It may be appropriate to read that first before moving on.
So, I have been driving for more than 3 years without a valid driving license. I went to Ipoh, Lumut, Malacca and a whole lot of nearer places like some hero not knowing the consequences.
Okay, back to the story.
I spoke to my driving instructor Vijay and worked out a schedule to get me back on the road again legitimately.
The schedule then fixed was 1 hour on Friday, then 2 hours on Saturday and then the driving test on Monday. Cool!
Friday came and I arrived at the school on time at 8am and Vijay arrived at 8.15am. No problem. We spent slightly over 40 minutes going through the necessary stuff and I went home happy.
I arrived on time again on Saturday at 5pm. It was drizzling. Vijay was nowhere to be found. I called him and he said he just left Kuantan. Calling him an asshole would be the right thing to do. Yeah, "What an asshole!" He said I can take a car from there and practise on my own. I guess what he can't understand was that I know how to drive. I have been freaking driving for 40 years. What he can't understand was that I was driving before he was born!
Really, I need to know the formulae! Which line to stop at. Do I have to say good morning to the tester. When I stop behind a car, I have to see the rear tyres. Parallel parking, when I turn in, which goddamned pole should I align with before straightening the steering and then drive in until my rear wheel touches what line. etc. etc.
I finally got him to have another instructor to go through some of the stuff with me for like 25 minutes. Then I practised the parking, the slope and the 3 point turn a little before I went off.
Ah yes, just before I went off, I spoke to this young counter staff named Nathan. He delighted me. He went through with me the process of the coming test on Monday although it was certainly not his responsibility to do so. His final words of advice, I will always remember. He said "Don't tension".
So I turned up 8 am on Monday for the test. Yeah, day of reckoning.
I waited together with a lot of teenagers for my name to be called. Felt like I went to college.
I look down at what I thought would be my first problem. The slope.
After much waiting I was on. First the 'on the road' stage. I realised now that during the preparation to drive, you have to touch the 2 wing mirrors to adjust them. I went within 2 inches of the far side wing mirror, opened my palm to signify that that mirror was okay, as the window was wound up and the tester was a bit in the way. Know what? The MF tester failed me on this point!
Lucky on total I did okay and passed this stage.
Next came the slope, parallel parking and the 3 point turn event. Kacang!
I passed. I came to know that there were 180 hopefuls like me on that day!
Handed over some money to Norie for the license and 3 days later, here you go.
Thought of this song by The Eagles. Take It Easy. This one is their first hit song done 25 years ago. This live version is fairly recent.
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