Mama's Got Game

I'm not the immodest type...only at my husband's expense. Our driver's test smack-down ended today when I took the exam and passed with a score of 92 percent (I will be polite by not mentioning my husband's passing but not-quite-as-high mark).

How odd that I drove 30 miles to take the Air Force-administered test. Beforehand we visited the bank on base, where the teller told me she took the driving test six times before cheating to pass. It's a common story (everyone has a breathless tale of multiple tries, mostly, I think, because they figure they can drive in the US and don't bother to study...I mean how hard can it be, right?) But consider this: the drivers' manual pamphlet you pick up at the DMV is a paltry 32 pages, if that. The manual in the UK is a tome, 14 chapters, 500-plus pages, and that's just the theory test. We didn't have to take the official UK licensing test, which also includes a hazards test and a driving test. My hat's off to UK drivers who master the book and the state-authorized test.

The rules here are vast (there are no less than five colors of roadway reflectors, each with their own meaning. There are sections in the book on treating an unconscious accident victim, the right and wrong way to shift gears on a hill in snow (a real problem question, I suspect, for those who drive automatic transmission cars), how to load trailers, auto mechanics and the proper way to approach animals - sheep - on the road (no matter what...don't honk!) It goes on and on.

Here is a sample question from my test - one of the four I got wrong. See if you know the correct answer:

When must you not overtake a cyclist:

1. On a one-way street
2. Before you turn left
3. On a dual carriageway
4. On a left-hand bend

Prize forthcoming for the first two to answer correctly. (Contest not valid for those currently holding a UK license..you know who you are).