Driving Licence

Posted on 2008/07/28 20:54:04 (July 2008).

[Saturday 26th July 2008]

Yesterday night I didn't sleep all that well, the humid heat that is embracing Florence is tough to overcome and the tension from the examination the day after was doing the rest.

It has been quite a long time since I did not take a "proper" examination, I think that the last one that I have had was in Reading in 1999, my finals at Uni.
Needless to say that the level of tension for this motorbike driving licence test was not even a tenth of what I felt in 1999! After all failing a licence test is not quite like failing the finals at Uni...

I arrived at the driving course around 11 in the morning, maybe a good twenty minutes earlier than that, tension mounting...

In Italy driving tests have nothing to do with actually being able to drive. It's all a big fake exam, where you are required to have a driving stance that normally you would not have, like never passing the 50Km x Hour speed limit, excessive use of indicators (I think you put them even if you turn your head around to look at some fine women!), no road rage cussing or swearwords, respect of that red sign with that white English word that says "STOP"...

Who does that!?

Anyhow, the first part of the test is a set "course" where you are asked to drive the motorbike through some cones, in an "8" shaped track and you have to do an emergency brake, nothing majorly serious, but it gets tricky when hands are sweaty and the heat of the exam mounts up.

Passed this point you get to have a go on the streets, with the examinations following in a car behind, telling you were to go by using the horn once to turn right and two to turn left.
This is the part that I had more difficulties with, mostly because (and I cannot explain why at all) my brain associated 1 horn turn left, 2 horns turn right... Well, probably is some weird left side of the brain/right side movements thing...

Strange brain functions aside, I managed to pass the driving test with no major mistakes, so now I need to concentrate on which motorbike to buy! I really look forward to it, the few times that I managed to drive my dad's bike it was really a good feeling, and I can't wait to get more experience so that the rides are even nicer!

Ah!! Well done, Lox!! Excellent!!

I remember when I took mine the instructors would send you around the block so they could watch you (on foot). When it came to the emergency stop I could see my examiner preparing to step in to the road (taking his life in his hands, I guess!). So when he finally did stick his foot out, I grabbed the brakes and stopped the bike instantly... He was still about 30-meters away!! Ha! But at least I passed. :-)

Posted by Nigel at 2008/07/29 22:12:19.

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