Okay... one more thing... after complaining a bit, my roommate reminded me that when I was 16 and my dad took me driving that I also came back frustrated many times. So, it is normal that the same would be true now. The only difference is that I am now correcting all my imperfections, instead of really learning from nothing. My list of things to change or improve:
(1) Only using the brake when stopping until the absolutely last moment, when I put in the clutch.
(2) Always downshifting through ALL the gears, not skipping any no matter what.
(3) Using the mirrors and (while I'll probably still turn my head to check for sure) making sure I use the mirrors more. (I remember learning to turn my head, but here they like you to just use the mirror, which I think is virtually impossible and a bit unreliable.)
(4) Honking my horn more if there is a pedestrian in the crosswalk and I have a green light. Doing that instead of breaking (even though by nature and habit I am more concerned about hitting him than breaking), an instinct I have to change.
(5) Paying more attention to the yield signs and the fact that I may have the right of way for awhile and then the next street may look exactly the same, but there is a little yield sign along the side of the road. (In part why I need to learn the area where they give the driving tests better.) And also just being more conscious of the million signs and things going on around me. Multitasking while driving after three years of not driving is no longer my forte.
(6) Relaxing even when I am told every tiny little detail I do wrong. Learning to hear my "Good job!" even though no one else is going to say it.
Ahh, the joys of learning to drive a second time. AND being tested on it.
Okay, things I do well. One more list, just humor me:
(1) Parallel parking. No problem. (I probably have to work on left side parallel parking, for the many one way streets. Just in case.)
(2) Driving in general & driving a manual car. Again, no problem (despite spanish urban myth about americans).
(3) Driving in the city. Again, I actually like it, most of the time.
(4) Spanish. Not a problem.
(5) I'm sure there are more things I do well. And, God-willing, it won't take me too long to change the little bad habits that I have.
1 comentario:
GOOD JOB DAWN! You can hear somebody else besides you say it. :) I can't imagine having to take such a difficult driving test after all these years. Your list contains things I definitely don't do. Downshifting through every gear? Honking instead of braking at a pedestrian? Those would take some retraining for me too. Hang in there, you are doing great!
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