I had promised myself I would write about my driving experience after I got my Massachusetts Driver's license.
Admittedly very different from my experience in India where I've held a license for more than 7 years. I rode a Yamaha RX-100 motorcycle for first 3 years and then bought a Santro Xing XG.
My best friend taught me to ride the motorcycle and I enrolled at a driving school to get my hands on a steering wheel. I did not face any written test; my road test for the motorcycle had me driving down the road next to the RTO office (Indian DMV) demonstrating hand signals and basic maneuvering control. No figure-8, nor 360 circles.
When I bought my car 3 years later driving the motorcycle had become second nature and I could sense the machine like a second skin. Controlling the steering wheel was absolutely no effort. After 3 sessions with the driving school car my instructor pronounced me ready to handle my brand new untouched Santro. I still remember the first ride on a 6-lane road with scant traffic; the Santro still had it's showroom silver ribbon tied in a cute bow over the hood :-)
Friends who lived in America say I am an "adventurous" driver! Even the best driver who I know had become defensive after driving in USA for 2 years. So when it was time for me to hit the roads of Massachusetts apprehension wasn't too away.
Did I mention that the Santro Xing is 3.5 x 1.5 meters while the Accord is 7.2 x 1.9 meters!
Part-1: Getting the learner's permit
You need to answer a Computer based test. The Massachusetts Driver's Manual gives details of the process, study material and requirements for the test. It took me 3 readings to familiarize myself with the contents. I studied safe driving, parking, signals, laws, speed limits, DUI conditions, medication restrictions; I pretty much studied the entire manual, except the part on junior drivers.
Junior drivers are under 16 years, and a different, more stringent set of rules are applicable. I rather naively assumed it was sufficient for me to merely know that breaking rules had repercussions; the cops would know what fines to apply. I also took some free online practice tests to prepare myself on the kind of questions to expect.
To my utter shock and dismay almost 75% questions were about regulations for junior drivers. 15 were junior driver, 2 were DUI, 3 were drugs related! Nothing on speed limits or safe driving or technicalities. It was a thoroughly theory question set and caught me totally off guard.
Mercifully I scrapped through scoring 15/20; the passing is 14/20.
In retrospect it however made sense. Only kids would be applying for a learner's permit; the grown ups already held driver's licenses.
Moral of the story : don't presume; learn everything; pay special attention to junior driver regulations
___cont part-2
Admittedly very different from my experience in India where I've held a license for more than 7 years. I rode a Yamaha RX-100 motorcycle for first 3 years and then bought a Santro Xing XG.
My best friend taught me to ride the motorcycle and I enrolled at a driving school to get my hands on a steering wheel. I did not face any written test; my road test for the motorcycle had me driving down the road next to the RTO office (Indian DMV) demonstrating hand signals and basic maneuvering control. No figure-8, nor 360 circles.
When I bought my car 3 years later driving the motorcycle had become second nature and I could sense the machine like a second skin. Controlling the steering wheel was absolutely no effort. After 3 sessions with the driving school car my instructor pronounced me ready to handle my brand new untouched Santro. I still remember the first ride on a 6-lane road with scant traffic; the Santro still had it's showroom silver ribbon tied in a cute bow over the hood :-)
Friends who lived in America say I am an "adventurous" driver! Even the best driver who I know had become defensive after driving in USA for 2 years. So when it was time for me to hit the roads of Massachusetts apprehension wasn't too away.
Did I mention that the Santro Xing is 3.5 x 1.5 meters while the Accord is 7.2 x 1.9 meters!
Part-1: Getting the learner's permit
You need to answer a Computer based test. The Massachusetts Driver's Manual gives details of the process, study material and requirements for the test. It took me 3 readings to familiarize myself with the contents. I studied safe driving, parking, signals, laws, speed limits, DUI conditions, medication restrictions; I pretty much studied the entire manual, except the part on junior drivers.
Junior drivers are under 16 years, and a different, more stringent set of rules are applicable. I rather naively assumed it was sufficient for me to merely know that breaking rules had repercussions; the cops would know what fines to apply. I also took some free online practice tests to prepare myself on the kind of questions to expect.
To my utter shock and dismay almost 75% questions were about regulations for junior drivers. 15 were junior driver, 2 were DUI, 3 were drugs related! Nothing on speed limits or safe driving or technicalities. It was a thoroughly theory question set and caught me totally off guard.
Mercifully I scrapped through scoring 15/20; the passing is 14/20.
In retrospect it however made sense. Only kids would be applying for a learner's permit; the grown ups already held driver's licenses.
Moral of the story : don't presume; learn everything; pay special attention to junior driver regulations
___cont part-2
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