The Quest for my Driver's License (Part 3)

Friday

As my first two attempts to gain a license had failed, I felt an almost moral obligation to succeed on Friday. I knew that, if I failed, I wouldn’t get a chance to take the test again until August, as I would be in Front Royal, and then Ireland, for most of the summer. I had to pass, or else my traveling to class would be a challenge, to say the least.

All of this weighed heavily on my mind as I stood in line, for a third time, waiting for my turn to take the test. Once again, I was in my sister’s car, the one I had failed in the day before. Once again, the car passed the initial, physical examination. My tester this time was a rather scripted guy, who made sure he read exactly what he needed to, so that I knew all the rules.

We got the parallel parking part. I was really careful this time.

And I passed it. I was a little far away from the curb at first, but I pulled it closer, and it was fine.

Whew.

We moved on a little bit further, and he announced my need to make a 2-way reverse parking, which is basically when you back into a parking space. I started backing up, but realized I needed more room (I was almost on top of a flag), so I pulled forward a little. I knew, in the back of my head, that it would cost me a point, but I knew I had to do it. One point off is always better than failing. And it worked, anyway, and I parked the car successfully, with that little extra room.

From there, the test was easy. It was a road section, which basically consisted in driving around near the MVA. After we passed a speed limit sign, he asked which sign we passed. That kind of stuff. Needless to say, that was the stuff I was EXCELLENT at, so I passed that part. And then we came back around, he congratulated me (he almost wrote the date and my score in the fail column thought. Haha). I went inside, and after some waiting, I was a newly licensed driver.

Awesome news, since apparently I was one of the few people who passed that day.

And that is the story of the Quest for my Driver’s License. It was an adventure, and I’m finished with it. Looking at my license, noting the floating head picture in the bottom-left corner, I can’t help but feel relieved. I don’t have to worry about paying $50 to renew the learners. I don’t have to keep track of my practice hours. I can just drive. Like a cowboy or something, except in a car, instead of on a horse.

It feels wonderful.