[ale] OT: GA drivers license

[Geoffrey]

tfreeman at intel.digichem.net wrote:
> On Fri, 9 Sep 2005, Geoffrey wrote:
> 
> 
>>Well, how's this for homeland security.  I just renewed my Georgia 
>>drivers license over the internet for 10 years ($30).
> 
> 
> I'm impressed. Somehow, over the internet, Georgia authorities determined 
> that you are actually you; that your eyesight, awareness, reflexes, and 
> skills are sufficient to operate a high powered blunt instrument of 
> transportation; and credit balance.

Yeah, scares me.  Think about it, by the time I'll need another license, 
I'll be 59.  I wear glasses now, but have always been able to pass the 
eye test without them.  I'll be honest with you.  It scares the heck out 
of me that someone could legally drive at night with my eyes.

> Actually, I think credit balance is the only thing checked, which means 
> they haven't really changed the requirements that much since I got my last 
> GA drivers license about 1981. Maybe not any real advances since they 
> passed me for my first license in the late '60s(During the road skills 
> test, I managed to make three significant errors in the drive around the 
> block: left turn from the wrong lane, running a red light, and failure to 
> park at the curb using the three point approach the examiner expected. And 
> some people managed to flunk that level of expertise.)

Ouch.  Got my driver's license in NY.  You had to: use hand signals and 
vehicle turn signals, parallel park, 3 point turn, 'catch' a green, red 
and yellow traffic light. (3 tries to catch the yellow, otherwise you 
moved on).  They had a particular nasty spot where there was a railroad 
track crossing the road about 10 ft from a stop sign.  Tons of folks 
failed the test because they stopped on the track for the stop sign.  As 
I recall, if you stopped in front of the track, looked both ways, then 
pulled to the sign, you were okay.  Took my brother 4 tries to get his. 
  First time, he did a 3 point turn by pulling into a driveway.  On the 
failure note, it said he drove over the curb during the 3 point turn. :) 
  Fortunately, he is older, so I learned from his experiences. :)

-- 
Until later, Geoffrey