Driving lessons

After work today I got to drive around a cool car just like the one above.  Okay, so it's not really that cool but that's what my driving lesson car looks like.  Yes, I am taking driving lessons.  It seems a bit silly when I think that I've had my license for eight years now.  However, I am going to get a British driving license and want to make sure I pass the test.

Why do I need a British license?  I don't really, it's perfectly legal for me to drive on my American one.  But as I drive every day now it would probably be better to have a British license, just in case.  Plus, for some reason I took my theory (a.k.a. written) test ages ago.  It's about to expire and I don't want to have to take it again.  So in a few weeks I'll be taking a driving test.

I remember when I was first in England studying I often got asked if I had a driving license.  I'd always answer, "Yes, of course."  Everyone was so impressed, and I didn't really get what the big deal was.  Everyone in America has their license.  I'd been driving since I was fifteen (I went to a private driving school so I could get my permit early) and it's not something you think twice about, everyone has a license.    

Apparently in England driving tests are really hard and a lot of people have to take the test multiple times before they pass.  This is one of the major differences I've noticed.  Besides the obvious difference of having to wait an extra year until you are 17 to get your license, it also takes a lot more work.  To start, everyone here takes their test in a manual.  You can take your test in an automatic, but you get a limited license doing it that way.  Learning to drive a manual car was my first obstacle.  Tom taught me that skill, luckily he was brave and almost patient enough. It took ages and confused my brain for a bit, but I'm happy to say it's no longer a challenge.  Oh yes, and there is the issue on driving on the other side of the road, but it's kind of relative and didn't really phase me.

The main reason for my driving lessons is to undo all of my bad habits.  I need to re-learn the proper guiding points for manouvers, and learn how to bay park (not a done thing in the states) and how to do a controlled stop.  Plus ALL of the mirror checks.  Not checking the mirrors enough or in the proper order could get me marked down a lot.

I'm feeling pretty confident right now.  I've driven for years and although I rarely drove over the past couple of years, the past month I've been driving every day.  It's just like riding a bike, and I'm really good at that!

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