I Was Right
So, I got up on Saturday morning, nervous, full of dread and a sick sort of excitement. It was a dismal, cold, rainy day, but I thought maybe that was a blessing because it would mean less traffic for me to drive through. I look like crap on the last two pictures they took of me for my permits. Tired, pregnant, fat, dark circles under my eyes. So I showered and carefully put on makeup in case I passed and they had to take a picture of me to put on my brand new licence.
On the way, my hands kept shaking and my breathing was shaky, too. I kept praying as I tried to keep myself oxygenated. When we got there, the woman who gave me the test last time started walking towards me. I didn’t recognize her at first, because she had her hood on and looked like a man. When she got to my car, she stared at me for a couple seconds.
- Is this your first time taking the test?
- No. I’ve taken one before.
- I didn’t think so. Do you want the other girl to take you?
- Uhmm. Sure.
The “other girl” was a big, jolly young lady. As she came near the car, the rain stopped, the clouds parted, and a ray of sunshine shone around her. I took it as a little present of encouragement from God. She checked my papers and the lights and climbed into the car.
And then I failed … in less than a minute.
She wrote “Dangerous Action” in big letters with a cute little five pointed star above the the i and underlined the whole thing twice. The rain started pouring again.
I had turned left onto a big road without leaving enough room for a car that was coming. The thing is, when I’m “practicing” driving I’d turn left with that much room all the time so I didn’t know it was a Dangerous Action.
I cried all the way home and then some. I am so sick of driving. I want to move back to civilization and never leave.
“I Was Right” has been splattered on 11 times.
Or, you could just hire a chauffeur, or a chauffeuse. Or a palanquin. Or a jinrikisha. Or a hot air balloon. Or a gondola.
My office is in a suite right across from the DMV. That big road is hell, I’m terrified of it.
I’ll keep praying for you. : )
I do my best never to turn left onto that road without a light, ever, even if I have to go in a circle ’round to Kennewick Ave. :) I was about two points away from failing my test, mostly because I didn’t divine that the unposted speed limit in seemingly business section of town was 25mph. Bleh.
So sad you failed. And that you’re sick of driving. I don’t understand what it means to “not leave enough room for a car that was coming.”
i echo christopher’s suggestion. if you can, get lessons from someone who routinely teaches other people how to drive. my uncle is thankfully one of those people and he spent an afternoon patiently telling me every other minute why i was about to be pulled over for whatever reason. it made me a better and safer driver.
Ben, “not leaving enough room for a [vehicle] that was coming†is why I almost end up getting smooshed by drivers on a weekly basis.
Actually, Em, as sad as I am to hear that you’ll have to test again (and how frustrating that is to you), I’m encouraged to hear the perhaps Washington State has a tougher exam than we do here in California. People pass driving exams here every day who have no business being on the road. If Washington demands drivers be great drivers rather than just the mediocre drivers that we require, then they are saving lives. If not for my own quick reflexes and driving training, I would have been killed several times over (like yesterday when the lady in the Honda tried to merge into me) by drivers with either inadequate skill or with inadequate understanding of how to safely drive with others on the road.
You can do it, really! Don’t give up. Driving is sooo much fun when you have it down, which will be very soon.
I concur with Chris W. Not only will private instruction be more friendly (and likely from someone more intelligent than a wet bag of mice). But you might actually learn accident avoidance techniques and situational awareness. And remember, in any case, it’s much easier to get rid of tailgaters when the gun’s already loaded… :)
The Dane also needs to consider the possibility that Washington’s standards might be no higher than California’s, and possiblly even lower . . . scary thought isn’t it? “Is that the wail of a siren I hear?” “No, it’s just the sound of the passengers in Emeth’s car as she approaches.” Heh, I should talk. My wife and kids more than once threatened to get out and walk . . .
Hah. 90% of the people I work with are bad drivers and I will no longer drive anywhere with them. It’s a miracle any of them still have limbs. I’ve nearly become one with steel and asphalt on more than one occasion thanks to their tender ministrations behind the wheel.
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emethhesed
emeth.hesed
Christopher Witmer | 6:18 AM, Monday, April 16, 2007
Emeth, when I went back to the USA to get my driver’s license in my late 30s, I hired a professional driving instructor. It was well worth the money! If I did any “dangerous actions,” he would let me know in a generally non-stressful way, and he was good at encouraging me. He was well able to analyze my strengths (not that there were any) and weaknesses, and he helped me to overcome my weaknesses efficiently. And when I went in to take the test I had a reasonable assurance that I would pass it because he really knew what he was doing. If you have such an instructor in your neck of the woods, he can get you licensed in two weeks . . . two weeks or you don’t owe me a cent.