License to drive!

I am so overjoyed that my elder daughter, Rachel, finally passed her driving test on Tuesday afternoon! It was her 2nd attempt, better than me - 3rd! It took her a few moments for the realization to sink in after the JPJ tester handed her the report at the end of the road test. But she did well for her parking and slope on the 1st attempt.

I still remember my 1st road test in Wangsa Maju in 1990. Actually I had been driving without license for about a year before I actually signed up for official tutorial. Despite that I actually failed in the road test twice!

The first road test was the worst experience for me. The very minute I jumped into the designated car, with a plump JPJ tester seated inside patiently, things began to go wrong. As I started the engine and began to move the car out from its parking a volley of missiles began to spewed forth from the 'orifice' crafted into his head, which we call 'mouth' when referring to polite humans, and every missile that was launched so generously never failed to miss its target so much that I had to summon every strength from the fibre of my being to stop myself from stopping midway trough and walking out on him.

I had no idea that I had to signal right before moving out - but we were parked at a deadend to start with!

Next missile translated into me not having checked if the wipers were operating within normal parameters - like we all want to do that in the hot and burning sun!

Next came the complaint that I were not using both my hands to adjust the rearview mirror! Hello, I was not born with a short arm! By the way, if I were to use both hands for that purpose my upper torso would be moved away from upright position, and by the time I was done and back to my upright sitting position the mirror would really not serve me well.

It was amazing that the JPJ tester's mouth never failed to deplete its source of energy because it only stopped working when we came back to the testing ground and after I switched the engine off!

I blamed my tutor for all these 'hidden' rules.

Last time I checked, my tutor became an active member of a political party when we met in Desa Setapak.