Its is an unwritten rule that you must go through a driving school to obtain your driving licence in India. Atleast in this part of the country where I live. It costs 3 K INR including the cost of licence fees. Anyway, on my 17th day my instructor found me fit to take the test for a permanent licence. The RTO inspector sat next to me and commanded’start’. I was taken on a very familiar route thanks to my driving school instructor. He had told me, he will ask you to stop her in front of the church and then ask you to reverse and turn left into the lane behind. Next he will ask you to stop on the incline in front of GSL. Then you got to use your half clutch and accelerate. Thats it. And’Thats it’ sure was.it happened as predicted. Only for one glitch when I was required to stop on the side of the road down the slope. I steered to extreme left of the road, braked, changed to gear II and turned off the ignition. The inspector asked - How must you stop your car? What about the hand brake? So, I pulled the hand brake.(Prior to this, the instructor had never told me the use of hand brake, fortunately I pulled it up correctly and it worked). Then the next question: In which position the gear should be when you park? The instructor had told me that whenever I park, the vehicle must be in gear. He never told me which gear. I would park in second gear and he never ever commented. I latter learnt that it should be first gear when you on an incline and reverse gear when you are on a decline. I got my licence and also a lesson which I will never forget. I wish these driving schools could give written tips like these to their students and don’t rely on teaching during practicals only. The instructor told me that since opportunity to stop and park on an incline or decline never arose the use of handbrake didnt come up- a lame excuse at the best I can say.
I invite all fellow more experience drivers to drop in with your tips however trivial trivial yet is a life saver when its need arises.