No kopi license

有人說，如你能在檳城開車，一定也能在任何地方開車… 我有點贊同但我想‘任何地方’的馬來西亞吧！

馬來西亞的駕駛者位置是在車内的右邊，我們的教育是，若在雙線路你要過去對面，靠近你的路線車輛是從你的右邊來的，所以，要先看右，看左，再看右。

我的習慣用在去中國公幹過馬路時，我看了右邊没車輛，一隻腳就開始要踩出去了，同事望着左邊提醒我，有車輛來了，我才驚覺趕快縮回身。來了美國，我也很不習慣…我是坐在車内的右邊，但不是駕駛者。若在雙線路你要過去對面，靠近你的路線車輛是從你的左邊來的！

在檳城我有駕駛執照廿多年了，想起之前考車的過程…我想幾乎大多數人都是去找駕駛學院，帮你安排日期去考交通規則選擇題筆試，考及格的話就可擁有L執照，用學院的車學駕駛及會被考的各類技術… 我還記得那時我並不是考得很好，有些小錯的，我的學院代理人悄悄對我說，“你要给考官kopi duit（咖啡錢即是桌底錢）嗎？” 我對我做了小錯而緊張，心神還不定，聽他如此說，我更加心神不定… 我好像不願意（太久已忘記了），之后不知怎么的，考官给我及格，我有了駕駛執照。

在美國，我不能駕車！想到又要重讀交通規則及考試等等，心裡很不情願，再來是因為我很不喜歡駕車，樂得順理成章做乘客，所以一拖再拖… 終於我讀了一些交通規則、學駕Steve的車两次之后，（也許我還没準備好），上星期要Steve帶我到附近的考車地點。在這裡你自己可去辦理並可即時考試。我的選擇題試（使用電腦的）及辨視交通示牌險險過關，過后我也想考路上駕駛。我的考官在車外檢視我要駕的車（用自家的車）及指示我開各别的燈。當她要開車門坐上車時，因我的車一開引擎，左右四門就自動關上，我在車内一時找不到開銷，讓她在外等了半分鐘我才開銷…她問我一些車内的設置物，有些我聽不懂。她要我開后退出停車位，我嘗試移手擋，但我奇怪為何移不動，她說，“你没踩剎車制。” 我以前都是駕手擋車，不慣現駕的是自動車。她疑惑問我，“你之前駕過這輛車嗎？” 我說，“很少。” 出了停車位后她叫我向前至停處左轉，我駕到停處，停一下看了右邊没車，我就向左轉，一左轉后，我才覺察兩輛車從左邊駛過，她指出我的錯誤，“你應該停至讓左邊的車輛駛過后才可左轉，你駕回停車位，你不及格。”

啊…真的要改習慣了! 我還没有駕駛執照。

Some people said if you know how to drive in Penang, then you probably can drive anywhere…. I agreed, but I think you can just drive anywhere in Malaysia!

In Malaysia, the driver’s seat is on the right in the car. We are taught that when you want to cross the street, the vehicles will come from your right side. So you must look to the right, then look left, then look right again.

I used it to cross the road while I was on my business trip in China. I looked to the right and I didn’t see any vehicles, and my leg wanted to step out. My colleague looked at the left side and told me vehicles were coming; I just noticed them and withdrew my body immediately. I have not gotten used to this in the USA too… I sit on the right in the car, but I am not the driver. If you want to cross the street, the vehicles will come from your left side!

I drove in Penang over twenty years and I remember taking the driving test… I think most people take lessons from an agent or driving school, where they help you set a date for the written test. After passed, you have a ‘L’ license, and you can use the school’s car to learn driving and the skills that will be tested…. I remember I made a little mistake when I took the driving test. After the test, my agent asked me, “Do you want to pay ‘kopi duit’ (under-the-table money) to the examiner?” I was still anxious about making that mistake in my test, and I got more anxious when the agent talked to me…. I responded that I didn’t want to do so (too long ago that I’ve forgotten already). I don’t know how the examiner passed me, but I got driving license.

I can’t drive in the USA! When I think about needing to re-study the road signs and all the driving skills, I am not willing to do it again. I don’t like driving and am happy to have a good reason be a passenger. So I delayed this…. Eventually, I read some exercises from the written test and practiced driving in Steve’s car twice. Maybe I still wasn’t ready but last week, I wanted Steve to take me to a Highway Patrol office close to us. Here, you can go take the test yourself; you don’t have to go through a school or agent. I narrowly passed the written (on computer) and road sign tests. After that, I wanted to take the driving test. The examiner checked my car (you must use a car with which you are familiar) and wanted me to turn on the lights she instructed. After that, when she wanted to get in my car, I couldn’t find the unlock button for a few seconds. The doors automatically lock when the engine starts. She waited outside for about a half minute …. She instructed me to operate a few things on the car, and asked a few questions I didn’t understand. She wanted me to back out of the parking space and go out from the parking lot. I tried to change gears and wondered why I couldn’t move the gear shift. She said, “You didn’t press your brake” I used to drive a manual transmission, and I am not yet used to driving an automatic. She doubted, “Have you driven this car before?” I replied, “A few times.” I reversed my car, and she instructed me to drive straight and then turn left. I came to a stop and looked to the right; no vehicles and it was clear, so I turned left. Just after I turned, I realized that two cars passed by from my left. She pointed out my mistake, “You should have let those cars pass before you made the turn, I must fail you. Drive to a parking place.”

Ahh…I need to change my habit! I still haven’t got a driving license.