Overseas Driving

[lyn]

It's bad driving here now, we just had a snow storm. And we're snow in, stuck in the house. Just this morning some truck got stuck in our road. We only have about 3-5 inches of it but the snow is ice over, it's too slippery to attempt driving in this road condition. I just saw while I'm writing here a car driving very, very slow and when he turns the car slip sideways when he turn into their driveway.

[cherry*coke]

i feel so low today.. i just failed my behind the wheel test this morning.. it was my 4th already.. one more failure and i would have to wait a year to retake the test..

I've been driving in the Philippines for years( car, motorcycle) though around cavite and  nearby cities lang but never pa sa Manila.. I felt like i've gained enough experience na.. pero hindi ko akalain ganito sila kahigpit dito.. Parang hindi sila mauubusan ng makikitang mali.. 

the first time i took the test..i failed because nag left turn ako sa green light.. i failed to yield to the car in front of me na honestly hindi ko talaga nakita.. napakaliit ng koche na yun at parang nagbe -blend ang kulay niya sa paligid..

2nd time-- parking pa lang binagsak nako..twice ako nag back up para makapasok dun sa slot. i was using a van na medyo malapad. pero hindi ko naman na hit yung cone.. i just got off from work that time.. and medyo pagod at wala pang kain.. kaya i promised myself na next time sedan nalang gagamitin ko para mas madaling ipasok sa slot. and hindi na ako papa schedule ng test kapag alam kong may work ako the same day..

3rd time -- i thought i had it na.. pero ang dami padin nakitang mali sakin nung examiner..

it took me a while before i scheduled my 4th test. nawalan nako ng confidence kasi parang no matter what i do may makikita't makikita silang mali..

i practiced really well.. lahat ng pwede nilang i mark off sakin in-anticipate ko na..

but i still failed.. pabalik na kami ng DMV that time when there was this bus na nakatigil.. unloading/loading passengers.. i checked my mirrors and malayo pa yung car na nasa kabilang lane.. then i checked my blind spot and it was clear.. so i signaled.. and umaamba nako sa paglipat ng lane.. pero yung van sa kabilang lane is still running at the same speed or even faster.. hindi niya ko pinagbigyan.. so what i did was i just stopped behind the bus.. hindi nagustuhan ng examiner yung ginawa ko.. kasi daw i almost hit the bus.. malayo naman ang distance ko sa bus.. but i understand na medyo hard yung pagstop ko.. naiinis ako sa van! but well. right of way niya yun.. wala akong magagawa kung ayaw niya magbigay.. siguro nga kasalanan ko.. hindi ko na dapat pinagpilitan na mag change ng lane..


and i was surprised na this examiner meron padin ibang minark off sakin.. like lack of attention sa railroad crossing.. sabi ko sa kanya..  ilang beses akong tumingin.. gusto kong sabihin ano pa bang tingin ang gusto niya? eh naka ilang lingon na nga ako ..

at yung speed ko daw sa main street masyado mabagal.. sabi ko sa kanya.. eh kakalabas palang namin sa DMV nun and we're approaching an intersection and we're eventually turning right.. kailangan ko pa bang i obey ang 40mph speed limit na yan? sabi niya.. OK, OK but it still the whole bus thing that made you fail. oh well.. feeling ko tuloy kahit hindi ngyari yung bus incident hahanapan at hahanapan padin nila ako ng butas!

lahat ng inaangkas ko sa sasakyan.. sinasabi.. magaling naman daw ako mag drive..

I have a friend who reached her limit na.. next year na ulit siya makakakuha.. i don't want that to happen to me.. 

[mooncake and leaves]

Awww I feel for you. I failed the driving exam twice then my permit expired. So now, I have to redo the written exam. Pero tinatamad ako nyaha.

Practice more. Or change dmv locations. That sometimes works. Or pahinga ka muna before you take the exam again. How long was the interval between exams ba? Kasi baka namumukhaan ka ng mga nagpapa-exam.

I know someone who took the test 10 times and failed still. Biro nga namin sa kanya dati, kabisado na niya yung dmv handbook lol. She eventually passed. Siguro on her 11th or 12th attempt. Tapos meron din before yung story about this woman-she failed her dmv exam dozens or hundreds of times so it's really a lot more common than you think. Don't lose hope. Papasa din tayo! Wee! Haha.

