The Driving Test

We didn’t really want to drive when we first moved to Spain. Spanish traffic was scary, even though we had driven the Los Angeles freeways. I mean, those guys are nuts. Someone coined a phrase for the Spanish driver’s attitude. Viva Yo!

But after a month of watching the traffic flow we realized that we weren’t going to see very much of Spain without a car. We bought a car, El Flojo, and set about getting international drivers’ licenses.

We made applications and appointments to take the test at the central complex in Málaga where all drivers written and driving tests were administered, We showed them our Guam licenses to demonstrate that we had some knowledge pertaining to automobiles. They regarded the licenses with a little suspicion. What’s a Guam? What planet is that on? But eventually they accepted the licenses and the examiners informed us that the written test would be waived. This was good because the test was in Spanish and I’m not sure we would have passed. We handed in our applications and waited for an examiner.

At that point we had a chance to examine the physical layout of the test center. There were obstacles all around us, artificial hills on which to stop and start up again, places to parallel park, slaloms to go through in forward and reverse gears. You name it, if it was an obstacle, they had it. And in the center, right next to the written test center, was a large bar. If you blew the driving test, you could knock back a couple of brandies and go out and try again when your confidence had been restored. In a way, it makes sense. You want your examinees to drive under realistic conditions, and many people drove over there with an alcoholic ballast in their bellies. But it did give me a whole new slant on the phrase “passing the bar.”

We finally drove out with our examiner. We each drove forward, stopped, backed up. That was enough! We passed. Surprise, surprise. Nobody really wanted to give money-bearing foreigners a hard time. Real Spaniards had a much more difficult time with the test, because the government was just as happy if they didn’t drive.