driving After nearly three years without a license, and failing to redeem the card Argentine English, last year I decided to enroll in a driving school and get a English license. Because it was almost traumatic experience for me, I interested in writing a post. Who knows, perhaps founded a support group ... Although I think for most this post will be long and boring as it goes into detail on what for me, Argentina, is rare European road system.
first thing I did, of course, was to find the cheapest driving school. The minimum was about 700 euros, including lectures and unlimited, and 10 practices in 40 minutes. That, assuming the adoption of screening at first and did not need more than 10 classes. I have over 10 years driving, I thought, why do I need more practice. Oh, if you give a discount for ingenuity ...
For those who do not know the system here is to pass a written exam and then a pilot. You can only disprove one of the two, once (although there is no predicting which, contrary to popular belief). Well, actually you can disprove a lot more, but the cost becomes exponentially depending on the circumstances, we must pay again to traffic, buy 10 or 20 classes, etc. This situation can quickly turn into 3000 euros or more to get it. "Practicing with your father on a side street? As you wish, but if you to the police, in addition to the fine, one is disqualified to stand for two years.
Some people react in strange ways when the police stop ... The book to study the theoretical
, In color and very pleasing to the eye, had no less than 256 pages. With a tear in his right eye, I remembered the leaf with 20 signals gave me in my hometown, so I memorized in half an hour ... The book was not even redundant, since each step is opening up new traps. Can someone with a normal card, B, driving a tractor of 3500 kilos? Yes, but if it does not load. Can you use a bike? Yes, but up to 125 kw, and a relationship between power and speed of less than 11. If you are in a narrow, unmarked uploaded a truck and a car goes down, who wins and who should go back? Depends on who entered first or where is the nearest exit, or type of vehicle, etc. Why should pay more attention to a sign is up, right, left, or on the pavements? And, page after page. Can you make a U-turn on a route? Yes, always, whether in a single spin and no signal to prohibit it.
I must admit, however, the high requirement is needed in cities like Barcelona, \u200b\u200bwhere you can do almost anything if you know how. A narrow alley can afford to leave many parts with just get in the proper lane. You may stop in the fast lane of a road and turn left, crossing half avenue, to enter a garage
, if there is a dashed line. Of course, this is essential to know who wins and give way where appropriate.
Sample Question. If there was a fire in the tunnel, the answer would be a),
leaving doors unlocked and the keys inside. As there is no fire, is the c)
After almost a month to attend school one hour a day and read on the train for half an hour a day, I went to the desk review. Could only be wrong in 3 of 30 questions, full of traps. And if I was wrong would have to wait two weeks, and might have to spend more money. I left the review with many questions, but few days later I found out that it had passed without any failure. My self esteem was for some time through the roof. Until I started the practices.
My first practice was traumatic. Nothing we did with the pedals was fine, and marches or so. My excuse: my hometown is not decline except in a few isolated neighborhoods, so when one is waiting at a stoplight in a climb (I think there are only a few throughout the city), just press the clutch and go quickly the brake pedal. Based on experience and familiarity with the car, that can mean back a few inches before you start out ahead, Jigsaw ( drown ) or accelerate the car from 0 to 50 in half a second. But none of that works well in Barcelona. This is a city where everything is up and down, many soft, yet the car never stands still no brake. The solution? Release the clutch, first, to just the point that the car stalls, or going backwards, not forward. It takes practice, but useful even to go on the flat. It works much better with diesel engines (which are used in driving schools), and does not work if the street is too vertical (Although it helps). Therefore, backtrack a decade of bad habits I take at least a dozen classes.
was also a shock have to evaluate the slope of the street all the time to choose the fly. In plain is very well go in the third, adjusting the throttle speed. But in Barcelona, \u200b\u200bdownhill, go in the third involves going speeding out of control without pressing any pedal. addition, for various reasons, should not abuse the brakes, which means that even today sometimes I hesitate for a second or forced me to fall in the third using some brake.
Another thing I changed was, as expected, always put both hands on the wheel, and always having to go to second before braking at a traffic light. I learned quickly, as I focused more on my feet in what was happening around me.
