Tips & Techniques for clearing driving test in Washington

I had been driving back in India and I absolutely love it and long drive is therapeutic for me. But after moving to US, I lost touch of steering wheel. I live in downtown and public transport is very convenient and reliable. So I never felt the need of owning a car.  Also, rules here are very different and US is very strict about following driving rules. Not following rules is a complete no - no unless you are up for stringent punishments ranging from paying hefty fines to getting your license suspended for lifetime.

US has different rules for driver's license for each state and some states allow you to drive if you possess other state's or country's driver's license. However, Washington state allows you to drive with other state's/country's license up to 1 year. So getting a driver's license is one of the most important items in the checklist for people who move here.

I kept holding off the driving test because I was busy settling down and getting used to the cold and rain. But I was determined to tick this item off my checklist as soon as summer arrives and I feel so proud to have done it yesterday. I took driving lessons from a driving school and they taught me techniques for each maneuver. Trust me once you know the technique, everything is a breeze and it's mostly about techniques with little bit of feel and flair.

This was warm-up. :-P. Let's come to the point.

In Washington, driving licensing office has authorized few driving schools to conduct test. I chose 911 driving school, Bellevue for the same.

There are 3 steps in getting a driver's license in Washington state:

1.  Get the instruction Permit which will be valid for 1 year. For this, you will have to pass the knowledge test which is a pen paper based test which tests if you are aware of the driving rules in Washington.
   
   Before taking the test, I practiced some questions here.  I went to driving school on one weekend morning and told them that I want to apply for driver's license. They asked me to pay the fees of 29.95$ for the knowledge test and take the test.  I took the test immediately and I failed in the first attempt. But driving school told me that I can attempt 3 times and if I fail in all 3 attempts, I will have to pay the fees again. I attempted the test again after 15 minutes and I passed it this time. I was just more careful this time :-P
   
   Once, you clear the test, you can head to driving licensing office for getting instruction permit. But if you already hold a valid driver's license of other county or state, then you don't need instruction permit. Still, you will have to clear knowledge test as the first step.
2. Pass the driving test 

         This is a 20-30 minutes driving test on the road with the examiner where below skills are tested.  Ensure that you are relaxed and confident throughout the process.

• Hand Signals - Know how to give handle signal for stopping, left turn and right turn
• Ability to Stop suddenly- Examiner will ask you to put your foot on the gas pedal and then ask you to apply brake.
• STOP sign- Make sure that you don't miss stopping on STOP sign at the intersection. Any failure to do so will ensure that you failed the test. So be focussed and look for signs on your right hand side.
  
  There are 2 types of STOP sign. STOP and ALL-WAY STOP.
  STOP- Stop before the solid white line. After taking 180 degree view, proceed forward. If road is not clearly visible, move forward a little and again look at both ways of traffic and if everything is clear, go ahead.
  ALL-WAY STOP means that traffic from all the direction is stopped and the car which arrives at the intersection first has the right of way. If two vehicle reaches the intersection simultaneously, then the vehicle on the right side of the road has the right of way.
• Lane change/Left/Right Turns (Make sure to SMOG otherwise you will loose points)
  SMOG- Signal Mirror Over your Shoulder Go
• Speed Limit - Ensure to check speed limit on the road you are driving on.
  Generally, driving test is conducted in neighborhood where speed limit is 30-35 Miles/hour. Ensure you are neither below the limit or above the limit.
• Parallel Parking: You will be asked to park your car parallel to the road behind a parked car. So here is the technique for it.
  
  1) Keep moving forward with steering in straight direction maintaining 2-3 feet distance from the parked car until your back seat is aligned with the rear bumper of the car. Put your foot on the brake and put the car in reverse gear.
  
  2) Turn the steering wheel completely in the right directly (2 turns from the straight position) and, SMOG and keep moving back until you are at 45 degree angle with the parked car. Keep looking back to ensure there is no car coming from behind. Ensure to stop if you see any car coming from behind.
  
  3) Here is the mirror technique :-P
  Position your front right mirror  so that you are able to see the curb and more of your car. For this, you will have to tilt your front right mirror to the downside. Normally your front mirror will be positioned in a way that you car will be partially visible to you; 2nd door handle only will be visible to be more precise.
  
  4) Straighten your steering and keep moving backward until your car makes V shape with the curb.
  
