Well, what do you know? I actually passed my written test, but only by arguing. I took the test a third time rather than waiting for the results of my arguing the second test and that time got an 80%. I needed two more correct answers to get the necessary 85% but had four questions that were real questionable. They agreed to let me have it and then I pointed out that I didn’t have to take the driving test as my foreign license was current. The logic was taken from one of the test questions. They looked for half an hour to find out if I did or not when I decided not to rock the boat and take the test anyway. Surely I could pass a driving test.
Well Ok, they said, but I would actually have to wait for them to get approval for my written test from someone of authority, apparently they had none. So home again I went. That was Wednesday.
The next Wednesday Richard took the written for the fourth time and actually passed with a 92.5%. He took the driving test and failed. Go figure. He is a 40 year-old police officer from Brisbane. That day Hsien-Ling also called to see if my second test was approved. They thought they would hear soon. She talked to them about their English translations and the fact that Richard was a police officer and failed the driving test. They admitted that his car was large and he should have taken the test on the large car course. Swell. They then called Richard and told him he could retake the test on Thursday at no charge, on the bigger course. Then they called me back and said that my test was approved and that they would have written verification by Thursday or Friday so I could take my test on Friday or Monday.
They got it Thursday and I scheduled the test for Friday. Richard and I went to the course on Friday morning before it opened and he walked me through it. No problem.
At 1:20 I was there, paid my money and took the test in their car, a compact stick shift. If I took the test in my Chrysler Voyager, an automatic, I wouldn’t be licensed to drive a stick shift. So I rented theirs for NT$84 (US $2.50). The tester had me sit in the car during someone else’s test so I could see the routine. He was impressed that I spoke Chinese. When I took the test he also had someone in the back seat learning the route. In the US we take the test on actual streets with actual traffic. Not here. We merged into a lane and went around a corner, seeing if I could remain in a lane without touching the lines. Then there was a signal which only by luck was red so I stopped. No loss of points there. Then a left turn two right turns and then back into a perpendicular parking place without running over the lines that trigger an alarm. There were no poles to simulate the cars to avoid. Then out to the left, tight and left to an “S” curve with alarm lines on the side. Once through I had to back up through it. All the while the tester kept saying “beautiful, beautiful”. He was obviously easily impressed. After backing out it was then a right and a parallel parking test. Again no poles just push down the mirror and watch the alarm lines. “Beautiful, beautiful,” again. Then we made a left turn and a stop for the “pedrestrians”. Around the corner we had to start up a hill and stop on a red mark while keeping the wheels between a double set of alarm lines. After stopping we had to start without stalling the engine. (When the tester was showing Richard through the route he stalled the car three times). Now down the hill, a left turn and stop for the “train”. Last was straight ahead and stop for a 15 meter straight away where we had to get the car into third gear.
I scored an 88%. Thinking it was so beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, I asked where I lost points. He implied my driving was jerky. I could live with that.
But then at 3:10 was the motorcycle test. This involves driving straight for about ten meters along a narrow track lined with alarm lines in a time not less than seven seconds. Then on a wider track on one must stop for a red light, go around a curve, stop for a train, then stop for a pedestrian and then finish. I took my two tries to get through the first track and then zipped through the rest. Actually I cut the corner exiting at the finish but they gave it to me anyway. Now I can ride motorcycles up to 25cc. For anything bigger I would have to take a course and pass another test. Those that have them still drive like they are on scooters......
Monday, April 20, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Getting a Driver's License in Taiwan
Badges? We don’t need no stinkin’ badges!
My friend, Richard, from Australia, has been here about two months. Now he wants to get a driver’s license. I have been here off and on for almost 13 years so I decided to go with him. I didn’t want to rush into anything you know. So last Wednesday we went, accompanied by his wife, Bonnie, to the Motor Vehicles Department or whatever they call it here to take our written test and then our driving test.
