Driving Miss Ashley Part 2
I have to start this entry and the continuance of this series by first of all saying how unbelievably patient Korean clerks, office maangers etc are of bumbling foreigners who can't speak the local language. For every story of a rude taxi driver who glared at me when I handed them a card with my address on it, I can tell you about dozens of people who helped me out when my pidgin Korean couldn't get through.
If I had gone to a DMV in Canada trying to register for lessons mumbling ' New, car, person, driving' I would have been at best rudely sent away. Instead along with my friend we managed to convey that I wanted to register for lessons.
You pay for the bulk of everything up front. Further along in the process there is an extra fee for an eye exam (6 dollars I think it was) and a few other small charges. It was a bit of pain to see all that money pulled out of my account at once (see above for tight fisted miser comment) but I reminded myself that this was an investment in my future and to suck it up. After some form filling out, and some form correctly re-filling out, photocopies made of my alien card and passport I got a paper receipt printed up with the schedule for my video lesson marathon and my 'function' lessons. Finally my left finger print was taken to use for future identification at my lessons and tests.
Learning to drive in Korea can be broken into 3 parts. First is a 5 hour video marathon where one watches various car safety videos. Then there is an eye exam and the written test. Upon passing that is the 'function lesson' where one learns how to use the various indicators, emergency break etc. Then a second test. When one passes that, one proceeds to actual on-road driving lessons. One gets about 5 hours of those and then a final test.
Learning about the licensing process has given me an insight into how drivers in Korea are the way they are. They don't get a lot of practice driving; they can't practice in a friend's car because their learner permits are kept at the driving school. (I suspect some do anyways though) They don't get any practice in inclement weather either unless it happens to rain or snow during their lessons. It's a wonder I didn't see more car accidents when it snowed here!
Next post will be about the next phase - the Video Marathon!
If I had gone to a DMV in Canada trying to register for lessons mumbling ' New, car, person, driving' I would have been at best rudely sent away. Instead along with my friend we managed to convey that I wanted to register for lessons.
You pay for the bulk of everything up front. Further along in the process there is an extra fee for an eye exam (6 dollars I think it was) and a few other small charges. It was a bit of pain to see all that money pulled out of my account at once (see above for tight fisted miser comment) but I reminded myself that this was an investment in my future and to suck it up. After some form filling out, and some form correctly re-filling out, photocopies made of my alien card and passport I got a paper receipt printed up with the schedule for my video lesson marathon and my 'function' lessons. Finally my left finger print was taken to use for future identification at my lessons and tests.
Learning to drive in Korea can be broken into 3 parts. First is a 5 hour video marathon where one watches various car safety videos. Then there is an eye exam and the written test. Upon passing that is the 'function lesson' where one learns how to use the various indicators, emergency break etc. Then a second test. When one passes that, one proceeds to actual on-road driving lessons. One gets about 5 hours of those and then a final test.
Learning about the licensing process has given me an insight into how drivers in Korea are the way they are. They don't get a lot of practice driving; they can't practice in a friend's car because their learner permits are kept at the driving school. (I suspect some do anyways though) They don't get any practice in inclement weather either unless it happens to rain or snow during their lessons. It's a wonder I didn't see more car accidents when it snowed here!
Next post will be about the next phase - the Video Marathon!