To Drive, Or Not To Drive

Attempting to get my driver’s license this past Friday proved to be a comedy of errors. Usually the experience takes a half day, running from one office to the other, then clear across town to another office fifteen minutes away. When my teammate, Megan, and I arrived at the Road Transport office at 9 a.m., things cruised along as normal. As I waited in line to take the oral test the girl sitting next to me quizzed me on the “rules of the road” and vice- versa. Going inside the crowded office I was handed an application and told to go outside and fill it out. No oral test~piece of cake! After filling out the form I sat for my photograph and fingerprinting. Then I stood in another line to pay the fees, a total of about $30. So far, so good.

As we drove across town for the final phase we were rejoicing in how fast things had gone. No snags or snarls. When we got to the office in Ridgeway, we waited about an hour for the manager to arrive. It was then we learned that Zambia had changed the rules for Americans. In a “tit for tat” response, Zambia now makes all Americans take a driving test because Zambians are made to take tests in the states. In the past every one of our team members has been able to opt out of this part. The manager would not budge even though no one informed us of the change. Where do we take the test? “Go to Lilayi,” was the response. Since it was lunchtime we decided to go to lunch then head to my house to pick up our car. After all, one of the rules of the road is to know your vehicle.

We picked up our automatic transmission Toyota, then headed to Lilayi. After driving over a very bumpy, dirt road the police informed us that we needed to go to Chilenga. In Chilenga we were told we passed the intersection and needed to go to Mimosa. Until we saw the driving school vehicle, we were unsure we were on the right road. We followed the car and sure enough, there was the driving course. On the right side of the course were orange traffic cones arranged in a t-shape. After parking I talked with the examiner and he said I could not use a car with an automatic transmission, but had to use one with a manual. And, lo and behold, there just happened to be men waiting nearby who would rent me a manual car for $10. How convenient is that! I debated a little bit and decided to go ahead and try it out. After all, we’d been trying to do this all day long. It was now about 2 p.m.

As I started the car I was pleased that all my manual driving skills were coming back to me even though I was doing it on the right side of the car! I smoothly drove down the path lined with pylons, turned right, then began backing up. As I turned the corner I heard the examiner tell me to please step out of the car. “What now?” I thought. I walked around the back of the car and saw the reason. There was a scrunched traffic cone. “We have a funeral,” the examiner said. He was referring to the fact that the cones symbolize people. (Running over a person in Zambia is one of my biggest fears.) I thought, "Okay, I’ll be able to continue on. He’s just telling me my mistake." Wrong. I had flunked the road test. “What do I do now?” I asked. I now have to go back to the first office I went to at 9 that morning, get another booking form, and take the test again another day. If I pass I then have to go back to the same office and get my provisional license. The permanent license can take 4-6 months to receive. If I fail again, I repeat the procedure. After 40 years of driving I found myself a little humbled, but mostly frustrated. It was now about 3 p.m. and I had nothing to show for the day’s labors.

God is probably doing a million things at once through this. I know I’m learning patience. And, I definitely appreciate the driver’s license bureaus in the states! Will you pray for me as I practice to take the test again? Thanks so much!