Of me and four wheels - Part II

My driving practical test was scheduled in April 2006(forget which day), a beautiful morning, suitable for driving. Test on the same day with weili, since we learn driving together, we take the test together too. I was nervous for the test, something I was not very sure of, controlling a machine that will only work if u uses it correctly. What if I did something wrong during the test, like I step the brake during the slope test too early or too late?? Or I knock a stick to ground during the parking test?? Or even knock over some stationary objects on the road (that’s something very stupid to do)?? I was ask to do the slope test first, where I have to drive the car up a slope and stop it exactly at the bold yellow line on top of the slope. I was too nervous and I failed my first try, I have to let the car move backward to the starting point and have to start all over again. The second try will be my last chance, if I failed, I shall not continue with the test because I have to retake the test. I have to be sure when I should step on the brake pedal, to make sure the car stop on the very spot. I was still nervous on my second try, especially after I failed my first attempt. I have to be confident about it, I tried it for so many times before the test, I can do it for most of the time, I had my car stop at the right place during practices. I left leg step on the gear pedal, my right on the acceleration pedal, then I released the hand brake, I step further on the acceleration pedal, my car moved forward, up the slope, up and up, I was almost at the top, I was calculating the distance between my car and the pole at the top like I usually do during practice and then I pressed hard on the brake pedal. I stopped, with my front right wheel stopped right on the border of the yellow line, I was just on time, not really very on time, but if I stepped on the pedal a little too early, I might stop outside the yellow line and I have to retake the test. The officer was kind enough to let me passed the part. Thank God.

After the “slope” test, I went to wait for another test, which we call the parking test. We have to do side-parking with the back of the car entering the parking place first. I was quite confidence with this test, I only bump onto the pole once which is quite a good news for me. The test was an easy one for me; I parked the car successfully into the box. Not very properly because the car was not parked straight in the box, I just drive the small car aka Kancil into the box successfully. No matter how, I just need to “put” the car into the box in order for me to passed the part. Yeah!!! I passed the two part of the test!!! But bad news for weili, he knocked down a pole during the parking test. He had to retake the test again, parking and the slope test. Was a bad news for him, he was confident with his driving skill, much confident than me.

After the first part of the test, I then have to take the last part to the test: to drive on the road with the officer sitting next to me. My route to be taken was route J, a route from the driving center to a housing estate nearby which will passed by a few junctions and a traffic lights. I guess most of the driving skills will be tested in that short little route.

Hundreds of people hoping to get their P license are waiting for their turn to take the driving test, one by one, since early morning. The weather was so good in the morning, I passed my test. When I was about to take the driving test, we heard rain drops on the roof. It started raining just half an hour before it was my turn to take the driving test. It was so shit!! Raining was indeed a very super duper bad condition for a driver, not to say a driver without a license, a driver who is in progress to get her license, a driver who is not hoping to fail her test because of the bad weather. Raining was the worst condition I would like to have for my test, and all I got is raining. But the rain will not wash away my determinant to pass the test. I walked over to my assigned car, step in, sit, check the mirrors, tied my safety belt, start the engine, and drive. I start off really slow, because I want to make sure I was driving extremely careful and also because of the rain. I drove out of the driving center, out to the main road, stop at the traffic light, go again when the lights turn green, turn right, then into the housing estate, drive round a few rows of houses, then come out to the traffic lights again. The officer sitting next to me asked me to speed up on my way back to the driving center. The situation was not that bad than I imagine, I was driving on the road on a raining day safely. And of course, I passed the test and get my P license (P=percubaan=trial).

All these memories were from 2005 and 2006. It was two years back. I have now done with my trial period. I can’t wait to get my license, the license without the letter P.

I am a driver.