This is very difficult and scary for me. Really, it's a very reasonable fear. It's perfectly rational.
So: good news and bad news. Bad news: I failed my driving test yesterday. Good news: it's kind of incredible that I got so far as to take it. This is very difficult for me, I didn't think I could ever get behind the wheel of a metal monster such as a car and drive it in a borough of NYC among many other metal monsters, not to mention unarmored bicyclists and pedestrians. It's scary now- just thinking about it.
In retrospect, it probably did not help that on the way to my road test:
1. Someone tried to get into an accident with me- it was this car that was coming straight at me- it was like he was switching lanes but without signaling and doing 2 at a time, going perpendicular to the flow of traffic. [I think he started out perpendicular to the road and tried to join in but instead of turning into the closest line he went straight for the middle one] My instructor grabbed the wheel (and somehow he was aware that there was no one in the lane to the left of me?) and he swerved sharply to the left, avoiding the car that was intent on colliding with me.
I know if he wasn't there I wouldn't have been able to do anything but break. I would have been afraid to go left without first checking that there's no one there and it would have been too late. I console myself with the reminder that I wasn't going that fast and if that car did collide with me it would have been an accident but most likely nobody would have died.
2. Ok, we're still on the way to the road test location (and it's still my driving lesson). Later on this same road there's basically standstill traffic and it turns out that there was an accident. Was it the same person who tried to kill me? Could be, but I do not know. Then even later we make way for an ambulance that's heading away from the site of the accident.
If I was a superstitious person it would be veeeeery tempting to just take that as a sign that I just shouldn't drive. Then I get to the road test and after waiting for an hour for my chance I get to fail it- poor judgement in traffic.
So: good news and bad news. Bad news: I failed my driving test yesterday. Good news: it's kind of incredible that I got so far as to take it. This is very difficult for me, I didn't think I could ever get behind the wheel of a metal monster such as a car and drive it in a borough of NYC among many other metal monsters, not to mention unarmored bicyclists and pedestrians. It's scary now- just thinking about it.
In retrospect, it probably did not help that on the way to my road test:
1. Someone tried to get into an accident with me- it was this car that was coming straight at me- it was like he was switching lanes but without signaling and doing 2 at a time, going perpendicular to the flow of traffic. [I think he started out perpendicular to the road and tried to join in but instead of turning into the closest line he went straight for the middle one] My instructor grabbed the wheel (and somehow he was aware that there was no one in the lane to the left of me?) and he swerved sharply to the left, avoiding the car that was intent on colliding with me.
I know if he wasn't there I wouldn't have been able to do anything but break. I would have been afraid to go left without first checking that there's no one there and it would have been too late. I console myself with the reminder that I wasn't going that fast and if that car did collide with me it would have been an accident but most likely nobody would have died.
2. Ok, we're still on the way to the road test location (and it's still my driving lesson). Later on this same road there's basically standstill traffic and it turns out that there was an accident. Was it the same person who tried to kill me? Could be, but I do not know. Then even later we make way for an ambulance that's heading away from the site of the accident.
If I was a superstitious person it would be veeeeery tempting to just take that as a sign that I just shouldn't drive. Then I get to the road test and after waiting for an hour for my chance I get to fail it- poor judgement in traffic.
NSSP: Driving
- 13/12/2011 05:15:41 PM
1429 Views
I'm tempted to take this opportunity to poke fun at New Yorkers.
- 13/12/2011 05:20:14 PM
935 Views
Re: I'm tempted to take this opportunity to poke fun at New Yorkers.
- 13/12/2011 09:58:55 PM
885 Views
Re: I'm tempted to take this opportunity to poke fun at New Yorkers.
- 13/12/2011 10:37:47 PM
863 Views
Re: I'm tempted to take this opportunity to poke fun at New Yorkers.
- 13/12/2011 10:50:38 PM
926 Views
*NM*
I failed my first test.
