Learning Not to Drive

Well, we've reached this mark. My driving licence expires today.

I always knew that I would only have one year to pass my test when we moved back to the UK. (I was a late driver, and I had not passed my UK test at the time that we moved to the US. I did get my US licence, but legally, I can't drive on that for more than a year.)

I had a bit of trouble getting my provisional licence reissued, since I was honest and noted on the form that I had fainted ten years ago, which triggered months of medical red tape. Turns out I have low blood pressure, but then again... it's been ten years since I fainted.

Throughout all of that, I kept telling myself that I still had plenty of time. I figured that I could comfortably sort out driving in the spring. In the UK you have to pass a theory and a practical test; you can't schedule the practical test until you've passed the theory.

Once I got my provisional licence, I scheduled my theory test for April 1st. I was confident I'd pass at least the theory first time, and even if I had an ADD blip and do something that's an automatic fail, I could take the practical a few times before summer rolled around. Nothing to panic about.

I did not account for a worldwide pandemic.

Coronavirus vs. my Driving Licence

I usually try not to view things this way, but mine probably is a unique situation in the UK. I expect that in these times, the DVLA would be willing to give a six month extension to drive on a foreign licence... BUT my Virginia licence literally expires today. My particular status in the US meant I had to renew my licence every year. No matter how understanding the DVLA feels, I can't drive on an expired licence.

Virginia has been extending the duration of their driving licences due to the pandemic... BUT because I'm no longer resident in VA, I can't apply for an extension. (Could I fudge it with my brother's address? Quite possibly. But any situation that requires me to show a valid driving licence will be made much much worse if I acquired it under false pretences. Not worth it!)

So yeah. That took some explaining with my insurance provider last week, but now my premiums have gone up and we are a driver-less household!  In rural Cornwall. In the middle of a pandemic.

Thankfully, one of my criteria when finding a place to live was that the kids should have some independence, i.e. that they shouldn't be dependent on me to drive them places. We could have ended up in a lone cottage down a country road. Instead, we can still walk to school, we can walk to the corner shop and we're on a decent bus route—a luxury in Cornwall, where many villages only get buses on certain days.

Our bus runs every two hours: learning to use it will be good practice for all of us. It's been fifteen years since I took a bus regularly. They have apps now!

The other relief is the UK's new support bubble policy for single / single-parent households, which means I can have a designated person to sit in the car with me. We're probably going to bubble up with my boyfriend, who won't be available very often but who will happily take us out on day trips to reduce the cabin fever, which is what we'll need. We can use a bus for errands; adventure sites generally aren't on bus routes.

DIY Driving Lessons

My latest date for my theory test (it's been cancelled five times so far!) is the 14th July. If it goes ahead, I'm not sure when I can take my practical or how I can get lessons. I've been in contact with my instructor, but they're still on lockdown without guidance on what they should do when they reopen. He has assured me that he'll do what he can.

In the meantime, I'm going the self-taught route. Many people might do this through trial and error in practice, but me being me, this has meant a lot of googling and research. The show-me / tell-me questions are online, and they've prompted me to become very familiar with my vehicle handbook... but I still had to get a neighbour to show me how to open the bonnet of a car I've had for almost a year.

A YouTube video gave me a UK-test-approved parallel parking technique, which was easier than I expected, though I've not had the nerve to do it 'for real'. I did reverse park flawlessly on a shopping trip to Morrisons recently, and this is one of the greatest accomplishments of my adult life. (I can't really put it up above the kids, but it's got to be in the top 5!)

I can't practice independently now, but my boyfriend has been informed that manoeuvring rehearsals will be part of our meetups until further notice.

Learning to drive in a pandemic is currently under control. Becoming a driverless household is still going to be a challenge, if one that I'm much less afraid of than I would have been before we endured quarantine back in April. If we can survive not leaving the house for two weeks, we can survive a month or so of not leaving the village. For us, a new phase of lockdown has begun. Let's do this.