2005-07-05

One small step for mankind…

…one giant leap for me!

Ok, a
driving license is no big deal really. It’s tougher in Sweden than in some other countries, it’s more difficult in a big city and it would probably have been easier if at least some of my lessons hadn’t occurred at rush-hour (bad planning on my part!). But it’s not exactly rocket science. How could it be? Most people go through this. Most of them significantly younger than I am and without such a struggle. What made my journey so difficult?

Alinge turns out to be a real soul-mate in this matter. A slightly-less-practical guy, to put it mildly. Just like me. R
eading about his ordeal at school had me amazed. Could have been me!

I’m not very brave and never was. I certainly enjoy exploring new frontiers but preferably through a radio documentary! You get the picture. Not the bold adventurer. So I was scared stiff when Magnus had me driving round that parking lot in Väsby in March. At a velocity of 15 km/h images from my childhood kept flashing by and I was certain something was about to explode. Yes, I’m exaggerating slightly but trust me –
it was no picnic.

This spring wasn’t my first attempt at driving. I did take some lessons in the early eighties but gave up for much the same reasons. That failure made the whole idea spooky and it just grew spookier as the years passed by.

But now I’m through, I’m officially authorized. My thanks to the staff of
Väsby Trafikskola, they’re really the best. I have absolutely no idea how they did this but they did. And here I am. I’m very grateful.

Apart from giving my parents a lift now and then, I'm not sure what I’ll use my driving license for. My expertise in public transportation has served me well in Stockholm and all of Sweden as well as through Europe and even on Sicily. But I’ll come up with some kind of project, I always do.

See you around, on the road!

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