I've got my license...

...watch out! I just passed the road test for my motorcycle license. Yes, Massachusetts makes you get a motorcycle license to drive a scooter when the scooter can go above 30 miles per hour and has an engine larger than 50cc. My Honda Elite has a 110cc engine and can go over 45 MPH (50 if I'm lucky). Also, the state makes us register the scooter and get insurance for it. I guess it's OK. I'd hate to think a bunch of young kids would be riding these things around with no training. And the cost of the registration, license and insurance is much less than for a car. Plus, it didn't hurt to have to study the rules of the road again after all these years. More about this in a later post.

I was so nervous. I didn't know what to expect. As I mentioned in my first post about the scooter, I'd just barely passed the written test to get my learner's permit. So, my fantasy of being old enough to know everything was shattered. Would there be another written test? Would the tester ask me questions from the driving manual? How hard would the road test itself be? Would they follow me around the town in a patrol car or would there be some elaborate test course with obstacles and hidden traps? Would the tester ride behind me on the scooter seat? My test was scheduled for 10 AM but the testing site is almost 30 miles away (there is one Registry of Motor Vehicles office for all of Cape Cod). I didn't want to ride on the main road the whole way so I took back roads and my wife and kids followed me in the minivan. We hoped that they would get to watch my test and they were my back up in case something happened on the way. We left at 8:30 so we'd have plenty of time to get there and, perhaps, we could have a snack before the test.

Taking back roads added to the time it took to get there and we arrived at 9:30. Not enough time for anything but sitting there getting nervous.I made my first mistake when I saw a station in the back that said, "Check in here for road test". There were a bunch of signs and forms there but I'd already filled out my form so I asked the person in the office if I was supposed to check in with them. "Read the green sign!" I guess "checking in" means "read the sign". Finally, my name was called. I nervously shuffled my papers, gloves, helmet and wallet. She wanted to see my helmet first. Don't drop it! Keep hold of everything else! Don't look nervous! What am I? Sixteen? Then she inspected my learner's permit and registration. Why are the town names different? Good grief, now I've got to answer for the US Post Office not having home delivery from the post office in our town so sometimes the next town shows up when our Zip Code is used because they actually deliver our mail. Then she says to meet her behind the building with my scooter. And no, my family is not allowed to watch the test. Rats!

I rush out to get my scooter ready. Would she expect me to go through the motions of checking my tires, fluid levels, mirrors etc. as they mention in the manual? What were the hand signals again? What signal do you give if you're stopping just before you turn left? The stop signal or the left turn signal? Should I say something funny to calm myself down? No! Nothing you say is funny except to your wife and kids. I get out behind the building and the tester is not there. Did I take too long to get there and she has left? Was she watching me out the window and see that I didn't check my bike and adjust my mirrors and that I got here too quickly?

Finally, she got there with a huge notebook. How long was this going to take? First she asked me to demonstrate the hand signals. I said, "Right turn," and showed the right turn hand signal. I said, "Left turn," and showed her the left turn hand signal. I said, "Stop," and showed her the stop hand signal. Then she said, "And?" What "and"? There are three signals. "What about slow down?" she said.  I guessed and showed her the stop hand signal again. She said, "OK." I was going to fail this thing.

She did a quick safety inspection of my scooter (turn signals, brake lights, headlight and high beam, horn) then gave me instructions on what I'd be doing. There was a large circle painted on the pavement (maybe 20 feet in diameter) and a figure-8 inside that. I was to follow the figure-8 once then reverse direction and follow it back the other way. It looked like tight turns to me. I wouldn't be allowed to touch the ground with my feet. As I started out, she called after me, "Wait!" Oh, no. I've failed before I even started! I stop the scooter (I forgot to use the hand signal for the stop!) She was questioning my not putting my face plate down but then she remembered that I had glasses on so it was OK. I left the face plate up because it fogs up if I'm going too slow and I didn't want to shut out any sound so I could hear her.

I'm on the figure-8 tracing the line. I think I'm doing pretty well. "Can you speed it up a bit? You're going kind of slow." Oh no, another bad mark. I speed it up a bit but I'm afraid I'll not be able to make the turns. But I manage to finish the first figure-8. I turn around (was I supposed to signal a turn?) and head back around the figure-8 the other way. Am I going fast enough this time? Am I supposed to stay exactly on the painted lines?

I get back to where the tester is standing. Now I'm supposed to trace the large circle. Twice one direction, turn around and twice in the other direction. This one is easier because it's a wider turn. But after the first two times around and I'm turning to go the opposite direction I realize I forgot to ask if I was supposed to use turn signals. Too late, I didn't. I get back to the tester again. Since we're continuing the test, I assume I haven't failed yet. Now I'm supposed to drive up to a marker in the parking lot, make a left U-turn and drive back to another marker and make another left U-turn and drive back to the tester. I am to use the slow down signal and the left turn signal. I head off to the first marker and go to make my left turn. Oh no! I didn't use the slowing down hand signal. I just used the left turn hand signal. I finish the turn and head to the second marker. I do remember to use the slowing down hand signal then the left turn hand signal as I turned. Then I slowly drove up to her. I had made at least three mistakes. Maybe four if you count going too slow in the figure-8. She asked for my learner's permit again. "Congratulations, " she said, "You've passed." I could have fainted. I was sure I was going to have to do this all again.

I couldn't wait to get the scooter back around to the front of the building so I could go in and give my family the good news. But I didn't want to rush and make a mistake on the way. The tester could be watching. It could have all been a ruse to see if I'd go flying off without using hand signals or stopping or some other infraction. It took forever to get around the building as I stopped at every possible stopping place and signaled at every possible signaling place. Finally, I got in and saw them with expectant smiles on their faces, "Did you pass?" my wife asked. "Yes, I did," I said. It was so good to see them so happy for me. Being married with a family is the best thing in the world!