For The Seventh Time

It has been more than two years since I started securing a driving license here in Doha.

Yesterday was my seventh try. Yes, you read it right. For seventh time.

As it was been my previous tests, I started having butterflies on my stomach the day before I took each and every time I have my driving test.

All I have to do now is to pass the road test, the last part of the series of test in order to have that elusive license. The bummer would be, you cannot move on to the next stage if you fail the first stage and if you fail, you need to wait at least 30 days before you can try again.

It begins with the test on Traffic Signs. The test start at 5:00am as it shows from your schedule. Everyone is queuing to the small window by the office of the test committee. Inside the room is the examiner sitting by his table with a chart of all the traffic signs on it. Then he will start pointing on the chart and you are supposed to answer what does the sign means as quickly as possible. Just a few signs, five the most, and it’s done. I passed this the first try.

Then the L-parking, where you turn to your left and up the ramp and park. The car must not move backward or the engine turns off when you start your car forward further up the ramp then reversing it back down the ramp to your right. I failed this once and passed on the second try.

Then the notorious Pocket Parking, 90% who failed must have failed at this stage. Some says, if you pass the Pocket Parking, is as good as having your license already. It was actually a reverse parallel parking, where the parking lot was just enough to fit the car. I failed this twice and made it on my third try.

Then the last part and is supposed to be the easiest, the road test. I failed 3 times prior to my seventh try. The fist time I failed the road test was that I did not notice the road hump and it was too late to put on the brakes, screeeeetchh, the traffic police is shaking his head. The second time was that I was the last person for the road test, that means I need to bring the car back to the school, the longer I drive, the more opportunity the traffic police find fault on my driving. The third time I failed the road test is that, the person I was next to, park on an uneven inclined road shoulder, when I released the hand brake, the car rolled back, and the traffic police was not happy.

Yesterday was my seventh try and fourth on the road test. I get in the car. Adjust my seat. Check the side view mirrors and the rear view mirror. Put on my seatbelt. Turn on the signal light. Shifted to first gear. Released the hand brake. Check on oncoming vehicles then drive. I was quite happy the car went on smoothly, I shifted to second gear without any jerking. I was asked to turn right. Signal on, then turn. Then I was asked to park. Signal on. Stop. Hand Brake. Hazard. Finished without a glitch.

But before me, there was this Arab guy, who at first gear the engine turns off twice. He drives with his left wheel on the road center line. When he turns left, he cut two lanes toward his left.

Now guess who passed……

The Arab guy passed and I failed. Incredible…..It’s a feat….Manny Pacquiao and me has now something in common. He holds the record of having seven title in as many divisions in boxing while I hold the record of failing a driving test for the seventh time.

Now my dream of driving my dream car remains just a dream………