Driving, pt QTI

Was feeling nervous and jitterish the whole day bout the test, as my confidence towards driving dropped below par. Consider this: you aren’t given a chance to practise driving at your own pace, with the humongous-sized instructor disturbing your controls like a child at every opportunity. Bah.

Bugged Shawn enough today and he related that his instructor for the QTI test is an evil Indian who was equally annoying.

Bearing that in mind, as I entered the centre in Shah Alam at about 4:20pm, I registered for it there and noticed the damp, dark makeshift warehouse once more. The unattractive, shady-looking personnel at the counter, and basically the entire place reeks only one thing: corruption.

So I was number 5 for the day and I waited. My heart pounded, I was restless, and I noticed all sorts of mistakes that you might make on the form which the instructor will take note and mark as he see fit, such as: gagal mengawal stering, gagal memberi isyarat and so on.

When the time came and I was called into the car, I muttered a quick hi and sat down on the driver’s seat. The seat was covered with leather.. in a Kancil. Uh. >_> After trying my best to adjust the seat (the bloody leather was covering the handle to the seat), he asked me to do whatever I was supposed to do before I move while busy ticking something on the form I gave him. I took my time to adjust the center mirror and the right one, and was about to play around with the lights when he asked me to go. So I did.

I made sure it was on free gear, pressed on the clutch, shifted to gear 1, and pressed a little bit on the accelerator while freeing the clutch a bit. The car appeared to be not moving, and he told me, “Remember to put down your handbreak ah,” and did that for me.

I was pissed with myself for not remembering that, and what a way to start off the test. At the junction before I turn right out of the driving centre, he made a little chat and asked me whether I’m taking SPM this year, and “hope I can see you in the papers next year ah.” By then I faked a smile, and concentrated on what was at hand.

The car moved slowly and I dragged ourselves ahead and he asked me not to be so nervous. “Relax.” At the first roundabout he told me in a very friendly manner about “once you’re in the roundabout, other cars will have to give way” and all the driving rules but I wasn’t listening. At the third roundabout, I almost made the wrong turn and he conveniently helped me with the stering wheel and the like that I was shocked and surprised.

It wasn’t very long..so I finished it quite quickly I think. When we re-entered the driving school again, the Indian dude flashed a smile at me and ticked away at the forms while saying, “I’ll let you pass la.. okay? I want you to go to the next test.” Then he grinned. Then I grinned. Widely.

I could’ve hugged this Indian guy. He was absolutely at his kindest as he’s actually helping me through the entire thing.

When I went off the car, this Malay guy about 19 or 20 years of age asked me about the route I took and I told him. Then he asked whether he crossed out the part about gagal memakai tali pinggang keledar as I wasn’t wearing it (man..he’s a sharp-eyed one). I looked down on my paper and didn’t see any tick of that sort. And then again, I was fucking pissed for making such a stupidly simple mistake, but according to the form, that won’t fail me immediately.

I don’t know how I would actually perform on the real test..but I wasn’t pleased with this one. I should count my lucky stars and consider myself lucky - I fucking passed! :D And I didn’t pau him or anything, you know.

Ihearthim.