Licence failure and my response.

Wednesday July 22nd  I had an appointment with the driving instructor in Duncan which I had booked since the trailer hitch was installed in May. I need a class 7 licence to tow our trailer as it is over 4600kg. I have been for a couple drives with Wayne, the man we had bought the trailer off of, as well as hooking up, and un-hooking the trailer, and studying the pages I had printed from the driver training site that told me how to do a walk around pre-trip inspection. I sent most study time on the pre-trip, and not much on the driving. I wasn't prepared for the actual driving test. I thought I knew how to drive this truck and trailer around, and would pass as I saw myself as a consciences driver, and this thought process was what made me think I would pass without a problem.

Well I didn't pass, and I was surprised. I was angry that the instructor took me for a drive in the down town area, I didn't plan to be circling in the down town area as my plan was to go from campsite to campsite off the highway with ourtrailer. I just wasn't prepared for what he expected of me. I cut corners at intersections, which I thought ok as no car was in my way, I thought if I need the room it was the way to make the turn. I didn't signal when he said pull over here and stop. I didn't look in my mirror often enough. I just didn't think I would fail.

At first I was just blaming the examiner, and had a few days of being pissed off about what I saw was an examiner that wasn't doing his job properly. Now after I've calmed down, I have looked at the test marked paper, I see where I went wrong, and realize that I have to practice more, and will make better use of the time I have to do a few more drives around Nanaimo, as this is the next place I will take my test. I should have tested sooner, as I just took what Duncan had for test times, that was a mistake. I should have driven more too, but even that wouldn't have made me better, as I thought what I was doing was ok.

Yesterday I was still upset, and on our early morning walk Polly heard it the whole way. What a dufuss I am for believing I was right, and the examiner was wrong.

My learning from this is I am not as good a driver as I think! Good for me to know. I think I'm pretty smart, (maybe not) now to use these smarts to move forward and get on with getting the licence I need to continue with our plan to see North America.

Thanks Polly for listening to my ranting yesterday. She tried to get me to see where I was wrong, but I wasn't listening. I will learn from what happened, and will practice driving with the trailer to do what is expected in the next test.

Oh we picked up a portable Coleman BBQ yesterday in Victoria for our trailer. Looks like a good one, Polly likes it. Will try it out today, and plan to hook it to the trailer propane plumbing.