....is 3 seconds.
That's how close I was to getting my 'P's today.
I was 15 minutes into the 20-minute test and hadn't committed any gaffes till then.
Then we came to an intersection with a Stop sign. I was to make a right turn.
I halted, right indicator on, my eyes on a car that was coming at me from the right hand side.
As soon as the road was clear, I zipped across the median strip, paused to check for left-approaching traffic, and when the way was clear, made my right turn.
"As soon as it's safe, I need you to pull over by the side of the road and stop."
Bewildered, I did as told, wondering if the tester was going to ask me to do a point-to-point reverse on a major road. (We are tested on any one of the following low-speed maneuvres: point-to-point reverse; angled parking; 3-point turn; reverse parallel park.)
"Did you see the Stop sign?" the tester asked when the car had come to a halt.
I paused, didn't I?
"You are supposed to wait for 3 seconds after the car passed, before you proceed. Please exchange places. I'm sorry, the test is over."
Shock. Denial. Regret. Incredulity. I-could-kick-myself.
"How many points did we lose on the other aspects?" asked my instructor, who was seated next to me.
"One point," was the reply. (We're allowed up to eight points for penalties.)
Next date with VicRoads: 31 Jan.
PS. The positive takeaway from today is that in those first 15 minutes, I drove better than I ever did since I started driving in Aus. I managed to rein in my nerves and psych myself up into the kind of peak performance mentality you need just before a stage performance or presentation. If not for that glitch, I know I would've got my 'P's. I intend to nail it the next time. This mindset alone is a quantum leap over my normally haphazard approach to goal achievement. For that at least, I can give myself a pat on the back.
PPS. CA says perhaps I'll do better using our car (since I get more practice in it) and with him in the front passenger seat instead of my driving instructor, haha.
No comments:
Post a Comment