  5) Now turn the steering completely to the left and keep moving backward until the car is parallel to the curb.
  
  6) Check how close you are to the front car and adjust accordingly and last but not the least put the car in parking gear.
• Backing Around the corner - Ah! the toughest one!! Examiner will ask you to back around a corner. You should back around a corner being within 18 inches of the curb. Ensure to make 2-3 stops to do 360 degree safety checks while backing up.
  
  Here are the steps:
  1) Mirror Trick: Adjust you front right mirror to ensure that the curb around the corner is clearly visible
  2) Turn on right signal, put the car in reverse gear and start backing up looking back. Stop little before reaching corner and do 360 degree safety check to ensure there is no car coming from behind.
  3) Start turning the steering to the right as you reach corner. Once you are inline with the corner, make 2nd stop and do 360 degree safety check again as this time road will be more visible.
  4) Keep backing up turning the steering to the right based on car movement. Once you have crossed the corner and car is straight, make your 3rd stop. Do safety check again and keep backing up until car is parallel to the curb which will require turning the steering to the left and then bringing it back to the straight.
  
  In case, you have crossed the corner but car is not parallel to the curb, don't panic. Move forward, take right turn if required and then back up again.
• Uphill Parking- Examiner will ask you to park on the side of the road on uphill
  SMOG on the right side, pull the car to the right for stopping ensure you are are parallel to the curb. Put the car in parking mode, hand brake on and steering wheel on the completely left side. This is called UP-UP-AWAY mode, which means your your front wheel is away from the curb while car is parked.
• Downhill Parking-  This is same as uphill parking except that steering wheel will be turned to completely to the right side.
• Merge into the traffic from the parking- SMOG on the left side and move forward when it is safe to do so.
  
  3.  Head to Department of Licensing for getting DL 
  Congratulations!! You have cleared the test!! Head to DOL with the documents. You will get a token. Once your turn comes, present all the documents like photo id proof and address proof. Get the picture clicked and you are done!! Your DL will come mailed to your address within 7 working days.
  
  Checkout some driving test videos
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qw4-0GfcFYA
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Il5KdPDJG98
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRgeq8xrqTg
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdT0PhlLoiw
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXl_Ni-mTn8
  
  All the Best and please let me know your comments.

Thanks to those who love me as well to those who hate me!!

This is my first Thanksgiving and I would like to take this opportunity to thank

• My parents, who are the reason for my existence. You sacrificed your own happiness just so that I could be happy. Thank you for trusting me and understanding the things I said and the things I did not say. Thank you so much for giving me the wings to soar up into the sky and expand my horizons. In life's journey I always thought you did your duties being parents but last couple of years made me realize that I was so wrong and you are the best parents one could ever have. I know I can count on you in most difficult times. I don't know where life will take me as I grow old but I do know for sure that I will never be a person as big as you two.
  
  Thanks for teaching me to always be honest and sincere towards whatever I am doing. Thanks for teaching me to never take any compliment to heart and strive to become a better person always. Thanks for teaching me how to distinguish between right and wrong, between good and evil and speaking up against wrong and evil. Thanks for teaching me to not do things just for showing off and be satisfied with whatever little I have.
  
  I let so many years to pass without thanking you both. But you did not let a single moment pass without loving your children unconditionally.
  
  But today and forever, I want to let you know that you two are the most wonderful person I have met and I am proud to be your daughter.
  
• My younger siblings, for making my life wonderful. With you all being in my life, I never have to worry about being lonely. Thank you for your love and support you have shown to me in my hard times. I know I scold you all 50% of the time and you all the only people I will have in my life after each fight or argument. Festivals would not have been so beautiful as they are today without you. You guys are my people. I can act as I please, say whatever I feel and you will still put up with me and make me feel as if I am the most amazing sister in this world :-P
  We don't share clothes and stuffs with each other but also our good and bad times. No one knows me as well as you do and you will always be my rock.
  
  Love you kiddos.
  
• My Teachers, for showing me the ways for my destination. You did not only teach me good things in life but also inspired me to do good in life.
  I really want to thank you from the bottom of my heart to help me become who I am today.
  
• My friends, for your love and support when I needed them. You inspired me when I needed words of encouragement. Thank you for being there and I will always treasure it. 
  
