Road Rage (Off Road Style) !

Hello!

Once more I'm feeling the need to go off on a crazed rampage of hateful feelings, this time directed towards the absolute stupidity of the process needed to obtain a driving licence. In Queensland your 16th birthday becomes this massive deal because of two thing; the legal right to participate in intercourse (a story for some other time) and the ability to walk into the Department of Transport and Main Roads to get a leaner's permit. Now whilst the later option sounds easy as pie please allow me tell you a little tale. It begins on the 13th of April 2012 as I, Mackenzie Pringle, braved the aggravatingly long lines at the Department of Transport and Main Roads to achieve this wondrous piece of plastic that would put me in control of a car. After an hour of waiting I discovered that I didn't have any of the crap I needed to take the test. Disheartened I trudged back home to conquer the road rules another day. 

Later that week...

Everything was in order I had my ID and my appropriate forms all signed and dated, I'd passed several online tests and felt ready to receive my brand new permit. Excitement pumped through my veins as I strutted confidently into that dreadful building once more and sat down for the half hour pounding out the questions in a cinch. Determination cursed through my veins as I handed over the goddamn paper for the snooty lady behind the counter to confirm that I was indeed ready for my license. But no I had gotten too many questions wrong (only three!) so I was sent home with tears of shame for failing a test that stupid macho boys (who flunk all their classes) seemed to be able to pass. 

A whopping 3 months later I did finally achieve my learners permit after I got over myself and my shame. Yet the problems didn't end there. The next step on the way to an open license is getting your P-plates aka your provisional licence. To do this you must have your learner's permit for a minimum of 12 months and you must have driven for at least 100 hours over this period of time. My dad being the protective and worrisome man that he is kept me from constantly being behind the wheel for a good six months so for the final six I have struggled to get up my hours. It's bloody 2014 now and I still haven't reached the big 100. Booking my driving test to earn my provisional license has also added to my frustration as it is proving to be very troublesome. I've had to book my test in the next town over because in mine there are no spaces until mid February in which time I've already moved down south for university and will be about to start classes. 

As you can see I seem to attract the worst kinds of luck when it comes to being put on the road. I'm fed up with the complexities of the process and the little things that the Department of Transport are making such a big deal over. All in all if any one can learn something from my struggles is that if your driver's license is high on your priority list watch out for the mother load of hard work and organisation. Another thing however is to not worry about not getting your license either. A lot of pressure is put on teens these days by their peers who question and judge and my piece of advice is keep it to yourself, don't ask or advertise the maybes because that is all they are and they depend on so many varying factors. If i had the chance over I definitely would not have stressed as much over the fact of being able to drive or gotten so worked up by the anxiety of what people would think if I didn't have that capability. It's your life after all.

Until next time! xx