Happy go lucky
After the previous post on yielding and not yielding, which I have become much better at, thanks to the regular driving I have been doing, here's something I want to share about my experience of my first road test in US. Does that mean I had to give a second road test? Are you dumb? After driving for so many years in India? etc etc you would ask. Actually, it is kind of justified in the way that ... or let me put it this way. Did you know that in India I did not have to give a road test? So that way no road test in India plus two road tests in US makes it two road tests in total and two driving licenses. Fair enough, is not it? Are you still wondering how I got away without a road test in India? Well, havent you heard of the song "It happens only in India, tan tan tan, tra la la". So all I had to do was join a driving school for 10-15 days, learn to drive and then one day, the driving school gave me the license. Uh yes, authentic. Yes, it was from Delhi State Transport Authority. They had some jugaadh with each other. So that's the story. And ah yes, those were the good old days.
Okay, back to the ishtory. So I got ready early that morning (before 8) and headed for the Driving License Office. Reached within 10-15 minutes, joined the entry line and was directed to Counter no. 4. At the back of my mind I was really confident about getting the license because of previous driving experience. The only thing I felt I could do wrong was that Yield thing etc. But being with an examiner you would be so alert that the probablity of it happening was very small. So, cool and confident I headed to the counter. There was this black huge lady sitting there with thick spectacles. She asked me to sit while she checked my previous records, my social security etc. So far so good. All going well I thought.
The tryst
Then she took my driving permit from me and asked me to do something that I did not catch well because of her accent. So I said, "Sorry, what should I do?". And she snapped back at me, "I ASKED YOU TO STAND AT THE DOOR AND WAIT FOR ME!!". It wasnt just a categorically repeated statement. There was definite anger in her tone and her pitch was raised. My instant wisdom gave the signal, 'It isn't going to be an easy ride'. And yes, she could be one scary woman if she wanted to. My cool confidence dropped a little. That was a sad possibility to think about. But, I still kept my hopes high, nodded and walked up to the door. I told myself, maybe she was one of those people who are harsh on the outside but have a soft inner core. As she came along, I walked out to the parking and went close to my car. I started to open my car door, when she shouted, "STOP! Just stand there! You don't do anything till I ask you to, you understand!" (And from now on, whatever she says, read all caps) No exaggeration here. It was exactly like a cop with a gun in hand would call out at an escaping criminal. It just utterly unnerved me for a second. I think she forgot to add "Or I 'll shoot you!". That would have been more complete rather fitting. In fact, I almost heard it. You can imagine what the future holded (held held) for me (I am nervous you see).
Anyways, she asked me to turn on the indicators and the breaks so she could check they were working. Then she came over to the side of passenger door and said, "Please clean the seat!". I swear the seat just had a minuscule crumb of a biscuit which you could have seen only from very close. But only those with discerning (read discriminating or rather critical, skeptical, cynical)eyes would see it. Anyways, I said, "Oh sorry" and cleaned it fast, trying hard not to give her any other reasons to not give me a license. After sitting she gave me directions like "You need to follow my directions ... bla bla .. lets go to that road and turn right". There I thought came the moment where I could prove myself and all this bad temper stuff would become secondary. I was extra cautious letting all passers by pass, make sure no vehicles were crossing when I turned etc, telling her in my mind, see I am driving so well. I also tried to smile a lot, respond politely, trying to pacify her indirectly.
The revelations
And then it happened! As I moved on to the road, I found a huge truck driving really slowly ahead of us. It was much much below the speed limit, so I just took a decision and moved to the left lane of the road. And she shouted, "Dont move till I give you directions! You are supposed to follow directions! Just do as I tell you. You understand!" For a moment it was a little difficult to understand because it was natural for a person like me who has been driving in roads for a while now. It just comes naturally. It was like getting scolded hard by a teacher in school. It had that effect. I completely forgot that I was a 30 years old married woman. Just felt like a kid who just committed a stupid mistake in some maths problem. But I immediately apologized and waited for her instructions thereon. While all this went on, at some wierd moment, I thought there was resemblance between her and the wolf who impersonates Little Red Riding hood's grandmother in that old fairy tale. Or maybe the Cruella Devil of 101 Dalmatians. And I also got a small kick out of it. (Till then I was still hoping I would get the license).
She tested me for merging lanes, stop signs, signals, U turns. Then came the three point turn. As I made the second turn backwards, I think my car tyre moved onto the grass by like 2 cms! (the grass was on the same level as the road) And there she was starting again. Would you believe if I tell you, I still thought that she was only being very tough with me but ultimately she would give me the license. Out of the 5 stop signs that I encountered, I stopped completely at 4 and may have rolled over one at like 5 miles/hr after seeing no vehicles around. I followed all speed limits except once when while crossing a 35m/hr board, my speed was 37 which became 35 in another 5-10 meters. But she noted all little wrongdoings that I did and completely ignored what I was doing well. At the end, she told me I need to learn a lot about driving. And finally, while getting out of my car, she shouted again, "And you listen to directions!" Swear to God, only once in the beginning while taking the left lane did I defy her. When I looked at the sheet she handed over to me, she had noted that also "Does not follow directions". And then of course there were those, "Rolls over stop signs", "Does not follow speed limits", etc etc. It was a ride of a kind!
Second innings
My second driving test was a cake walk with a very cool headed, linient and rational gentleman taking my test. So I did get my license after all and it was a great moment. All regards to the old lady though. I do not mean she was a bad person, but distress me she did! And of course, I owe her this blog. Back to good old days!
