Stay off the roads
I am going to have to get a French driver's license. "Why Sarah," you ask, "can’t you get an international license, or won’t your US license transfer over?” Why no, I say. I could get an international license, or even just drive with my US license, but it is only valid for a year after entering France. Some states in the US have reciprocity agreements with France (and all EU countries do), but unfortunately, NY is not one of them.
Sure, I don’t own a car, and don’t plan to while I’m here. But, I may want to rent a car at some point, and you never know if you’re going to find yourself in some situation where you have to drive. It would be just stupid to let my legal blessing to drive expire.
So, I’m going to have to go to driving school. Pay almost 1,000 euros. Learn all the French road rules. Take la code, the French written exam. Fun fun. Oh wait. That’s not all. Here’s the real fun part.
The driving exam has to be done on a car with manual transmission.
And I don’t know how to drive a manual transmission.
To the great delight of my French and UK co-workers, they find this just hilarious. Apparently in Europe (and maybe the rest of the non-US world), most cars are manual, automatics are much more rare. “And so easy! You’re barely even driving!” they say.
I’m sure my Dad is groaning as he reads this, remembering my pathetic attempts to learn how to drive a stick shift in the SAU parking lot.
Well, I’m looking on the bright side of things. I will finally learn how to drive a stick shift. The 20+ hours of driving instruction will not just be a boring repetition of what I already know. My vocabulary of cars will definitely improve.
But if you go to Paris in the coming months, and see a car with the words “auto-ecole” on it, weaving down the street, or perhaps stuck in the middle of an intersection trying to shift gears, blocking all traffic, er, you might want to stay out of the way.
Sure, I don’t own a car, and don’t plan to while I’m here. But, I may want to rent a car at some point, and you never know if you’re going to find yourself in some situation where you have to drive. It would be just stupid to let my legal blessing to drive expire.
So, I’m going to have to go to driving school. Pay almost 1,000 euros. Learn all the French road rules. Take la code, the French written exam. Fun fun. Oh wait. That’s not all. Here’s the real fun part.
The driving exam has to be done on a car with manual transmission.
And I don’t know how to drive a manual transmission.
To the great delight of my French and UK co-workers, they find this just hilarious. Apparently in Europe (and maybe the rest of the non-US world), most cars are manual, automatics are much more rare. “And so easy! You’re barely even driving!” they say.
I’m sure my Dad is groaning as he reads this, remembering my pathetic attempts to learn how to drive a stick shift in the SAU parking lot.
Well, I’m looking on the bright side of things. I will finally learn how to drive a stick shift. The 20+ hours of driving instruction will not just be a boring repetition of what I already know. My vocabulary of cars will definitely improve.
But if you go to Paris in the coming months, and see a car with the words “auto-ecole” on it, weaving down the street, or perhaps stuck in the middle of an intersection trying to shift gears, blocking all traffic, er, you might want to stay out of the way.
posted by SB at 4:08 PM
2 Comments:
At least you will shift with the right hand, not the left as I had to in Ireland.
For your HS drivers Ed, there was a required section with manual transmission and you did okay. I recall that you said the instructior made a comment like "You did okay, for a girl"
You will do okay, the foot and hand coordination are easier than for boxing.
Mon dieu! A student driver in Paris traffic! This is an experience you didn't expect to have. Next visit, let's rent a car and go whizzing off to the French country side! Hey, they drive on the right -- you won't have to turn your brain around. You're right. This is a good thing to do. Some day,, you might want or need to rent a car.
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