My Transport Opinion

I was nervous for my driving practical. Who wouldn't be? It was pretty well the day that you transitioned into adulthood with your first truly "adult" skill; provided that you pass. And if you didn't, you'd have those exorbitant driving lessons prices hanging over your head as you either took more lessons or tried again. Obtaining your driver's licence is every kid's dream. Everyone wants to be the cool kid who drives to school in their new souped up ride. From the 60s to the 90s to the present day, young drivers who own their own cars are immediately branded as cool, especially if they drive them to school.

With a car you were pretty well free of your parents. You could drive yourself where ever you pleased and go places whenever you wanted. If you wanted, you could drive to the seaside, turn off the engine and just watch the sun set to the soundtrack of gulls squawking and waves crashing. Maybe you could even take a special someone with you and show off how awesome your ride was.

In the movies, all the girls fall for the guys with cars. It's a status symbol, and if you believe what my high school english teacher told us once, a sign of a man's sexuality and virility. Yeah, that was an image I never wanted in my mind ever again.

Waiting in the licensing center for my driving assessor to appear, I knew that I was obliged to pass this. I was obliged to pass this for the sake of the money my parents had spent on those ridiculous driving lessons prices. I had told them upon seeing the prices, that I was perfectly content in learning from them in the family car, but they insisted. I'm not quite sure whether it was them wanting me to learn the proper way to drive from a qualified instructor, or it was just their terror at the possibility that I might wreck the family car whilst learning. So we paid those ridiculous driving lessons prices and I got a proper instructor. And so I learned one of my most important life skills from a "professional" and I sat and hoped that the driving lessons prices charged by them were worth every penny. I had half a mind to sue them for extortion if I failed this practical test.

But there was no more time to fret over failing as my assessor came up to me and asked me my name. Walking with him to the car to begin my test, there was only one thought hanging in my mind.

Don't fail.