So I passed the scary Patente (Driver's License) written theory test but then one more obstacle loomed in front of me....I needed to pass the road test. Before I was allowed to take it, I needed to take a series of driving lessons with an auto school instructor. I have never seen that requirement written anywhere, but it seems virtually impossible to register for the road test without being accompanied by one's instructor. The schools all require that you pay for and complete a minimum of six hours of driving.
I spent two hours once a week for three weeks with Gianluca, my thirty-something hipster instructor driving around the narrow, curvy roads of Lombardia. We got off to a bit of a rough start as he spoke only Italian and he thought I drove a little too fast. I thought I was supposed to drive with the normal pace of traffic in town but apparently he was used to the timid teenagers starting out at a crawl. Later he admitted to me that I was the oldest student he had ever had (!) but we both adjusted and survived the process. I was at the mercy of their scheduling process so after my last lesson, I still had to wait three weeks to have a reservation to take the test. That is not easy for an impatient American.
I really had no idea of what to expect but I certainly did not realize that I would be tied up for 8 hours. I rode out to the motorizzione (license bureau) with my instructor and two other students but there we met up with three others making a total of six of us. And yes, the other five were teenagers so I could have actually been their grandmother. The exam had three parts - a verbal test on the engine and instruments, a maneuverability section, and a driving session including time on the autostrada (motorway). I was shocked to realize that for each section, the examiner tested one person at a time while the rest of us waited. He spent about 10 minutes with each person on the questions, then about 15 minutes at another location on maneuverability, including parking, backing up, u-turn, etc. Two hours had passed by then and even though one student had failed and left the group, I realized that this would be a very long day.
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| The examiner asking technical questions about the car |
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| Everyone waits while one person is tested on maneuverability |
Once we started the actual "on-the-road" test, we all were squeezed into one of the auto school cars with an instructor while we followed the car with the student being tested. Oddly, the student's instructor sat in the right front seat and the examiner sat in the back seat. We were told we should not wear sunglasses so the examiner could see where our eyes were looking. As one can imagine, the quirkiness of the entire process made me more nervous than I should have been. Each student drove for about 30 - 40 minutes, on country roads, highways and through tiny, old villages with one way streets and unfamiliar configurations. Luckily, the remaining students all passed and came back to the "chase car" gleefully clutching their pink plastic cards. Since they were all 18 year olds, pop music was blaring and elated phone calls were being made to parents which actually made for an enjoyable but lengthy late afternoon.
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| For three hours, we followed the car with the student being tested. |
I was the second to last and after all the drama of the past four months, my session seemed rather uneventful. Perhaps the examiner (who apparently has the reputation for being slow and obsessive with details) felt an affinity with me as an older adult or was finally ready for a nap because I also passed and he handed me my shiny Patente. We took a moment for photos with Gianluca before dispersing and the kids seemed genuinely happy for me as well. I am now a legal driver in Italy!
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| My new best friends |
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| Gianluca and his oldest student |
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| Priceless |
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