A License To (Almost) Drive

It was just the other day when I wrote about preparing for my written driver’s license exam by picking up a copy of the Traffic Code Handbook. Turned out to be a useful little book actually, sort of like Bermuda’s version of Cliff Notes. I learned that a double white line on the road is like a double yellow in the States, that’s it’s illegal to “dazzle” other drivers with your headlights, and that I should watch for signs denoting the crossing of cattle, wild fowl, or horse drawn vehicles. Your basic stuff really. Trusty book in hand, I set off to the TCD to take my test and guess what? I passed! Although this doesn’t mean I’m fit to drive legally, just that I’ve earned a learner’s permit—the next step in a mind-blowingly long process to obtain one’s license. Permit in hand, I can now book a lesson with a local instructor who’ll no doubt give me a few pointers about mastering the driving test—and most importantly—arrange for an exam sooner than 2010. Unfortunately I’m only half-joking about that last part. The TCD is happy to schedule you for a driving test once you obtain a permit, but it’s not going to be anytime soon, the very reason why one needs to hire a driving instructor to grease the wheels so to speak. So be it. I don’t really care what I have to do to get my driver’s license, I’m just looking forward to handing over the keys to my rental scooter.