Wednesday, February 21, 2007

We passed

We took the class and passed the test for our SHAPE drivers' licenses today. Now all we need is a car before we can actually go get the license. We had to know all 146 traffic signs and to react to 50 traffic situations flashed on the screen for 30 seconds; several of them dealt with the dreaded "priority to the right" rule. Former Belgian drivers will be interested to learn that the rule is being altered as of 1 March: no longer will you lose your priority simply because you hesitate when approaching an intersection. Somehow in Belgium this is considered progress. For those who have never driven in a priority-to-the-right country, suffice it to say that this is the situation for which the expression "accident waiting to happen" was invented.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

In 3 years there, I never got used to "priority on the right". Fortunately in Brussels, the natives were used to foreigners that had trouble with this. One day on the way to work, I was daydreaming and failed to yield to a truck entering the circle (round about). Fortunately he stopped. He probably told everyone about the crazy foreign women driver. I'm very grateful he practiced defensive driving.

I'm enjoying your blog. It brings back many fond memories of my time in Belgium.

Gloria