Newcomer Stories: Passing Your Driver's....Again - Part 3

Borrowed Photo

Here's last week's post.

So the day of the driver's test arrived.

The 2 weeks prior to the test were a blur. I had been practicing my driving in and around Etobicoke, knowing that I would have to be familiar with the roads to pass it.

 

And I don't know what happened but I suddenly got very worried about parallel parking. I've always been very comfortable about parallel parking in South Africa (and loved to show off everytime I can) but somehow the tricks I learnt doesn't seem to be taking too much effect here in Canada. It seems this driving-on-the-right-side-of-the-road-and-wrong-side-of-the-car is really affecting my judgment on distance. I had to re-learn how to parallel park. It was hard. I even watched a couple of YouTube tutorial about it.

 

As I was saying, so the day finally arrived. I was there 40 minutes before my test began. Reported at the centre but was told to stay in the car and the examiner will arrive after. I stayed quietly in my car and watched a couple of people who were also taking the test on the parking lot. It was funny. But they all made me even more nervous.

 

There was this old lady who was taking the test in a maroon Hyundai, who came racing down the parking lot and stopped right beside the pylons that were marked for parking. I watched as she was asked to do the parallel parking in front of the centre. I could barely believe it when she reversed into the spot so fast that basically although there were no pylons at the back of her car to indicate another car, she had already hit the "invisible" car with her back bumper. I wondered if she'd passed. From her looks as she got out the car, she did not. She went inside the centre and came out with somebody else. And her young companion took the driver's seat as they left the parking lot.

A couple of cars came into the parking lot and parked on the designated waiting area. One of the tips that was suggested, and which I am glad to share, is that when you pick a parking, you must always reverse-park your car. This way, you have one less thing to worry about as you get out of the parking lot.

And so after another 20 minutes after the old lady left, the examiners came out all at the same time to "pick" their cars and drive test applicants. I was praying to get a kind enough examiner in David. David was a tall guy who introduced himself and really tried hard to make me feel comfortable.

He checked all around my car to see if the indicator and brake lights were working as well as the car horn.

I was very nervous and told David prior to driving around. David reminded me that he was not an instructor and will not be "instructing" me on what to do. He will make certain requests from time to time and I must perform the actions "when it is safe to do so".

And then we were off. Onto Part 4....