- 13/12/2011 05:49:58 PM
1071 Views
I had to take the driving test 3 time before I passed (posted at the wrong place 
)
- 13/12/2011 11:43:44 PM
923 Views
)
- 13/12/2011 11:43:44 PM
923 Views
13 yrs old.
- 13/12/2011 06:02:22 PM
1072 Views
Seriously? Why? At 13 you should have had some awareness of the danger you were posing to others
- 13/12/2011 10:27:59 PM
957 Views
Re: Seriously? Why? At 13 you should have had some awareness of the danger you were posing to others
- 13/12/2011 10:37:41 PM
818 Views
Probably just a difference in perspective. Kids sneaking a vehicle for a jor ride is pretty common.
- 15/12/2011 03:51:30 AM
948 Views
It must be harder to overcome that natural fear in NYC.
- 13/12/2011 06:44:28 PM
895 Views
Isn't it traditional to fail your first test? Or is that just around here?
- 13/12/2011 08:14:01 PM
917 Views
I wouldn't think so
- 13/12/2011 08:25:36 PM
807 Views
It's rare to pass on the first try here. (according to driving instructor)
- 13/12/2011 09:44:39 PM
973 Views
I know Texas talked about doing away with it because the failure rate was so low
- 14/12/2011 03:15:11 AM
862 Views
I wonder how many people that have been driving for years and years would fail if they had to take
- 14/12/2011 12:03:55 AM
876 Views
Oh I think most people with years' worth of driving experience be fine.
- 14/12/2011 12:27:09 AM
1072 Views
I was even rather nervous about taking lessons and failed my first
- 14/12/2011 08:30:25 AM
1023 Views
I love driving.
- 14/12/2011 03:24:59 PM
941 Views
Me, too.
- 18/12/2011 04:31:29 AM
854 Views
Did you ever attend a driving school? *NM*
- 14/12/2011 05:29:33 PM
411 Views
I don't think so.
- 15/12/2011 05:22:09 AM
957 Views
Yes, you did.
- 15/12/2011 04:44:48 PM
858 Views
That's not a sign.
- 14/12/2011 05:29:36 PM
921 Views
Whoa.
- 15/12/2011 07:21:52 AM
955 Views
Fewer cars on the road. Fewer double-parked cars. *NM*
- 15/12/2011 06:25:21 PM
350 Views
Also, you can tell when there's someone around the corner, because of the headlights.
- 19/12/2011 04:18:26 PM
912 Views
Oooh, that's a good point.
- 19/12/2011 05:17:16 PM
1027 Views
It's more pronounced and important in the countryside where there are no streetlights.
- 19/12/2011 05:51:25 PM
1027 Views
In the country there are deer
- 20/12/2011 05:53:17 AM
920 Views
Oh yeah, forgot about those. We don't have that many left, and only up in the Highlands. *NM*
- 20/12/2011 10:18:41 AM
537 Views
Driving tests are far harder in the Netherlands, from what I understand
- 14/12/2011 05:34:38 PM
867 Views
don't worry i fluffed my practical test up today
- 14/12/2011 08:24:56 PM
946 Views
I'm older than you 
and there's no way I would have willingly gotten behind the wheel at 17.
- 15/12/2011 05:12:29 AM
849 Views
and there's no way I would have willingly gotten behind the wheel at 17.
- 15/12/2011 05:12:29 AM
849 Views
I found driving nervewracking until I got to do it by myself. NZ has a great system, IMO.
- 15/12/2011 01:48:19 PM
784 Views
Amusing (to me) comparison to sex risks.
- 17/12/2011 05:50:16 PM
920 Views
- 17/12/2011 05:50:16 PM
920 Views
Re: Amusing (to me) comparison to sex risks.
- 17/12/2011 06:07:51 PM
972 Views
- 17/12/2011 06:07:51 PM
972 Views
No. But it is true that my risk aversion coefficient is too high.
- 17/12/2011 06:49:33 PM
771 Views
Isn't learning to drive in NYC sort of like
- 18/12/2011 04:21:47 AM
892 Views