I passed, I passed, YEAH!

It's official! I passed my UK driving test today. Woopee!!! I am a legal, insured, drivers license carrying, mirror/signal/manuvering driver in the UK. It is quite a process and I am so happy to be done with it. I havent studied that much in many, many years. Nor have I EVER taken 5.5 hours of driving lessons until now. Today was the final step which was the practical driving test. It's about a 40 minute driving test with an examiner in the seat next to you. You are allowed 15 minor faults and they critique everything from checking all your mirrors BEFORE you put on your brake - every time - to how you signal driving through roundabouts to looking over your shoulder before you pull away from a stopped position and get this - you have to pull your handbrake on whenever you're stopped for 15 seconds or longer - even in a automatic car - at stop lights. It's the craziest thing, but manual car drivers are required to do it, so automatic drivers are too. I really had to concentrate on the hand brake part at stop lights. Now all you visitors can feel safe and sound riding with me when you come see us. The next step - getting DA to START the process. That's gonna be painful! I can just see him now arguing about the "stupid" rules. Oh to be a fly on the dash during that test.