Learning to Drive Part 2

My place in Perth was in suburban Western Australia, and on the outskirts of my University. Shortly after I settled comfortably into my place, I dug out information on getting driving licenses. Zipped through the first theory test, and then the advanced test; both of which were computer-administered. Faced none of the difficulties in Singapore; this time I had the purpose and the will, remember?

Interestingly, the advanced theory tests here in Singapore are all theory. The one I had was a video simulation instead, in which you’re put through a driving simulator with scenarios, and required to make timed decisions (e.g. to overtake, turn, signal).

After that, it was time to look for driving instructors. Their adverts for their services could be found in many places. The numerous notice boards in campus, shopping malls, and suburb supermarkets.

Here’s one thing about these advertisments you won’t likely find in Singapore: many of the instructors were apparently either very confident about their instructional skills or that driving tests are easier to pass in Australia, because many of the instructors promised passes for their students. In fact, I even remembered at least several instructors guaranteeing that their students will pass the test on their first go, and if not, they’d gladly pay for the rebooking of a second test, with free lessons to boot too.

I didn’t have much of a reference point to go with, so I randomly chose a fellow who turned out to be a former Egyptian national who married a local Aussie woman and was a now a Australian citizen. Lessons weren’t cheap though. The fellow charged AUD35 per 45 minute block.

Here’s another different facet. Singaporean learners routinely hit the circuit first. On my first day of driving, within 10 minutes (5 of which was spent just orienting myself to the instructor’s car), I was driving on the main roads! Talk about getting thrown into the deep end.

Thing is, I didn’t especially liked my instructor. Oh, he was competent and he could impart the skills through good instruction. However, he was also horrendously uncouth, and many of the lessons I took over 3 months he’d typically also use the time to handle his personal businesses. On a typical say 90 minute block, we’d be driving to 4-5 places all over WA, meeting his private business clients, his friends etc, and a lot of times that driving was on straight clear roads.

Perhaps there was method to the seemingly unstructured lessons he conducted. Specifically, his teaching strategy was to expose his students to real world driving conditions. So, a lot of emphasis was placed on safe driving and anticipating driver intentions, rather than the front and tail end driving activities like parking. He had a term for it: ‘defensive driving’.

There were also little things I learned from him that are fossilized habits when I drive these days. And funnily I don’t ever see local drivers doing these same things. E.g. signaling when joining into a merging lane. But I didn’t get as much instruction in parallel parking, which is also why I’m awful at it right now.

At the end of 3 intensive months of lessons and also a month more of supervised driving, he judged that I was ready for the test. I can’t remember the exact waiting period, but it was for certain nothing like the months Singaporeans have to wait. I think the booking time was just a month in advanced.

In any case, the driving test was pretty alright. I made one bloop when I was exiting out of the carpark by slightly scrapping the left front tire with a curb (which the tester promptly noted), but the rest of the test went by without incident. That was the only fault, and the as soon as the test was done, the probational license was issued immediately.

The cost? I’ll have to check my old spreadsheets again, but I’ll put it at AUD2400, ballpark.