I turned sixteen a couple of months ago, which means I am now learning to drive! My school took us to a special driving school last week, which was basically a huge field that had been converted into a system of mini roads. After taking the online learner’s test and posing for my licence photo, I was finally able to hop behind the wheel for the first time. It was terrifying. Over the past week, my uncle has been taking me out driving in his car so I can get more experience. After all, we have to complete 120 hours of guided driving in all sorts of conditions before we’re able to get our full licence.
This morning, while my uncle was taking me through our suburb, he told me to turn into a street I’d never been down before. We slowed to a stop in front of a mechanic servicing the Underwood area, which was this huge building that looked like a warehouse and had dozens of cars parked around the front. When I asked my uncle what we were doing, he explained that he had made an appointment for a logbook service, and he wanted to bring me along so I could experience everything that comes with owning a car. I thought it sounded like he was throwing me in the deep end a bit, but I guess I’ll be thankful in the future. I’ve heard stories from my older brother’s friends, about how they needed a car suspension repair service but didn’t know how to find one. Apparently, they spent days driving around with low tyre suspension before they realised they could simply call a qualified mechanic.
As a result of the trips with my uncle, I’m now feeling a lot more confident when it comes to driving. I still have about a hundred hours left to complete, but I can’t wait!