Even though I was dinged for a staggering 14 stopping-related errors on my driving test in late August, I somehow managed to achieve a passing score.
As an August-born baby, I take pride in having crammed my driver’s education into three summer months and secured my license just days after my 16th birthday.
The evenings I spent practicing with my parents in the West Valley College parking lots, then the Los Gatos downtown area, on Lawrence Expressway and finally near the Santa Clara DMV, where I took the test, actually did pay off.
Still, the flip side to my basic-level driver’s education to this point is that I still don’t have enough experience with one of the more complicated parts of driving: merging onto crowded and chaotic freeways.
I tackle the merge with my heart pounding at the same 50 miles per hour my car is moving at — one eye repeatedly cycles through the left mirror, right mirror and rearview, while the other is glued to the road ahead. With a glimmer of confidence but a healthy dose of caution, I press the gas and slide onto the on-ramp. With only five seconds to expertly merge, I frantically check my blind spot… only to find a line of six cars barreling toward me.
As my hope evaporates, I accelerate further and slip ahead just in time. Hood-to-hood, I can’t always tell who’s ahead, but I’m also terrified of braking too fast and startling the drivers behind me.
While I have survived all of my experiences with merging so far, the freeway is not yet for me (especially without my dad in the passenger seat).
If you’re like me and you’re avoiding freeways like the 85, 880 and 101, I’ll see you as we safely navigate the safe streets of Saratoga and build our courage for another day.
