In 1961 I Got My Driver's License - Sort Of
My mother didn't drive at the time, so my father took me down to the Motor Vehicle office to get my driver's license at the age of sixteen. At the time, the road test was not given on the streets of Albuquerque, New Mexico (where I live), but at the New Mexico State Fair Grounds. A course was laid out on the grounds.
My father had helped me buy a car (reluctantly), so we went down to the state Fairgrounds to take the road test. I was, obviously, nervous as I had never done anything like this before. We waited in line, of course, and got all the preliminaries out of the way and waited. My name was called, and I was ready to take the road test...I was anxious to do so. My father waited until I was finished.
Me and the driving instructor headed out in the parking lot, where my car was parked, and he checked things out to see if everything was in order and then he got in on the passenger side. He told me where to begin the road test, and off we went off to begin the test. I was very nervous, as I tried to follow his instructions as well as I could, and I drove all along the fence that was along Central Ave., and then I made a right-hand turn along San Pedro street and kept driving north on the Fairgrounds.
About the time we got as far from the office as you can get, I was to make another right-hand turn along the Lomas fence...the worst possible thing happened...I RAN OUT OF GAS! "Oh, NO!" I said to myself! The car came to a slow stop, and I really didn't want to look at the instructor...but I had to! He was furious...and he had HATE in his eyes!
He quickly jumped out of the car, slammed the door shut, and flagged down some maintenance workers on the Fairgrounds, and hopped a ride back to the office! What was I going to tell my father? He was going to be furious, too! I was so mad at myself that this could happen! I was embarrassed and humiliated...and I really didn't want to face my father, but I had to!
I began the long walk back to the Motor Vehicle office to tell my dad what happened and to get some gas. So, I got the gas can out of the trunk, and started walking. I decided to just go get the gas, bring the car back to the office, and then tell my dad what happened. By doing it this way, he would only KILL ME ONCE, instead of killing me multiple times!
I kicked myself over and over again, for allowing something like this to happen! This was not a good way to start off my driving career! I walked up the street to get the gas, and then walked back to the car and put it into the car. I drove back to the Motor Vehicle office to face my father, and I knew my minutes on this planet were numbered!
When I told my father what happened, he didn't say anything, but he had that look of "kill" in his eyes! I don't think he thought anyone could be so stupid as to let something like this happen! But, I had news for him. His 16 year old son, with big ears, is stupid enough to do something like this! Now, me and my father had to wait for a second time...and my father was not happy at all...I could slice the rage with a knife, etc!
Finally, my name was called, and my father went up to the counter! The driving instructor was up at the counter talking to my father, and I could still see the rage and hate in his eyes, as he looked my way...I would very quickly look the other way...as if nothing had happened! You know...that "I'm not guilty look."
I couldn't hear what he was saying, but the driving instructor continued to talk to my father, and point this way and that way, and frowned a lot, and looked my way in disgust...He filled out paperwork while he was talking, and handed it to my father. Little beads of sweat were crawling down my face, as I was getting worried that we might have to come back, or that I wouldn't get my driver's license at all that day!
Finally, my father came back and told me that the instructor was not going out on the road course again with me, and that he had given me my driver's license anyway, and he didn't ever want to see me again! GEE...I wonder why not? YAHOO! I jumped up in celebration...I got my driver's license...I got my driver's license! My father was not very amused at me, and was not very celebratory, either! He was still mad over the entire matter! Now, I could drive all the way home...and my father wasn't happy about that, either! I got my driver's license...SORT OF!
In the year 2008, and at the tender age of 63, I've pretty much retired from driving, but I can't help reflecting back on how I got my driver's license in 1961...SORT OF! I can get a little chuckle about it now, but back then...it was not very funny! I'm very fortunate not to have had an accident all these years of driving, either!
My father had helped me buy a car (reluctantly), so we went down to the state Fairgrounds to take the road test. I was, obviously, nervous as I had never done anything like this before. We waited in line, of course, and got all the preliminaries out of the way and waited. My name was called, and I was ready to take the road test...I was anxious to do so. My father waited until I was finished.
Me and the driving instructor headed out in the parking lot, where my car was parked, and he checked things out to see if everything was in order and then he got in on the passenger side. He told me where to begin the road test, and off we went off to begin the test. I was very nervous, as I tried to follow his instructions as well as I could, and I drove all along the fence that was along Central Ave., and then I made a right-hand turn along San Pedro street and kept driving north on the Fairgrounds.
About the time we got as far from the office as you can get, I was to make another right-hand turn along the Lomas fence...the worst possible thing happened...I RAN OUT OF GAS! "Oh, NO!" I said to myself! The car came to a slow stop, and I really didn't want to look at the instructor...but I had to! He was furious...and he had HATE in his eyes!
He quickly jumped out of the car, slammed the door shut, and flagged down some maintenance workers on the Fairgrounds, and hopped a ride back to the office! What was I going to tell my father? He was going to be furious, too! I was so mad at myself that this could happen! I was embarrassed and humiliated...and I really didn't want to face my father, but I had to!
I began the long walk back to the Motor Vehicle office to tell my dad what happened and to get some gas. So, I got the gas can out of the trunk, and started walking. I decided to just go get the gas, bring the car back to the office, and then tell my dad what happened. By doing it this way, he would only KILL ME ONCE, instead of killing me multiple times!
I kicked myself over and over again, for allowing something like this to happen! This was not a good way to start off my driving career! I walked up the street to get the gas, and then walked back to the car and put it into the car. I drove back to the Motor Vehicle office to face my father, and I knew my minutes on this planet were numbered!
When I told my father what happened, he didn't say anything, but he had that look of "kill" in his eyes! I don't think he thought anyone could be so stupid as to let something like this happen! But, I had news for him. His 16 year old son, with big ears, is stupid enough to do something like this! Now, me and my father had to wait for a second time...and my father was not happy at all...I could slice the rage with a knife, etc!
Finally, my name was called, and my father went up to the counter! The driving instructor was up at the counter talking to my father, and I could still see the rage and hate in his eyes, as he looked my way...I would very quickly look the other way...as if nothing had happened! You know...that "I'm not guilty look."
I couldn't hear what he was saying, but the driving instructor continued to talk to my father, and point this way and that way, and frowned a lot, and looked my way in disgust...He filled out paperwork while he was talking, and handed it to my father. Little beads of sweat were crawling down my face, as I was getting worried that we might have to come back, or that I wouldn't get my driver's license at all that day!
Finally, my father came back and told me that the instructor was not going out on the road course again with me, and that he had given me my driver's license anyway, and he didn't ever want to see me again! GEE...I wonder why not? YAHOO! I jumped up in celebration...I got my driver's license...I got my driver's license! My father was not very amused at me, and was not very celebratory, either! He was still mad over the entire matter! Now, I could drive all the way home...and my father wasn't happy about that, either! I got my driver's license...SORT OF!
In the year 2008, and at the tender age of 63, I've pretty much retired from driving, but I can't help reflecting back on how I got my driver's license in 1961...SORT OF! I can get a little chuckle about it now, but back then...it was not very funny! I'm very fortunate not to have had an accident all these years of driving, either!
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