I failed my driving test today. Which would be bad enough, except that my boss is the one who escorted me to the DMV and let me borrow his car. So it’s worse. There’s nothing quite like displaying your incompetence to the person who signs your paychecks—especially after he’s taken two hours out of his morning to cheer you on.
What did I do wrong, you ask? I failed to do the one thing that I was specifically warned about: Be sure to pull into the bike lane before making a right-hand turn. Honestly, I thought I did. Then my tester started scribbling notes on her clipboard. Apparently, I wasn’t entirely IN the bike lane before making the turn. Or maybe she didn’t appreciate me looking at her notes. I did have to take my eyes off of the road to do so. It pretty much went downhill from there. After the unsatisfactory right-hand turn, she took me to an intersection full of construction and asked me to make a left-hand turn from a lane that was almost completely blocked. I panicked and ended up in the intersection when the light turned red. More scribbling. Awkwardness and anxiety ensue.
As I pull back into the parking lot, my tester casually delivers the news that I’ll “have to try that again,” and launches into a diatribe on my driving indiscretions as if I’d run over puppies and babies at every intersection. Thanks, lady, I get it. Now I have to tell my boss that I’m a failure. He takes it better than I did, of course. Though I imagine he regretted lending me his car.
I keep thinking to myself, “I have a masters degree from an Ivy League university, yet the state of California deems me too inept to be trusted behind the wheel of a car. How can this be?” Maybe it’s unrelated. I don’t know. Either way, I feel like kind of a loser. Good thing I have a bike.
Posts
Lex, that sucks! If it makes you feel any better, I of course failed my first attempt in Texas where they will let literally ANYBODY drive a car. The irony was that my mom passed her test right after mine but was too nervous to be on the roads so I had to drive her home! You'll get it next time!
ReplyDeleteI don't know if Martin has ever told you,but i was a driving instructor for four years, which as part of my training for, involved an advanced driving test.I did pass that with flying colours,and am considered to be a pretty good driver with a forty plus years clean licence.But i did not pass my ordinary test until the third time of trying (at the age of 17 yrs)and it is said that those who fail at the first attempt go on to make the best drivers in the long term!-I bet that is no consolation to you whatsoever!!
ReplyDeleteI wish i could offer you some advise on the finer points of passing the American driving test,but after reading what you failed on,i am confused,as over in the UK it is not the done thing to enter cycle lanes,and would have maybe got you a fail if you had done so.
Maybe you will get a friendly looking examiner next time,which may make you feel at ease.Also i used to advise my pupils never to assume you have failed if you make any minor mistakes,as in this country a minor mistake is a minor mistake is a minor mistake!Only major mistakes which have the potential to be dangerous or ARE dangerous lead to failure.It may be totally different over there.
Anyhow,i know how disappointing it is to fail,and you will feel like crap for a couple of days,but it is soon forgotten,and best looked on as invaluable experience.
Best of luck for next time-you can do it!!
Luv from Michael x(Martins dad-in case you were wondering!)
Every commenter so far has been British... how long will this trend continue for?
ReplyDeleteDiane would like to make her own comment...and that is that I passed my test first time, but I had a very good instructor in the name of Michael! (he made me write that last bit)
ReplyDeletei can't! well, okay, i can. but my permit expires this week and there are no appts between now and then, of course. i'm just assuming this means the universe doesn't want me to have my license at this point in time. things i tell myself... ;)
ReplyDelete