Have I ever mentioned that I failed my first driver’s test? Well, I did. I failed it GOOD. My 16-year-old self actually did okay with the parallel parking, the signalling, the “S.M.O.G.ging” (signal, mirror, over-the-shoulder, GO), the driving under the speed limit. What I didn’t do okay, is stop when the light was amber because I thought for some reason it would naturally stay amber until I reached the other side of the intersection. I cringed in horror as I saw the driving tester write something very official and final-looking on his clipboard there in the passenger seat. This fatal error occurred at the intersection of Park Road and Highway 2 in Oshawa, right where Teddy’s restaurant is. And I think of that moment any time I either drive near that intersection (which I do fairly often since I LOVE Teddy’s…try the reuben or the Greek salad), or approach any intersection at which the light is amber.
The driving tester explained to me when we got back to the Ministry that it is against the law to drive through a red light (DUH) and since I had broken the law, I had most definitely NOT passed my driving test, thank you very much.
I tried really hard not to, but of course I cried, and my driving instructor who was waiting for me back at the Ministry (Garry was his name, I think…yes, Garry with two Rs, as in hoRRor), managed somehow to get me a retest due to someone’s cancellation the very next week. I didn’t go through any amber lights in that test, and passed, finally, with flying colours (colours which of course did not include amber).
