I tried to post this yesterday but had problems with the internet. Sorry for those of you who were getting impatient waiting for news!
The test itself!! (Theory and road tests.)
I arrived for the theory test at 6.50am on Tuesday, as it was supposed to start at 7am. I had been told it would be over by 7.20, so thought that even if it ran over I would be back home by breakfast at 8. It was easy to see where the test would be taking place, as there was a crowd of about 50 people (which grew to more than 100) outside the school. These people all had two things in common – they were male and Beninese, which did make me stand out just a little! I was glad to see some faces I knew from my driving school, so I didn't have to stand alone like Billy No-Mates! Some other women turned up eventually, including one I knew from my driving school … but I can't honestly say that made me feel less conspicuous!
At 7.30 we were ushered into the school grounds, as someone official had at last turned up. He got the room opened, and started moving furniture around. Some kids were hanging about, so he got them sweeping the room … which seemed to do more harm than good when we saw huge billows of dust coming out of door and windows!!
At about 7.45 the equipment – projector and so on – arrived … and finally at 8.30ish they called us together for a quick speech about the dangers of drink driving, speeding (“we are starting to get like those Europeans who rush everywhere”) and so on. Then they started calling names out for people to come up, present their ID cards and file into the examination room. When they said, “Ok, 6 more!” I realised that I wasn't likely to pass that time round, and started worrying about Benjy, since by then it was 8.45 and he still hadn't had his morning feed. However, I didn't want to say anything to try to get special attention, as I was afraid the other candidates would think it was because I was white that I was putting myself forward.
With the stress of the test, of waiting, and of worrying about my baby, I shed a few tears, and my friends from my driving school went and told someone official that I needed to go through in the second round. I called Marc, and he actually brought Benjy down, so I was able to feed him before passing the test … though to be honest I seemed to be more worried about Benjy being hungry than Benjy himself! (I seem to be the one suffering from separation anxiety instead of him!)
The test was fine. By the end of it I was pretty sure that I had at least 15 right answers according to the manual … I was just hoping that the manual was right on them all (since at the driving school we had found some errors in it!). By the time I finally got home it was 10am and I was exhausted!
We were told that the results of the test would be given to us at 3pm, and that if there was time some people would be able to take the practical test after that, leaving fewer people to pass it on Wednesday morning. I went and joined my fellow students at 3pm … and we played the waiting game again! At least this time we didn't have the stress of the test ahead of us … but we did have the heat of the day, and even in the shade it was hot! I managed to find some steps to sit on after the first half an hour … and waited … and waited … and waited.
At last, towards 6pm, I went to where I could see the Big Boss talking with some driving school instructors, and said, “I'm sorry, but I need to get home for my baby. What should I do?”
The Big Boss said, “Come tomorrow morning at 7.” He could obviously see from my face that I was wondering if he meant I had to wait until then to find out whether I'd passed, and he said, “You've passed the theory … actually, I was just about to come and tell you that.”
Hmmm … I wasn't sure how to take that, but since I was pretty sure that I really had done well enough on the test, it seemed a bit picky to insist to see my test paper to make sure that he wasn't just pulling strings for me. And I was extremely relieved to be able to go home at last. (Benjy greeted me with a huge smile and much clapping of his hands, then his face crumpled as he realised how hungry he was … but I was happy to oblige him!)
The next morning when I arrived at 7am for the road test, I learnt that everyone had passed the theory test. Which didn't particularly reassure me that it had been marked very rigorously, but at least I obviously hadn't been subject to any special treatment!
The “road” test was actually carried out on a piece of waste ground where 3 small circuits had been organised using wooden markers. We were put into groups of about 30, one for each circuit, and the driving school cars were shared out between them. I spent an hour watching other people drive around until I finally got my turn. All that was required was to drive out of the parking space, do a 3-point turn, reverse around a corner and reverse for about 5 metres, do a parallel park and then a reverse park. Dodging other cars, pedestrians and random motorbikes as you went! When I got out of the car the official watching said to me, “You obviously already knew how to drive,” which I took to be a good sign.
I asked if I could leave then, to get back to Benjy, and was told by the director of my driving school that the results would be given that afternoon at the same place and time as the day before. I must have looked unconvinced, as he asked me, “Will that be a problem?” So I answered, “Well, it's just a bit difficult with the baby!” thinking, “I'm not spending another afternoon away from my family to wait under the sun for results which may never arrive!” So he said, “Ok, you can call by the driving school at 4, then.”
We did call in at the driving school at 4 yesterday, and were told that the results hadn't come through yet, so I was glad I hadn't gone to the other place at 3!! I still haven't heard officially, but as the secretary at the driving school said, it should be fine! I will let you know when I am sure!
So to summarise, the driving test consisted of 6½ hours of waiting, 20 minutes of theory test and under 5 minutes of actual driving! I feel my patience was tested more than anything else!!
The test itself!! (Theory and road tests.)
