Did it 'drive'you crazy too?

It's nerve- wracki ng and stressful, and way more challenging than actually drivi ng on NSW's roads

Bv the time this articJe is published, I will have either earned rightful ownership of one of the most coveted possessions, 'the NS\XI driver's license' or be sulking over w hat went wrong and why the res ring officer couldn't be a rad bit lenient.

Whatever d1e case, I truly and most sincerely believe tbat of all the examinations iliac I have taken in my life until now, the NSW driv ing test has been the most petrifying of all and has made me feel li ke a 'good for nothing' even before attempting it. Having said chat, let me confess mat d1e fuse bit, ilie computer test was a cake walk. Aren't we Indians sheer geniuses ar all iliings theoretical! While the guy next to m e was ventin g co.lourful epi d1ecs after a.Imost every d1ird click, 1 found m ysel f breezing through it and finished tbe tesr way before time.

Yes, I had done it, I had passed d1e DKT (Driver Knowledge Test) in one go Bur was iliat ilie real challe11ge? For all of you who have gone through it, I bet you know ilie answer

It was the next stage, d1e practical bir, the driving test mat was sending shivers down my spine.

I had beard stories, real stories of how one can fail the driving test. One of m y frie n ds had shared her experience. She had barely started ilie car when die testing officer said, "You have failed, would you still like to continue?" "What? Ine car hasn't eve.11 moved, how I can fail?" she quipped. Well, she hadn't m oved the car, but had moved me rear view mirro r to adjust it, after she had s carred the car. Rule broken = Fail.

Another friend who has been drivi ng on Indian roads even before he star ted high sdiool had committed a supposedly co mmon mistake, stopped just past the stop line. Rule bro ken = Fail.

A regular Listener who often rings in on my show on Indian Link Radio, Ruchika once shared wim me on-ai r, how s he had always been a copper all her life and h ow failing ilie driving test had shattered her confidence and made her feel miserable - to me extent d1at s h e didn't attempt it again for years Fortunately she recentl y called up to say that she had fi nally mustered some courage and attempted i t again, this tinie passing wim Aying colours. Well, I have a ba n k of such hotror stories, but I shall 'brake' at mat.

So, co cut a long story short, I decided to enroll myself in a driving school. Needles s co say $60/ hour did hurt, but as everyrhing comes at a cost, so be it!

Now here's another common 'fimdt/ ilia t we Indians tend to share: getting a 'desl trainer to tead1 us me nuances of ilie A ussie rules. After all we share a bond, they would understand ilie psydle of a fellow Indian like no orher Aussie trainer, and above all, have to give us some discount at least!

But let me warn you, experience has it d1at twless you are prepared to reveal your entire ancestry, every Litde detail of your exisre11ce and answers to aU m ose encroach ing questions during the course of chat one hour .lesson, steer clear of d1e desi trainer Pay some extra bucks and gee someone who's not .interested in your history, but in your driving and driving o nly!

So, back to me driving lessons Wim every lesson as much as l was fielding chose questions, I was getting co know ways in which one can fail d1e test. Scare wi tho u t ilie leg on ilie brake = Fail; don't signal for at a least 5 seconds b efore leaving a parking space or moving from a kerb = Fail; an d d1e list simply goes on And d1en d1ere i s a Li se for loss of poin cs coo

I do n't know how many of you have gone ilirough somedung similar, but crust you me, if you were o n e of iliose who passed the test before things became so strict and difficult, consider yomself lucky.

Did I not men tion mat I used to be an e.xpert b ehind me wheels back in India, but does mat matter anymore? Don't bother answering, that was meant m be a rheto rical question. So while it may be too late for you to wish me l uck, here's wishing good .l uck to all of you who are yet to drive past ilie dieckpoint. Stop Press: I passed, 111atch out NSWroads!