Uni High Gargoyle Staff Blog

Ever since I got my learner’s permit last summer, I’ve been anxiously waiting to get my driver’s license. Although I turned 16 in January, my parents have been stalling me from taking my road test because they didn’t think that I was capable of driving by myself.

But this weekend, I finally got my license.

On Saturday morning, my dad and I drove down to the driver’s testing facility in Tuscola because we heard that the one in Champaign was always extremely crowded. At Tuscola, we didn’t have to wait at all. We just filled out some paperwork and the examiner told me to go start my car.

My road test didn’t exactly go that smoothly. The examiner was really intimidating and she made me turn off the radio, which just made the environment more nerve-racking because I always drive with the radio on.

First, the examiner noticed that we still had a temporary license plate in the front, so my dad had to change that. Then she took points off because I went over the line at a stop sign. I also messed up on the three-point turn because I didn’t come to a complete stop at the sidewalk when backing out.

Luckily, I didn’t crash into anything or kill anyone. I even made it into the parking space, although I’m usually awful at parking. After I turned off the ignition, my examiner lectured me for about five minutes on all the areas where I lost points.

At first I thought that I must have failed. Why else would she be telling me all this? But in the end, it was all good. I passed. I had my photo taken and minutes later, I received my beautiful, shiny, brand-new driver’s license.

That night, I went out driving by myself. It was such a wonderful feeling — so free and exhilarating — with my radio blasting and windows rolled down.

Now all I need is for “Pimp My Ride” to pimp my car.

— Elaine Gu