{"id":22676,"date":"2022-12-03T22:14:55","date_gmt":"2022-12-04T03:14:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=22676"},"modified":"2022-12-03T22:28:26","modified_gmt":"2022-12-04T03:28:26","slug":"episode-690-seniors-over-80-driving-test-everyone-scared","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/?p=22676","title":{"rendered":"EPISODE 690 SENIORS OVER 80 DRIVING TEST — EVERYONE SCARED"},"content":{"rendered":"
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EPISODE 600      SENIORS OVER 80 DRIVING TEST — EVERYONE SCARED<\/div>\n

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alan skeoch  <\/div>\n
dec. 3, 2022<\/div>\n

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I was scared.  Everyone seemed scared.   With good reason .  The \u201cOver 80\u2019s\u2019 compulsory Drivers test<\/div>\n
had grave implications.  To fail meant loss of drivers licence.  loss of mobility, loss of freedom, loss of confidence.<\/div>\n
Recognition of age and all that burden implied.  Alzeimers, dimentia, failing eyesight, Parkinson\u2019s, Arthritis\u2026the<\/div>\n
whole ball of wax.  I am 84 and in good health.  Just a bad knee from football days 70 years ago.  No real need for<\/div>\n
a cane although I use one whenever with people who might want me to race them around the block.<\/div>\n

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To fail the test meant reliance on other people\u2026to use public transportation which is not so easy in Canada where<\/div>\n
we need cars just to get to public transport   The plazas all have spacious parking lots.  Corner stores are pretty well<\/div>\n
a thing of the past.  <\/div>\n

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\u201cYour test will be at the Best Western Hotel on Dixie Road\u2026.do not come early as others are being tested all day long.<\/div>\n
Bring your drivers licence and glasses if you need them to drive.. The test will take 90 minutes.\u201d<\/div>\n

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So around 20 of us gathered.  All nervous.  Even me even though I had been through the test when I turned 80<\/div>\n
And failed.  Yes I failed.  More about that later.  I know my failure triggered your interest.  Humans are less interested<\/div>\n
in perfect people that they are with those who are imperfect.  Human nature.<\/div>\n

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The odd thing about my test last week was the presence of many men who seemed very fit.  About half the women<\/div>\n
were using canes  One woman needed two canes.  And their bodies seemed to shake\u2026.quiver\u2026more than those<\/div>\n
of the men.     But we all shared one thing.  Nervousnes.  We all knew that failure woluld mean a dramatic change<\/div>\n
in lifestyle.  Would  mean dependence on others\u2026particularly dependence on our children who may or may not<\/div>\n
be pleased to cart us around.<\/div>\n

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The room was a little on the dingy side\u2026.lighting was not good or my eyes were not good.  Either or both.<\/div>\n

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\u201cJust take a seat anywhere.  No rush.  I\u2019m doing an eye test with these ladies right now so grab a seat,<\/div>\n
your time will come.  Our mandated test for those oner 80 willl take around 90 mnutes.  Perhaps less<\/div>\n
because the projector failed so the film will not be shown.  I am the regional manager.  Doing tests from<\/div>\n
here to Niagara Falls every day.  Usually around 15 per class\u2026.a few more today.  Please feel welcome.<\/div>\n
My name is Natasha.\u201d  <\/div>\n

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Natasha was the chattiest of people.  She tried to make the Drivers\u2019 Testing of over 80 year old as<\/div>\n
comfortable as possible.  <\/div>\n

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But nobody spoke,  When Matasha stopped to take a breath the silence was absolute.<\/div>\n

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\u201cSome of you, those over 80 will remember the written test .  Rules of the Road.  Well that test is<\/div>\n
gone now.  We have one test of your cognition.  I will hand out a paper face down.  When I say<\/div>\n
turn it over you will draw a  face of  a clock with the numbers of the hours..  And finally you will use the hands of the clock<\/div>\n
 to indicate ten minutes after eleven.  You will have five minutes;  No cheating..keep your eyes on your own paper.\u201d<\/div>\n

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That\u2019s all?  I had studied the MTO Handbook for two days.  No test.<\/div>\n

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\u201cTo finish the test each one of you must do a vision test.  Same kind as used optomotrists.  Just to make sure<\/div>\n
you can see where you are going and to check your peripheral vision.?\u201d<\/div>\n

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Natasha did all this with a big smile as she moved among the chairs and tables.  She was not<\/div>\n
overtly threatening  in any way.<\/div>\n

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But we all remained nervous.  For good reason. If we were unfit to drive then our lives would change abruptly.<\/div>\n

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No laughing matter.  The two men on either side of me were very serous  Both wives required <\/div>\n
constant care.  So bad that both women were in places where constant care was possible. The men needed to<\/div>\n
drive to visit their wives.  And they  now had to run their homes\u2026.washing machine, stove, bills, food, etc etc.  Most of which<\/div>\n
required driving.  No matter how Natasha tried to make light of her role everyone knew she had the power to<\/div>\n
turn their lives topsy turvy..<\/div>\n

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HOW YOU CAN FAIL<\/div>\n

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My previous test taught me a big lesson.  I failed.  Not the written test.  That I got perfect.  When the<\/div>\n
meeting was over the tester\u2026a serious man who was not chatty\u2026dismissed everyone \u201cExcept for you<\/div>\n
Mr. Skeoch.\u201d<\/div>\n

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\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/div>\n

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\u201cI see here you got a ticket two years ago. Do you remember why?\u201d<\/div>\n

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\u201cNo, I only dimly remember getting s ticket\u2026. a long time ago.:\u201d<\/div>\n

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\u201cwell, you did and sorry to say you will have to do a full Drivers test.  And make sure<\/div>\n
you bring someone with you as a driver.  If you fail the test, then you will not be able<\/div>\n
to drive until you pass the test. \u201c<\/div>\n

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There was a 30% failure rate where I was tested.  I passed.  Test only took 15 minutes.  My examiner beside me with a <\/div>\n
notebook.  Checking my left turns, three point turns, parking, attention to stop and go lights, safe lane changes,<\/div>\n
yield signs, idling positions, \u2026all the things we do  drivers and take for granted.<\/div>\n

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Did you ever wonder why people over 80 are so cautious as drivers.  Why they drive the speed limit rather than<\/div>\n
10 M above the listed limit.  Why they do not rush orange lights.  Why they twist their heads when changing lanes?<\/div>\n

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ANSWER:   THEY FEAR THE DRIVERS TEST\u2026THEY FEAR FAILURE\u2026THEY FEAR THAT THEIR<\/div>\n
LIFE\u2019S PATTERNS COULD BE SUDDENLY CHANGED.  THEY NO LONGER TAKE DRIVING FOR GRANTED.<\/div>\n
IT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU.<\/div>\n

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alan skeoch<\/div>\n
Dec. 3, 2022<\/div>\n

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I passed the test\u2026now I can drive for another two years.<\/div>\n

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EPISODE 600      SENIORS OVER 80 DRIVING TEST — EVERYONE SCARED alan skeoch   dec. 3, 2022 I was scared.  Everyone seemed scared.   With good reason .  The \u201cOver 80\u2019s\u2019 compulsory Drivers test had grave implications.  To fail meant loss of drivers licence.  loss of mobility, loss of freedom, loss of confidence. Recognition […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=22676"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22676\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=22676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=22676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alanskeoch.ca\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=22676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}