Driver's (er Driving) License

I'm going to learn to drive on the LHS! Watch out Britain! I've avoided this, thinking that it would ruin my driving reflexes for the rest of my life, but now that I'm here to stay for a while, I need to bite the bullet and get my license.

I had a pretty hard time learning to ride on the LHS on my bike. (It's hard enough actually being a pedestrian in a LHS city!) Just try making a U-turn to the right sometime and see how backwards it feels! The signs are on the wrong side, the traffic sounds come from the right, not the left, and you have to look over your right shoulder for traffic instead of the left. And - the front brake is on the RIGHT handlebar. Oh, and when you get a flat, its a TYRE, not tire!

In a car, the steering wheel is in the passenger seat and you have to shift with your left hand! AAAAaaaahhh

The process of getting a license in London is a lot harder than in the States, or so I've heard. My hairdresser had to take the driving part of the test four times before she passed!

So last week I applied for my provisional license, and it came on Friday. Guess when it expires? Get this: 2019! I can't remember for sure, but it seems like when I was 16, my learner's permit in Utah was good for something like three months. Unbelievable.

The packet of information that came with the provisional license clued me in that there are two tests: the theory test and the practical test. The theory test consists of two parts: a multiple choice part, and a hazard perception part.

Only 42% of those taking their practical test actually pass!! The test covers 24 key skills - what they are is something I have yet to learn! Watch this space...