was back to 50km) and remembered to check the railway crossing.  There was one moment of panic as a kind driver tried to wave me on when I was meant to be giving way to him.  I returned the wave with a nervous glance at the instructor, who seemed to be constantly writing on her pad.  Gulp.  Did I mention I hate tests?

As I pulled up at the testing station with a sigh of relief that it was all over, the lovely instructor told me "I am pleased to let you know that you did pass..." I waited for the BUT.  Nope, she just added "Nice drive".

Whew.  Done.  Wishing her safe driving tests for the rest of the day, I drove happily off with my new paper in my hot little hand to break the news to the husband that now I can stay out late and drive strangers.  Wahoo!