But far the worst of all were the signs . My hometown, with its streets in a grid, their alternation of streets running to the right and left, the prohibition of left turn in almost every avenue, his generosity of parking spaces, and above all, lack almost total signal was really child's play compared to this. Moving from a place where there is only traffic lights and no parking to one where there is a signal every ten meters, sometimes down, sometimes sideways, and some are above, where the corners do not say where it goes a street, but where you can not turn, it was simply overwhelming.
Abuse
on road signs Murcia
Here the policy is more permissive, if not prohibited, can be done. But we must find the prohibitions, and that requires a little practice. Besides, I never trusted much in the signals. What if I miss a signal contradirección ( contramano )? Short answer: you can not miss. O: never fails. Although it would be nice under the name say the street where it goes. I know it is not always possible, because sometimes the streets cross in strange ways and it is unclear if the other side is the same street or a new. But it would help.
However, the signals are the most perverse Yield or Stop . When you find them, well, there's too much trouble. But on a side street when one has doubts have looked in the right places, and do not know if thrown forward or wait, what's supposed to do is look to the side, assess the backs of the signs, and if a assume that is a triangle Yield, and if an octagon, a Stop. Just sick.
The lights also have their grace is flashing yellow Yield. The city is full of the latter, since it relies on the patience and civility of their drivers. But you have to see if the sides do not have the same sign. If so, who is on the right has priority. This is important because a review can not be wrong, giving way when not playing, more than two or three times. There are also specific traffic signals for cyclists, and for taxis, buses and trams. Finally, the signals are centralized, so the waiting time changes throughout the day to avoid congestion (there are also cameras Traffic everywhere with the sole purpose of seeing how things are going).
The few times the lights stop working, flexibility is paid.
The Barcelona lanes are very powerful, once you know them. If not, you may be forced to turn right when I wanted to go forward, or expect extra traffic lights, or just be in a dangerous situation. When I go down a street I do not know the first thing I do is try to figure out what my proper lane. Fortunately, people are patient and let you change lanes if you notice in time. Even be behind you, oh rookie, while your lane collapses have not had the foresight to be gaining the right or left.
New Zone for motorists to pull up before a traffic light.
's theme park on the street , even today, I have not mastered. In Barcelona there are white areas (very, very few), yellow areas of loading / unloading (where you can park on certain days at certain times), green areas (for residents) and blue areas (for meter). All have some exceptions. Nevertheless, the possibility of finding a place is so remote that almost do not mind, and it is my girlfriend telling me where I can go and where not. In many neighborhoods are playing sport risk of leaving the car on the pavement (sidewalk ). Is risky because in many places is tolerated, but one day the mayor gets up grumpy and takes it all with the crane (we're talking about 300 euros for the joke). The lack of space is so great to buy a parking space costs around 60,000 euros, and supermarkets only let you use their sites one hour free. Sometimes you have to pay even in malls. Here the car is an asset, and if I had double the space, there would be twice as many cars. For something Barcelona is the city of Bikes (say that second only to Rome). To compensate, the public transport is very good, but sometimes no choice but to use the car, especially for sightseeing.
Motorcycle Parking at the station of Sants. And it's half empty.
The roundabouts (traffic circles ) in Barcelona use steroids. Not only can have 5 or 6 lanes, but have lights inside, still sometimes capricious ways, have a large number of outputs and inputs, and have their own rules. Am I going to leave immediately? Right lane. Will I go out almost immediately? Second or third lane. Will I go to the left? Inside lanes. All this seasoned, of course, with a plethora of signals. Not for nothing Plaza Spain is the bane of many beginners, and Macia is the nightmare of those seasoned drivers that almost never cross it. I've found even in Puigcerdà two or three roundabouts are linked. In any case, the roundabouts are the future: in many problematic crossings are removed the lights and put a. They are also fashionable at the entrances of cities as a way to slow down while regular traffic.
Sometimes, roundabouts are a bit disorganized.
I think the biggest concern of my instructor were crosswalks. If I remember correctly, with not only yield to a pedestrian and suspended ( disapproved ) examination. If a pedestrian crosses where it should, with its green light if any, has all the universal priority. Someone who crosses where they should or should not, have no priority, and moral obligation of every driver stick a scare that will never forget. In any case, not enough to let pedestrians who have stepped on a zebra crossing. We must also give way to those who intend to do soon. So, if you're driving on a main road on the right, arrive at a pedestrian crossing without traffic lights and 20 yards on the left is a little old lady walking with a cane, have to stop, wait until fall to the street, the crossing and leave it.