After the previous post on yielding and not yielding, which I have become much better at, thanks to the regular driving I have been doing, here's something I want to share about my experience of my first road test in US. Does that mean I had to give a second road test? Are you dumb? After driving for so many years in India? etc etc you would ask. Actually, it is kind of justified in the way that ... or let me put it this way. Did you know that in India I did not have to give a road test? So that way no road test in India plus two road tests in US makes it two road tests in total and two driving licenses. Fair enough, is not it? Are you still wondering how I got away without a road test in India? Well, havent you heard of the song "It happens only in India, tan tan tan, tra la la". So all I had to do was join a driving school for 10-15 days, learn to drive and then one day, the driving school gave me the license. Uh yes, authentic. Yes, it was from Delhi State Transport Authority. They had some jugaadh with each other. So that's the story. And ah yes, those were the good old days.
Okay, back to the ishtory. So I got ready early that morning (before 8) and headed for the Driving License Office. Reached within 10-15 minutes, joined the entry line and was directed to Counter no. 4. At the back of my mind I was really confident about getting the license because of previous driving experience. The only thing I felt I could do wrong was that Yield thing etc. But being with an examiner you would be so alert that the probablity of it happening was very small. So, cool and confident I headed to the counter. There was this black huge lady sitting there with thick spectacles. She asked me to sit while she checked my previous records, my social security etc. So far so good. All going well I thought.
The tryst
Then she took my driving permit from me and asked me to do something that I did not catch well because of her accent. So I said, "Sorry, what should I do?". And she snapped back at me, "I ASKED YOU TO STAND AT THE DOOR AND WAIT FOR ME!!". It wasnt just a categorically repeated statement. There was definite anger in her tone and her pitch was raised. My instant wisdom gave the signal, 'It isn't going to be an easy ride'. And yes, she could be one scary woman if she wanted to. My cool confidence dropped a little. That was a sad possibility to think about. But, I still kept my hopes high, nodded and walked up to the door. I told myself, maybe she was one of those people who are harsh on the outside but have a soft inner core. As she came along, I walked out to the parking and went close to my car. I started to open my car door, when she shouted, "STOP! Just stand there! You don't do anything till I ask you to, you understand!" (And from now on, whatever she says, read all caps) No exaggeration here. It was exactly like a cop with a gun in hand would call out at an escaping criminal. It just utterly unnerved me for a second. I think she forgot to add "Or I 'll shoot you!". That would have been more complete rather fitting. In fact, I almost heard it. You can imagine what the future holded (held held) for me (I am nervous you see).Anyways, she asked me to turn on the indicators and the breaks so she could check they were working. Then she came over to the side of passenger door and said, "Please clean the seat!". I swear the seat just had a minuscule crumb of a biscuit which you could have seen only from very close. But only those with discerning (read discriminating or rather critical, skeptical, cynical)eyes would see it. Anyways, I said, "Oh sorry" and cleaned it fast, trying hard not to give her any other reasons to not give me a license. After sitting she gave me directions like "You need to follow my directions ... bla bla .. lets go to that road and turn right". There I thought came the moment where I could prove myself and all this bad temper stuff would become secondary. I was extra cautious letting all passers by pass, make sure no vehicles were crossing when I turned etc, telling her in my mind, see I am driving so well. I also tried to smile a lot, respond politely, trying to pacify her indirectly.
The revelations
And then it happened! As I moved on to the road, I found a huge truck driving really slowly ahead of us. It was much much below the speed limit, so I just took a decision and moved to the left lane of the road. And she shouted, "Dont move till I give you directions! You are supposed to follow directions! Just do as I tell you. You understand!" For a moment it was a little difficult to understand because it was natural for a person like me who has been driving in roads for a while now. It just comes naturally. It was like getting scolded hard by a teacher in school. It had that effect. I completely forgot that I was a 30 years old married woman. Just felt like a kid who just committed a stupid mistake in some maths problem. But I immediately apologized and waited for her instructions thereon. While all this went on, at some wierd moment, I thought there was resemblance between her and the wolf who impersonates Little Red Riding hood's grandmother in that old fairy tale. Or maybe the Cruella Devil of 101 Dalmatians. And I also got a small kick out of it. (Till then I was still hoping I would get the license). She tested me for merging lanes, stop signs, signals, U turns. Then came the three point turn. As I made the second turn backwards, I think my car tyre moved onto the grass by like 2 cms! (the grass was on the same level as the road) And there she was starting again. Would you believe if I tell you, I still thought that she was only being very tough with me but ultimately she would give me the license. Out of the 5 stop signs that I encountered, I stopped completely at 4 and may have rolled over one at like 5 miles/hr after seeing no vehicles around. I followed all speed limits except once when while crossing a 35m/hr board, my speed was 37 which became 35 in another 5-10 meters. But she noted all little wrongdoings that I did and completely ignored what I was doing well. At the end, she told me I need to learn a lot about driving. And finally, while getting out of my car, she shouted again, "And you listen to directions!" Swear to God, only once in the beginning while taking the left lane did I defy her. When I looked at the sheet she handed over to me, she had noted that also "Does not follow directions". And then of course there were those, "Rolls over stop signs", "Does not follow speed limits", etc etc. It was a ride of a kind!
Second innings
My second driving test was a cake walk with a very cool headed, linient and rational gentleman taking my test. So I did get my license after all and it was a great moment. All regards to the old lady though. I do not mean she was a bad person, but distress me she did! And of course, I owe her this blog. Back to good old days!