Wednesday, May 10, 2006

THIS CLOSE TO BEING A HOOSIER

Joe told me that he knew several people who flunked the Indiana Drivers test. That scared me!  I am one of those people who allow their license to expire on occasion and have to re-take the written test. Over the years I have taken the test in Kentucky three or four times and once in Texas. With the exception of the Drivers permit test (I studied like a crazed young kid, which I was)I have just walked in off the street and taken the test and passed, no sweat.
 
This off hand remark about people flunking, and people studying hours for the test threw me off my game.
 
I worried and I put it off until it can no longer be put off. I need a drivers license to get a rental car in Florida!! My expired license is about to get me into more trouble than I care to tussle with.
 
Early this morning I marched in and got in a very long line to officially become a Hoosier driver! I had to hand over my Kentucky license, my pass port, my  SS card,  my bank statement, and a pay stub!!  Hoosiers do not mess around.
 
I really really sweated the test. But I flew through it and even went back and corrected several answers which I shaded in "B" when I really meant "C" and was doing it for a third time when I stopped short and realized I was sabotaging myself.
 
The signs were tricky. Is this a "yield" or a "slow moving vehicle" sign. Is this a "Yield" or a "no passing sign". Very tricky. All they gave were blank signs. You were only allowed to miss two of them to pass. Holy mackerel. I did not study them enough.
 
All in all, I only missed the driver permit questions. I skimmed over them thinking they were not relevant to my situation. Which they were not, but the test is not a tailor made exam for only me.
 
I almost flunked the eye test! First with the $1 glasses. Oh boy, that's impossible to read. Then my prescription glasses. Worse!!
 
"Just try it with out any glasses" she instructed me.She was so kind. It was rough, and she estimated me at 20/40 in each eye. I almost blew it. I think she may have even helped me once by letting me guess at it over and over until I got it (it looked like Japanese symbols! I swear!)
 
I became an organ donor. Though I told her to be sure to give a warning about my eyes.
 
The picture.....
 
I headed for the nearest Beauty Salon and had a hair cut immediately afterwards.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Congrats on getting your Indiana license.  When we moved to WA this past summer I went fairly quickly to get my WA license.  I studied and took the test, passed with flying colors.  It turns out I went too quickly.  My Dh and son went at about 2 weeks later and it turns out, the law had changed in the week between and the written test was NO LONGER required!  They got their license by just walking in and turning in their old one.  Sheesh!!

Anonymous said...

In Kansas they send the test to you in the mail, along with a study book and you take the test in to be graded. If you fail that one, the you are officially an idiot.  Glad you passed.  I always get my hair done (colored) right before getting my new license. Kansas lets you keep your old licenses so now I get to actually see how I have aged since the 80's........even with good hair and lips, it's not a pretty sight.   Anne

Anonymous said...

I have to re-new my Illinois License in the next several weeks.   I want to get there a week in advance so it does not expire.  I may have to go back if I need to get more paperwork, though I think I have the sufficient requirements.     As far as glasses I think I am set.    I should get my eye's tested though for any early sign of disease that early detection is vital for.     Every year the optometrist seems to want to prescribe new lens.    I think that having continually stronger lens should be a last option.     Why make the eyes more dependant instead of stronger by not being so reliant on new lens.    I can go for many years on the same lens.    My no line lens do not have the same capability for looking at tiny, tiny, print like my old line bi-focals.    They took some getting used to and I still could not see some of that tiny print when they were new.    Thanks for commenting in my journal.     mark

Anonymous said...

Gotta love those pictures!  Hope your little trip made you feel much better!  Jae

Anonymous said...

I had trouble passing the Florida exam back in 1976.  That was a tough one.  Congratulations on passing in Indiana! - K.

Anonymous said...

I'm sure your hair looks great. I'm happy you passed. Sounded like you had a nice lady.  I hate those things.

Anonymous said...

For the first time in the thirty-some years I've been a licensed driver, I actually got a decent picture on my license last year.  It doesn' look like me...  LOL!  Lisa  :-]

Anonymous said...

Honey, no matter what you do, you'll always be beautiful.

xoxoxo,
andi

Anonymous said...

Those pictures are usually scary! I don't think we really have any rules about how many questions you can get wrong on the test, but I remember once seeing one of the ladies who work there yelling at a man for getting almost all of them wrong. He seemed to deserve the dressing down he got, too.

xoxo

Anonymous said...

I truly believe that they go to great lengths and expense in each state to use cameras that are gauranteed to take horrible pictures.  I've never had a driver's license picture that looked anything like me, LOL!
Sam

Anonymous said...

Just like a woman.......get a new outfit or hairdo after a stress-filled day.....or it was the photo. LOL!

Angela

Anonymous said...

Since 9/11 getting a driver's license RENEWED here is a nightmare. They refused to accept a birth certificate that was accepted for fifty years. I had to contact the state I was born in to get a replacement. I had to have ALL marriage papers and then divorce papers so they could follow a TRAIL of my names. (Glad I only had one previous marriage. One woman had SEVEN sets of documents. ) Apparently there are serial marryers. Most people had to return at least once with more documents. It took half a day and I didn't have to taken any tests, just show documentation.

Anonymous said...

I hope you went to the optometrist after the hairdresser!  I couldn't believe the variety of DL requirements from the commenters--Nelle's was over the edge.  Here in AZ to renew you only need a vision test & photo, and licenses are now valid for like 20 years; that photo of me will still be awful, but it will be young.   S
peaking of driver's licenses, this morning I noticed a sign at Wal Mart that (as of 4/24/06) to buy alcohol EVERYONE must present a DL and the magnetic stripe will be scanned only to verify age.   Is that scary or what?  I don't know exactly what kind of info is on that stripe, but absolutely nothing I want to share with Wal Mart.  I was tempted to go back and get a six-pack and test it out.  Maybe it's all huff 'n puff.  Sorry to digress.  Congrats on knowing everything without studying!
*debbi*

Anonymous said...

You are so funny...  I love reading you.  I have to admit, I flunked my first driver's test.
http://www.boiseladie.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Glad you did pass..  Hope all is doing well.  john

Anonymous said...

I've applied for licenses in three states, and Ohio's test seemed to me to be the toughest.  In Colorado, the guy who helped me at the DMV told me he was sure that I weighed less than I stated on my license, so of course, that was my favorite place to apply !  The only problem here in California is that there are just waaaay too many people, and not enough DMV offices.  Its an all day affair out here. UGH !! Tina

Anonymous said...

I've only had licenses in KY and IN, but I have to agree that the written test in Indiana is VERY hard.  Especially those signs!
Lori

Anonymous said...

It's a cinch to get a driver's license in Texas. I always renew mine via snail mail. You certainly don't need brains to get a license here, and I'm beginning to doubt that you even have to know how to read. At least not in English. 80 per cent of the people here in West TX are illegal immigrants and don't have any license at all. It's open road Russian Roulette. Or. more aptly, Mexican Roulette. Gringos, take cover!!!!!           Jon

Anonymous said...

I'll never forget my first driving test.  Passed the written, flunked the driving.  LOL!
Dona
http://journals.aol.com/delela1/BlueSkiesandGentleBreezes