I arrived for the theory test at 6.50am on Tuesday, as it was supposed to start at 7am. I had been told it would be over by 7.20, so thought that even if it ran over I would be back home by breakfast at 8. It was easy to see where the test would be taking place, as there was a crowd of about 50 people (which grew to more than 100) outside the school. These people all had two things in common – they were male and Beninese, which did make me stand out just a little! I was glad to see some faces I knew from my driving school, so I didn't have to stand alone like Billy No-Mates! Some other women turned up eventually, including one I knew from my driving school … but I can't honestly say that made me feel less conspicuous!
At 7.30 we were ushered into the school grounds, as someone official had at last turned up. He got the room opened, and started moving furniture around. Some kids were hanging about, so he got them sweeping the room … which seemed to do more harm than good when we saw huge billows of dust coming out of door and windows!!
At about 7.45 the equipment – projector and so on – arrived … and finally at 8.30ish they called us together for a quick speech about the dangers of drink driving, speeding (“we are starting to get like those Europeans who rush everywhere”) and so on. Then they started calling names out for people to come up, present their ID cards and file into the examination room. When they said, “Ok, 6 more!” I realised that I wasn't likely to pass that time round, and started worrying about Benjy, since by then it was 8.45 and he still hadn't had his morning feed. However, I didn't want to say anything to try to get special attention, as I was afraid the other candidates would think it was because I was white that I was putting myself forward.
With the stress of the test, of waiting, and of worrying about my baby, I shed a few tears, and my friends from my driving school went and told someone official that I needed to go through in the second round. I called Marc, and he actually brought Benjy down, so I was able to feed him before passing the test … though to be honest I seemed to be more worried about Benjy being hungry than Benjy himself! (I seem to be the one suffering from separation anxiety instead of him!)
The test was fine. By the end of it I was pretty sure that I had at least 15 right answers according to the manual … I was just hoping that the manual was right on them all (since at the driving school we had found some errors in it!). By the time I finally got home it was 10am and I was exhausted!
We were told that the results of the test would be given to us at 3pm, and that if there was time some people would be able to take the practical test after that, leaving fewer people to pass it on Wednesday morning. I went and joined my fellow students at 3pm … and we played the waiting game again! At least this time we didn't have the stress of the test ahead of us … but we did have the heat of the day, and even in the shade it was hot! I managed to find some steps to sit on after the first half an hour … and waited … and waited … and waited.
At last, towards 6pm, I went to where I could see the Big Boss talking with some driving school instructors, and said, “I'm sorry, but I need to get home for my baby. What should I do?”
The Big Boss said, “Come tomorrow morning at 7.” He could obviously see from my face that I was wondering if he meant I had to wait until then to find out whether I'd passed, and he said, “You've passed the theory … actually, I was just about to come and tell you that.”
Hmmm … I wasn't sure how to take that, but since I was pretty sure that I really had done well enough on the test, it seemed a bit picky to insist to see my test paper to make sure that he wasn't just pulling strings for me. And I was extremely relieved to be able to go home at last. (Benjy greeted me with a huge smile and much clapping of his hands, then his face crumpled as he realised how hungry he was … but I was happy to oblige him!)
The next morning when I arrived at 7am for the road test, I learnt that everyone had passed the theory test. Which didn't particularly reassure me that it had been marked very rigorously, but at least I obviously hadn't been subject to any special treatment!
The “road” test was actually carried out on a piece of waste ground where 3 small circuits had been organised using wooden markers. We were put into groups of about 30, one for each circuit, and the driving school cars were shared out between them. I spent an hour watching other people drive around until I finally got my turn. All that was required was to drive out of the parking space, do a 3-point turn, reverse around a corner and reverse for about 5 metres, do a parallel park and then a reverse park. Dodging other cars, pedestrians and random motorbikes as you went! When I got out of the car the official watching said to me, “You obviously already knew how to drive,” which I took to be a good sign.
I asked if I could leave then, to get back to Benjy, and was told by the director of my driving school that the results would be given that afternoon at the same place and time as the day before. I must have looked unconvinced, as he asked me, “Will that be a problem?” So I answered, “Well, it's just a bit difficult with the baby!” thinking, “I'm not spending another afternoon away from my family to wait under the sun for results which may never arrive!” So he said, “Ok, you can call by the driving school at 4, then.”
We did call in at the driving school at 4 yesterday, and were told that the results hadn't come through yet, so I was glad I hadn't gone to the other place at 3!! I still haven't heard officially, but as the secretary at the driving school said, it should be fine! I will let you know when I am sure!
So to summarise, the driving test consisted of 6½ hours of waiting, 20 minutes of theory test and under 5 minutes of actual driving! I feel my patience was tested more than anything else!!
1 comment:
Poor you for all that frustration and waiting. I could feel just a bit of it in reading your email. Wish I had been there to stand in the queue with you. Thanks for your update! xx
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