• Last but not least my Haters who tried to make my life a hell. I trusted you with my life and you promised me a lifetime of happiness but all you did was cheat me, hurt me and say degrading and hurtful words. In all, when you do it, it shows your true characters. So go on hate me and Thank you. I will keep emerging a better and stronger person.
  

Happy Mother's Day !!

Happy Mother's day Maa !!
I know I have never been expressive about my feeling and never have thanked you for what you have done for your kids, but I truly feel blessed to have been born to you.

Your life revolves around us and you feel good only when we are all good. I know you have gone through a lot to give your kids the best and we might not express it very often but all of us know it at the core of our heart.

You gave everything what you had when I was growing up and I remember you always said to me "You just give your best and don't worry about anything till I am here." Maa! I will never forget these words and it still echoes in my ears. You always trusted me and was there whenever I needed you. I know you have fought for me with the entire world and will keep on doing so if needed.

Today, I am who I am because of you. I can't forget that you have never thought about yourself even for a fraction of second. I know I have not been very good daughter but you have been the best mother ever.

Well, A few years ago I used to think that all parents are same and everyone does what you have done. But life proved me to be wrong. Not all parents are same and some of them are self obsessed and can even ruin the life of their children. Now I consider myself to be lucky to have been born to you.

Thanks for being there Maa!! Please keep blessing me forever!!

When are you getting married? (A tribute to Sridevi)

Thanks to legendary actress Sridevi who has helped me to start my impending first post. She died on 24th February leaving a void that can't be filled in many Indian hearts.  Since then, like everyone, I too have been reading many stories about her life particularly how much her husband Boney Kapoor loved her. I had met her personally when I was in class 12th in 2005 and had got a chance to participate in International Children Festival, Hyderabad . She happened to be the chief guest of the opening ceremony. So her death brings back a lot of memories to me.

Amid many posts about how much her family loved her, I came across this article of Bombay Times and I was shocked and the first thing which came to my mind was "All that glitters is not gold." Everybody knows how much Boney Kapoor loved her and many women would be envious of her. But nobody would have known what was her contribution and how much pain she was in until her death.

Trust me, this is not surprising. This is how our world is. Everybody appreciates the fact that a man earns for the family but nobody appreciates that a woman also sacrifices many things for her family, let alone earnings. Do you think actress like Sridevi needs a man to support her financially? Well, I don't think so. She could have earned much more than what she actually earned, had she been pursuing her career throughout her life. But she chose to sacrifice her talent, her career because her husband was more important. She trusted him with her life. But how many of us realized this when she was alive? We came to know about it because a celebrity died. But what if she was an ordinary woman? She would have died silently without the world knowing that she was hiding so much pain behind her smile.

I am not saying that she should not have done what she did. Husband and wife are meant to support each other in distress. But why does this world appreciates a man always and not a woman?

Talented woman like Sridevi doesn't get married because she needs financial support from a man, but she needs a companion with whom she can share her laughter and sorrows. Men promise stars and moons before marriage forgetting the fact that women don't want stars and moons. Instead they just want a hand to hold in tough times. But what they get is someone who becomes the reason for their pain.

Truth is it's human nature to forget the value of something one possesses. Once a man gets the right to claim a woman to be his,
1) He expects her to forgets her family and consider his family as hers but never ask his family to consider her as the family member. he forgets the fact that she also has a family who might have gone through several odds to fulfill dreams of their daughter. Isn't it unfair to a girl and her family?

2) He wants her to keep his family happy financially and emotionally but never asks his family to do the same. Don't you think that a girl is also a human being and she has right to take her own decisions.

3) Forget about moons and stars, he makes sure that she goes through pain each and every moment.

4) Boast of being open minded and being educated, but when it comes to his own wife, he forgets to differentiate between right and wrong.

5) Starts proving that he is the best son in this world but wants his wife to remain only a wife and a daughter in law.

I am not saying that all husbands are daemon and all women are angels. If it had been so, this world would have vanished by now. We all know good men exist and so do bad women. But what I am trying to say is don't judge someone until you are in their shoes. What you might perceive to be good might be bad and what you consider to be bad might be good. Life is not fair and its high time women become stronger and independent and stop considering marriage as something which cannot be avoided.

Being a woman it's my responsibility to stop asking other girls "When are you getting married?" Can I expect the same from all women who are reading this post?