We took the written but not the driving test. We both failed with 77.5% on our tests. The test questions are strange. One would think that after practicing online a little and using 42 years of driving experience and common sense I would be able to pass the test with the required 85%. But no. And to think I only needed 70% to pass my private pilot written, which is what, I think, I got….
The questions don’t only ask about driving, but about what the fines are for driving incorrectly. Also, some of the signs are strange. In the book I had to study a few years ago t had about 25 pictures of signs that all seemed to show rocks falling off the cliff. Looking closely on the online test, one of those rocks is really a car, and the sign means that there is a cliff on the left, not rocks falling from the right. It looked like a rock to me but luckily the three answers led to the right answer. Here are a few of the questions:
1. When driving on 2 lanes of 2 ways, in the line division parts, it is allowed to pass, but not allowed to compete paralelly. [the spelling is not mine]
2. Applicant with illegal methods to take the test, the test cancelled. If the applicant already has driver’s license, the license will be annulled and with no rights to apply for driving test for 2 years
3. No person is allowed inside the trunk
4. When driving parallely with other cars, the car in the front needs to stop: (1) must turn on the right signal light and brakelight or hand gesture to notify (2) stop any time, no need for signal and hand gesture (3) slow down then stop slowly
5. Perpendicular yellow lines are: (1) car lane lines (2) direction division lines (3) car direction lines
6. Perpendicular white lines are: (1) zebra pedestrian lines (2) car lane lines (3) road side lines
7. Full horizaontal line is: (1) parking line (2) no passing line (3) stop line.
8. In a case of hit and run, the car owner who is informed to present at the scene and fails to do so without justification, or fails to provide the information of the driver is punishable by suspension of license plate for: (1) 3 to 6 months; (2) 1 to 3 months; (3) 1 to 2 years.
9. When you are driving and see the cars on neighboring lanes have turned off the turn signals, you must: (1) accelerate and pass (2) slow down and yield (2) compete and race (1) land mark (2) fog direction (3) road direction
10. And one of my favorites: (the character means east)
There seems to be an emphasis more on what penalty you may receive than what you should do versus what you shouldn’t do. If the answers were based on what actually happens in real life, most of the answers would be: do whatever. The questions even have narration in English. The question is read three times with the answers. Usually it is read correctly but once the writing said: It is correct… but the narration said: It is not correct… I think if I fail this week I will challenge the results. That should be interesting. I’ll see how good my Chinese is, or if I can bluff or bully my way into passing. Maybe it just needs a red envelope, you think?
For the driving test I am going to rent the car at the test facility. It costs NT$80, or about US$2.50. I didn’t have my registration with me last week and I also discovered that if I took the test in an automatic, I wouldn’t be licensed to drive a stick shift. I will still have to take a motorcycle test and my bike is a Yamaha 150 so it qualifies as a big motorcycle (over 90cc to 205cc) but not as a great big motorcycle (or some other strange name for anything over 250cc).
I may wait until I go back to the US this summer and get a motorcycle endorsement on my Arizona driver’s license and then come back and bypass the 30 hours of schooling and one year regular motorcycle license requirement to get a great big motorcycle license. Not that I will ever use it, of course. A big bike is not real practical here. No advantage in traffic unless one still rides it like a scooter, and no great advantage in parking either. Great Big Motorcycles can now be ridden on the freeway thanks to WTO. I haven’t seen any on the freeway and I don’t think I would like to ride on there anyway. Cars here don’t have a lot of respect for other cars let alone motorcycles. It could be dangerous. I’ll stick to my Chrysler Voyager, with or without a license.
Oh, you want the answers? 1.T, 2.F, 3.T, 4.1, 5.2, 6.2, 7.3, 8.2, 9.2, 10.3 How did you do?
My friend, Richard, from Australia, has been here about two months. Now he wants to get a driver’s license. I have been here off and on for almost 13 years so I decided to go with him. I didn’t want to rush into anything you know. So last Wednesday we went, accompanied by his wife, Bonnie, to the Motor Vehicles Department or whatever they call it here to take our written test and then our driving test.
