Tuesday, September 05, 2006

Two driving test and two failures later…

It’s Official! I’m a driver!

So on August 14th I passed my regulation test for the second time and got a date for my exam…August 28th.

But before I go on here’s a little bit of my driving history…

I first went for my regulations sometime on 2000 (yes, 6 years ago!)…signed up with Chris to do manual (bleh) and subsequently failed because the Licensing Officer said/wrote he had to apply brakes too much and my judgement was poor (steups). Signed up to do it over but never did until eventually my Learner’s Permit expired. But I used to drive with the hubby in the car on a regular basis until I eventually just stopped.

Fast forward to July 2006 and I decide to take the plunge and go do the damn thing again ‘cause it’s just too much stress having to wait/depend on undependable people. So like I said…I passed the regs and was getting ready for my exam. (Keep in mind that while waiting to do the regs I didn’t have a driving instructor eh).

After my first attempt at getting an instructor bust (de man came late with no real apology and had no respect for my time)…got a number from a coworker for Martin’s Driving School (736-5843…tell him I send yuh) and started lessons with only 9 days to go before my exam.

I wasn’t worried though because like I said before, I could drive. What I needed to practice was the stuff you do in the yard (L turn and 3 point turn). And that would be more of a practice to reacquaint myself.

Fasty forward again to Monday 28th August. (Yuh girl done apply fuh she day off, ‘cause yuh know Licensing Office is a whole day ting. Is only after ah apply fuh de day Martin tell meh come fuh 1:00 even doh de paper dey give meh say 8:30 cause apparently it does go faster in de evening).

Moving right along…ah reach de place, (had a lesson just about an hour before and real mash up wid meh yard work – L turn and what not) eh feeling nervous…not even a little bit ‘cause…I could drive. I know dat.

Eh heh?

Jump een de people dem car to do my L turn…do meh L turn and getting into the 3 point when ah hear de ossifah say “Ahm…ma’am (or miss...I doh remember now)…please switch off your engine.”
Me: *switches off engine*

Ossifah: You touched the line.

Me: *opens the door and looks at the damn tire mashing the stupid line*
Wow. Ok. *comes out of the car*

Ossifah: *scribbles on his pad (I assume) ‘de woman mash de line during she L turn’*
No hard feelings eh darling.

Me: Nah man. *shrugs and wonders wtf happenend*

Martin: What happen dey…yuh was nervous or what? De eye boddering yuh?

Me: Nope. I eh know what happen nah…Ah do shit.

Martin: Well go and give de paper *give me instructions on how to go about getting a new date to do it over*

When ah pay and do all de running up and dong Licensing compound, tell Martin my new date (September 11th). He say he find dat too far and ask meh when ah want tuh do it over…I tell him this Friday. He tell meh tuh leave de paper with him and he go arrange dat.

So yuh girl done text people tuh tell dem she fail…hubby think I joking and asking meh tuh see de license when he pick meh up. Dong tuh meh oldest and all tell meh “Mummy you joking right?”

Went back the Friday in de evening again…feeling nervous as hell this time and pass meh exam.
De yard test was actually longer than the road test...(which was basically me driving in Licensing compound are two three cars cause de ossifah was hungry and tired and just wanted to go home....at least so he tell meh).

Didn’t get de actual license until Monday though cause de cashier was closed and after all…is Licensing Office.

Thus ends my journey.

Getting the picture take was another story though. Later fuh dat!