[m_lim]

ako naman twice ako bumagsak. LOL!

first, relax ka muna sis. huwag ka muna mag take ulit. mag practice ka muna.

siguro you have to develop yung pagiging alert sa daan. kumbaga, dapat ma feel mo na yung sasakyan eh hawak mo ng buo. (magulo ata ako mag explain!)

basta, pahinga ka muna. kasi the more na pinupush mo, unconsciously natetense ka kaya lalong may nakikita silang mali na hindi mo napapansin.

[qt_ben17]

natatawa naman ako sayo mooncake, talagang idinaan mo nalang sa tawa yan at naghanap ka ng karamay hehe

ako naman sa awa ng diyos ang written test one take. 5 mistakes (6 ang allowed for first time) at ang driving test one take din (8 errors out of 15 allowable) ang prob ko ngayon, may driving privilege nga ako wala namang car! haha, kaya ginagawa akong driver ng nanay ko at di naman ako makagala kung san ko gusto pumunta , gusto niya kasama siya . sus!

yung sa driving test eh muntikan na rin ako bumagsak diyan kasi yung magchachange na ako ng lane eh may nagmamadaling mustang sa likod. tapos nag brake ako to give way for that car pero hindi daw dapat nagbrake kasi possible for rear end collision.  so far yun lang ang comment niya, at the end sabi pa ng strictang officer - " unfortunately,  you passed" haha, kala niya ha!

eto mga pwede kong maipayo for ts:

STOP sign - full stop ka talaga diyan, no rolling!

pedestrian - top priority. give way always

when changing lanes, mag signal ka alteast 3 seconds bago the actual lane change. at ang pinaka important, baliin mo ang leeg mo sa paglingon sa blind corner (rear right or rear left). maraming pinoy ang bumabagsak diyan.

when parking,  use hazard light then place your right hand sa headrest ng passenger front seat, then look sa likod. intermitently sa front mirror pero ang priority dapat nasa likod ang iyong sight.

when turning left sa unprotected intersection, make your wheel straight never half left. make sure na ubos na yung mga incoming cars or atleast safe na mag turn left, yung tipong yellow light na. bilisan ang pag left turn as a courtesy to the car next to you.

speed limit - wag masyadong mabagal at wag over the speed limit.

always be alert.

at wag matataranta! relax, calm down para makapag concentrate ka. good luck!

[cherry*coke]

^thanks sis..san ka nag take? 15 allowable mistakes? dapat yata diyan ako magtake . dun sa 3rd test ko meron akong 5 minor mistakes.. hindi malinaw sa kanila kung ilang mistakes ba ang pwede.. etong huli.. 3 minor mistakes..na dulot lang ng lack of attention nitong examiner ko.. dapat siya minark off ko ng poor observation eh!  plus yun bus encounter nga and like you magche-change lane ako kaso ayaw magbigay nun nasa kabila kaya nag brake hard ako.. 

m_lim thanks sis.. diko na alam panong practice pa ang gagawin ko..    there're circumtstances na kung mangyari on a regular driving day ko lang.. i would've reacted differently.. iba kasi when you're under pressure.. parang dika makagawa ng sarili mong diskarte.. kung baga.. lagi mong iisipin ok kaya to sa mga hinadupak na to? *ehem

mooncake thanks sis.. nakakagaan ng loob na merong nakakarelate sakin..  in my 6mos of stay here naka 4 nako.. so parang average of 1month ang interval..  gusto ko na kasi magka license.. kasi papasok na anak ko sa school.. and kailangan ko din yun para makahanap ng better job.. plano ko nga rin mag change na ng location.. toxic na dun sa DMV na yun..  natawa naman ako dun sa 10times ng nagtake.. pero wag naman sana yun sakin mangyari..

 lam niyo naman hindi ganun ka accessible ang public transport dito.. ano nalang ang buhay ko kung hindi ako nakakapag drive..

thanks sa replies niyo sisters.

[qt_ben17]

^ sa kester / vanowen ako nag driving test.   di ko rin maintindihan ang grading system nila e, kaya di  ako makapagcomment regarding that matter.

why dont you try magenrol sa professional driving school?  para kampante ka at maging confident.

