DRIVING IN SINGAPORE!

One of the things I am most proud of is that I passed the written test and now hold a Singapore drivers license. I know, I know - who'd a thunk'd it? There is a one-year grace period where you can drive using the international drivers license; after that you are required to get a Singapore license or forfeit your privilege of driving here. Shelby and I both waited until we had been here 11 months before taking the written test. Thank goodness we didn't have to take an actual driving test! The written test was challenging enough! We purchased a book to study for the Basic Theory Test, which Shelby put in his briefcase and I never saw it again. I think he was secretly studying on his lunch hour, competing with me to see who would score higher. :) Many expats are known to fail the first time around, and it's not unusual to have to take the exam a couple of times before getting a passing score. The test is computer based, 50 multiple choice questions and a score of 90% or higher is required to pass. The way I figured it, if I failed the exam it wouldn't change my life at all, since I don't get to drive much anyway. But Shelby was sweating bullets the day of the exam, fearing that if he didn't pass, he would have to take taxis to and from work each day until he passed. We both did some online practice tests, over and over and over and over. The confusing part is that there are a lot of particulars about when and where you can drive in regard to the bus schedule. Public transportation is huge here, and there are hundreds of buses running all day long. We had to learn the times of day to avoid the bus lanes, where you can and cannot park, the meanings of lots of road signs, what the zig zag lines mean and what a "raised zebra crossing" means. (there are NO zebras crossing the road-it is merely a hump like a speed bump to indicate a pedestrian crossing!) Did you know that if you talk on your mobile phone while driving there is a $1000 fine and up to a year in jail? And there are cameras everywhere in the intersections, as well as cameras along the highways to catch you speeding. And most annoying to me, everything is in KILOMETRES PER HOUR (gotta love that metric system!) so 90 kilometres on the highway is really about 55 mph. I've been in taxis before that have gone over 130 kilometres per hour and it's pretty scary! Their car starts beeping as a warning to slow down but they usually ignore it (and ignore me, too) Driving in Singapore is on the left side of the road so that's a little hard to get used to. FYI you cannot turn left on a red light in Singapore. Also, you must be 18 years old or older to obtain a Singapore drivers license so unfortunately that means Wes and Kasey won't be driving here. Make that FORTUNATELY! When I'm driving I'm so nervous that I don't turn on the radio, tell the kids do not talk to me or distract me, and drive with my left hand under my left leg so that I don't embarass myself by turning on the windshield wipers instead of the turn signal (a telltale sign that you are a newbie!) When I'm riding along and Shelby is driving, I like to look out the window at the scooters whizzing by and the beautiful flowers hanging from the overpass (called the "flyover") and try to help him navigate. But when I'm by myself and driving, it's serious business! We have a GPS with a lovely gal that the kids named "Sheniqua" who assists me in getting to where I need to go. If I make a wrong turn, she adjusts for my mistake and tells me she is "Recalculating" in what sounds like an irritating voice. Problem is, half the time the GPS can't find satellite reception so Sheniqua is no help whatsoever. I have been known to call Shelby in tears long distance while he was in Bangkok, panicking because I am lost and have no idea how to get home because the darn GPS can't get a signal (I know, I shouldn't talk on my mobile phone but in Singapore there is no place to pull over!) He always tells me I should leave a trail of breadcrumbs when I leave the house so that I can find my way home. It truly is unnerving to be lost in a city of 5 million people and cars driving crazy fast and not knowing where the hell you're going. Especially if it's pouring down rain! Most days I come home in tears and have to lie on the couch for a few minutes to calm down. Those are my IHS (I Hate Singapore) Days. I can count the number of places that I feel comfortable driving to on one hand: Pottery Jungle (nice big parking lot and not a parking garage), my hairdresser, IKEA, the Salvation Army (I actually found some folding chairs there once!) and the school. Yes that's about it; anything outside of that is outside of my comfort zone. Lately I will drive to my bible study if Shelby is traveling and I have the car, and to Chili's if I am desperate. Most places have those formidable, dark and narrow parking garages which intimidate me and I don't want to be the one who puts a scratch on the car! Singapore is so crowded that they try to limit the number of cars on the road by making the cost of cars extremely high. If you see a red license plate it means that car can only be driven between 7:00pm and 7:00am on a weekday, or after 3:00pm on Saturday and anytime on Sunday. When I drive, my comfort zone is the center lane when driving since I never know where I'm going, so I can change lanes if I have to. In Singapore it's not advisable to use your turn signal to indicate your intentions to change lanes-for some reason people see your signal and are determined NOT to let you over! You just have to zip over as quickly as possible and be ready to slam on the brakes. And always, always, always, check your blind spots because the scooters zip in and out and between cars as fast as they possibly can. It is so dangerous! They drive along the lines and not in the lanes, and when all the cars are slowing down, they speed up and zig zag their way thru all the traffic. There are quite a few motorcycle accidents and fatalities with the cyclists. Another thing is, if the roads are wet because of all the rain, it can be slick and the scooters are just flying by. The riders pull over to the side of the road when it begins to rain, literally hundreds of them at a time, and pull out their rain ponchos then off they go! I find it interesting that most of the motor scooter riders wear their jackets backwards when they drive, too. Okay so back to the driving, another thing I miss is going through a drive-thru window to get a drink if I'm thirsty, or to pick up a quick bite for lunch. You can forget about that, because there are only TWO drive-thrus on the entire island (both MacDonald's) and they are nowhere near our part of town. So this means you either have to take a beverage with you or go thirsty/hungry. I miss the days of stopping at Sonic for a cherry limeade and a corndog! So anyway you do not see people chowing down on a Big Mac as they drive here. Last but not least, and then I'll leave the driving subject alone, I will say that I have never prayed so much in my life as I do when I drive in Singapore. Every single time I get behind the wheel I have to have a moment of prayer before I can pull out of the driveway.(oh I forgot, we don't have a driveway. Or a garage. We have a covered front porch and pull the car right up to the front door!) And every time I find my way back home I always remember to thank God for bringing me home safely! :) P.S. Shelby passed his test the first time around, too. :)