Angelika Recently, I myself fell into the trap of the American traffic sign jungle. How did that happen? In California, a driver's license is valid for five years, after which it can be renewed without a new test for a fee of $31. Usually, this can be done quite painlessly by mail or over the internet. However, for the third renewal, the DMV requires a vision test, which, of course, can only be completed in person on-site.
This year, it was time for my vision test. So, I made an appointment at the DMV (the driver's license office), and since there were no available slots in San Francisco anytime soon, I spontaneously decided to go to San Mateo, a small town about a 20-minute drive south of San Francisco. Michael, of course, teased me for days, saying I wouldn't pass the vision test, but everything went smoothly. I must admit, though, that the test seems to be from another era. Behind the counter, there are three boards, each with five rows of five letters, and the clerk determines the number of the board and the row to be read aloud. The letters in the first row are the largest, and those in the last row are the smallest. I had to read three rows on different boards, one with both eyes, and the others with only one eye while the other was covered. If you can read at least the middle row, the test is considered passed. Then, a new passport photo was quickly taken, and my thumbprint was recorded. The clerk handed me a temporary driver's license, essentially a piece of paper, and told me that the new driver's license would be mailed to me in the coming weeks, and just like that, I was out again.
In a good mood, I set off on my way home, but only made it to the second intersection when I saw a police officer on a motorcycle with flashing lights in my rearview mirror, forcing me to stop. I desperately tried to remember what I might have done wrong, but I wasn't aware of any wrongdoing. So, I stopped, rolled down the window, and placed my hands obediently on the steering wheel so that the officer wouldn't be alarmed by any sudden movements. I asked if I had done something wrong. The officer then innocently asked if I hadn't seen the sign that prohibited left turns at the intersection.
No, I hadn't noticed that. I didn't even know which intersection he was talking about. So he first checked my papers, asked me if I had ever received a ticket for driving the wrong way (No, I hadn't!), and immediately reassured me that I could go to traffic school to avoid getting a point. Ha! Of course, I tried to get away with just a warning, but the man remained firm, as he insisted that at the intersection there were not just one but two signs indicating the no left turn, and there was also an arrow painted on the ground. If there had been only one sign, he might have considered giving me a warning.
It was funny when the police officer asked me where I had just come from, and I replied that I had been at the driver's license office for an vision test. Even he had to laugh at that. Well, the fun cost me a cool $300 and quite a bit of time and nerves due to the traffic school, which I completed online, like Michael (Rundbrief 05/2008). The course drove me to the brink of madness. When the program informed me that every driver must ensure they have enough mobility in the neck area to look over their shoulder, I was reminded of American instruction manuals that list things like not putting the cat in the microwave.