We took the written but not the driving test. We both failed with 77.5% on our tests. The test questions are strange. One would think that after practicing online a little and using 42 years of driving experience and common sense I would be able to pass the test with the required 85%. But no. And to think I only needed 70% to pass my private pilot written, which is what, I think, I got….
The questions don’t only ask about driving, but about what the fines are for driving incorrectly. Also, some of the signs are strange. In the book I had to study a few years ago t had about 25 pictures of signs that all seemed to show rocks falling off the cliff. Looking closely on the online test, one of those rocks is really a car, and the sign means that there is a cliff on the left, not rocks falling from the right. It looked like a rock to me but luckily the three answers led to the right answer. Here are a few of the questions:
1. When driving on 2 lanes of 2 ways, in the line division parts, it is allowed to pass, but not allowed to compete paralelly. [the spelling is not mine]
2. Applicant with illegal methods to take the test, the test cancelled. If the applicant already has driver’s license, the license will be annulled and with no rights to apply for driving test for 2 years
3. No person is allowed inside the trunk
4. When driving parallely with other cars, the car in the front needs to stop: (1) must turn on the right signal light and brakelight or hand gesture to notify (2) stop any time, no need for signal and hand gesture (3) slow down then stop slowly
5. Perpendicular yellow lines are: (1) car lane lines (2) direction division lines (3) car direction lines
6. Perpendicular white lines are: (1) zebra pedestrian lines (2) car lane lines (3) road side lines
7. Full horizaontal line is: (1) parking line (2) no passing line (3) stop line.
8. In a case of hit and run, the car owner who is informed to present at the scene and fails to do so without justification, or fails to provide the information of the driver is punishable by suspension of license plate for: (1) 3 to 6 months; (2) 1 to 3 months; (3) 1 to 2 years.
9. When you are driving and see the cars on neighboring lanes have turned off the turn signals, you must: (1) accelerate and pass (2) slow down and yield (2) compete and race (1) land mark (2) fog direction (3) road direction
10. And one of my favorites: (the character means east)
There seems to be an emphasis more on what penalty you may receive than what you should do versus what you shouldn’t do. If the answers were based on what actually happens in real life, most of the answers would be: do whatever. The questions even have narration in English. The question is read three times with the answers. Usually it is read correctly but once the writing said: It is correct… but the narration said: It is not correct… I think if I fail this week I will challenge the results. That should be interesting. I’ll see how good my Chinese is, or if I can bluff or bully my way into passing. Maybe it just needs a red envelope, you think?
For the driving test I am going to rent the car at the test facility. It costs NT$80, or about US$2.50. I didn’t have my registration with me last week and I also discovered that if I took the test in an automatic, I wouldn’t be licensed to drive a stick shift. I will still have to take a motorcycle test and my bike is a Yamaha 150 so it qualifies as a big motorcycle (over 90cc to 205cc) but not as a great big motorcycle (or some other strange name for anything over 250cc).
I may wait until I go back to the US this summer and get a motorcycle endorsement on my Arizona driver’s license and then come back and bypass the 30 hours of schooling and one year regular motorcycle license requirement to get a great big motorcycle license. Not that I will ever use it, of course. A big bike is not real practical here. No advantage in traffic unless one still rides it like a scooter, and no great advantage in parking either. Great Big Motorcycles can now be ridden on the freeway thanks to WTO. I haven’t seen any on the freeway and I don’t think I would like to ride on there anyway. Cars here don’t have a lot of respect for other cars let alone motorcycles. It could be dangerous. I’ll stick to my Chrysler Voyager, with or without a license.
Oh, you want the answers? 1.T, 2.F, 3.T, 4.1, 5.2, 6.2, 7.3, 8.2, 9.2, 10.3 How did you do?
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