Meanwhile, day after day would drive 40 minutes after leaving work, covering the two areas review, especially chosen to be both difficult and very critical. Montjuïc area, steep, narrow streets and many pedestrians, speed limits or hidden by trees works and stops going up, it was my favorite. The other, Pedralbes, a residential neighborhood, more or less the same characteristics, fewer pedestrians but by tram, I liked less.
After 19 classes (9 more than they had been hired) came test day. The dynamics are as follows: two "candidates" get in the car, one front and one behind. In the passenger seat is placed on instructor. Back also, as another passenger, is the examiner. It runs for 20-40 minutes, parking, and the two passengers exchanged seats so that they evaluate the other. I had to go with a girl who appeared for the third time and was very nervous because if suspended would have to spend another 1000 euros (who said she was not.) He began driving
it. He was a little unsure, but he respected all the rules, and only made a mistake a few times, getting into lanes that did not suit, and he was very attentive to their surroundings and do not look what happened a few tens of meters. The instructor scolded him at some point I had to go a little faster (going too slow is cheating). Then I fell to me, in an area that was not reviewed (Sants), so I stopped in one case too to confirm that a signal forbidden to apply to me. I mean, if the instructor tells you "turn left", that does not mean you can bend or the next, or the next or the next. A of the times I said, the left was a circular entry sign with a touchdown. The sign me included, but maybe it took too long to read. In any case, ruined the examination to enter the avenue Paral lel. He had a light that compelled me to give way, and in the street, plus the avenue, flowed other four (yes, four) streets. No one came, so I moved to the center of the avenue, and got ready to get into the second lane from the left. Coming down the right lane a taxi, he had no intention of getting into my lane (or me in it), so slow down but not stop. But supposed to wait out. And that was enough. At least, fortunately my partner agreed.
Two weeks later, without having practiced a single day, I had my second chance, the last already paid. Is the area? Pedralbes, which I did not like. To make matters worse, we were going to get into the ring road (Ronda de Dalt), something I had not practiced more than once, and also something that had never done in Argentina (as it does not compare to the motorway 2).
The snowfall this year's historic tested my dear Ronda de Dalt. And the failed completely. Could not come without strings, but nobody had them, and the tail could not go back. Some waited hours in the car, and others left on the side and went to sleep.
were four (three women and myself), and the instructor decided that the first was one of them and me. She went driving, the car shook a little, and it stalled a few meters ( drowned ). Then turned without looking. Ran a yield sign. But I think the worst thing was that upon entering the Ronda de Dalt did not do too well, and forced a couple to change lanes, but at least he remembered to turn on the lights. Unfortunately, remember to turn off when leaving (But soon to be required always carry on). In any case, I parked there and turn left. We were in a quiet area in the works, and do not make any mistakes except a minor one: when the instructor told me to make a left, I did at the first street (since the signal to be painted works seemed doubtful) but in the second. The problem was when parking, as there was no acceptable site. So the instructor asked me to leave it in second row. That gave me a bad feeling, but really was not my fault.
went up the other two girls. The instructor, who had spoken with the examiner, told my partner that go home, then warning him if he had approved. I said, half in signs, I wait. A good sign for me. When they returned, one of the girls cried, and the other almost, had a depth three times, and the other kind. In summary, the four, was the only one to pass.
Since then, 13 July, and for a year, I bring the car back a "L" green, which means I'm a rookie, and I can not in any circumstances exceed 80 kms / hour. Last summer I made the effort to comply. But when the cartel began to fall, my speed started to increase.
Well, I apologize for the post so long, and probably of no interest to anyone is that in part the blog is my travel journal, and all this experience, expensive, exhausting, and more stressful than almost any other review of my life, something I want to remember (or it is difficult to forget.)
begin in the next post with photos of last summer, with the Ebro Delta, a place that surprised me.
The Ebro is the largest river on the top right. 
When 