[cherry*coke]

^henaku sis.. nag try ako just one session.. parang evaluation lang..kung ano anong tinuro sakin..  sabi sakin when making a right turn.. you have to block off the bicycle lane to dicourage daw the bicyclists para when you make a right turn dimo sila mababangga.. and it's ok daw to swerve into a bicycle lane.. ngek! duda ako don eh.. kaya nireview ko ulit yung book.. and it says the opposite.

at parang hindi niya ko tinuturuan na maging defensive driver.. kundi maging maangas na driver.. hehe.. feeling ko nasayang 75 dollars ko..

[mooncake and leaves]

qt_ben17: nyaha ganun talaga. tawanan na lang. tinatamad na din ako talaga. bibili na lang ako ng bike hehe. bike as in bisikleta.

^ take driving lessons. kahit mga 2-3 sessions. iba rin kasi talaga yung may nagmu-monitor sa yo saka mas updated sila sa rules. kung maka-advice kala mo pumasa na eh no nyaha. goodluck talaga. papasa ka promise. bihira lang yung mga 'di marunong tumantsa (like me)

[gnela_21]

I started driving sa'tin sa Pinas, 2007. And then nung lumipat na kami dito sa Chicago, I had to take the driver's license dun sa mga piling locations kung san pwedeng kumuha ng driver's license ang under H4 visa (since H4 pa ako that time). God is good dahil isang take lang, nakapasa na ako! But what I would suggest is try to take the driving exam on a different location, minsan it makes a difference.

Ang nakakalito talaga sa una is yung pa-yield lalo na sa mga intersection and pati kapag nakakakita ako ng school bus.  Anyway, goodluck and I hope you'd get you license soon. Freedom dito kapag nagddrive lalo kung madalang ang buses on your place.

[twisted_pop]

change DMV locations, me mga examiners na strict talaga...
when taking the test, sometimes you need to exaggerate pa nga when you turn your head...
at other times they want you to drive exactly at the speed limit, not over, not under....
mabilis ang bigay nila ng instructions kaya dapat alert ka...

good luck...be patient...you can do it!!!

[cherry*coke]

Thanks sa mga sisses na nagbigay ng advice. I just passed the behind the wheel test today! May license nako.. Yehey! . I went to the same DMV office. Pinilit ko talaga makakuha this year. Kasi sabi ko. Ayoko abutin ng 2013 before i can retake the test, kung sakaling bumagsak nanaman ako. Buti nalang i passed na! I only had a minor mistake, yun mag leleft turn nako going back to the office, meron stopped car on my left, na mag tuturn din ng left. I let her pass cause  nasa gitna na yun koche nya, even though i had the right of way kasi meron siyang stop at ako eh wala. Sabi nun instructor problema daw yun nun isang driver and not mine. I should've proceeded daw. Oh well.

[gnela_21]

^Congrats! Merry Christmas sis!

[qt_ben17]

congrats sis!

[cherry*coke]

Thanks sis gnela and qtben!   Merry christmas!

[qt_ben17]

ayan sis magpa starbux ka na hahaa! LOL merry christmas !

[sweet_ghie]

How can you get a letter from Social Security stating that you're ineligible for an ssn? Do you really have to go there and apply?Because according to DMV, they need that when applying for a driver's license here in the US.

[rics]

takot ako mag take ng actual driving test kasi for sure i will fail. sabi ni hubby barubal daw kasi ako mag drive. and somehow, palpak talaga ako sa parking, lalo na parallel and back-in. im really bad also in changing lanes and left turns. hopefullu this summer i will try to take an exam, just to have a feel of it. bahala na kung bagsak.

[gnela_21]

How can you get a letter from Social Security stating that you're ineligible for an ssn? Do you really have to go there and apply?Because according to DMV, they need that when applying for a driver's license here in the US.

Just go to the SSN office and they will know what to give you. Just tell them that you needed the letter for the DL application, they would be asking for your passport, I-94 (arrival card) so make sure you bring the proper docs. That's what I did when I applied for DL when I was on H4 visa.

[prettysummer]

Greetings!!!
I don't know how to drive. Bike lang ang alam ko.
My husband said I need to learn how to drive.... of course I know that.
Kinakabahan ako... Paano kung hindi ako matuto?
Meron ba dito na wala talagang experience magdrive pero natuto at nagkalicense naman?