DRIVING TEST, --- OVER 1/2 CENTURY AGO.

 After running week ends with my stepfather on the bread run, I was still 14 years old. I needed a driver's licence pretty bad. He was getting used to me driving for him on the week end trips. It was a miracle that we had not been stopped and checked for anything. Friday nights, after midnight was pretty dead on the highway usually, and the police patrolling was quite rare.

 Roy's best friend lived just outside of town and across from the drive-in movie theatre. His property was 10 acres of scrub bush and sand dunes. On the week ends they would get to drinking and partying until it was time to go back to work on Sunday night. I tried to get Roy to teach me how to drive a car. I wanted to be ready and practiced up for my road test when it came up. Strange as it may seem, I could pilot a loaded tractor trailer down the highway, but had never driven a car before. Wouldn't that be a sight, some young teenager coming in for his first licence test, driving a tractor trailer?

 Well they were well into their usual week end drinking session, when I approached Roy and asked when he would give me some car driving lessons. They all stopped talking and just stared at me for a moment, when his friend Ab reached into Roy's jacket pocket pulling out his car keys. Throwing them at me, he said go to it, you have 10 acres here, just do not run into the house. I haven't got it paid for yet. I looked at Roy and asked if it was OK? Yea, go ahead but get us another beer first. I did, and then I took off out to the car. It was a 1940 Ford Coupe. I never got out of first gear for over an hour. I tore up those sand dunes and went crazy all afternoon.

 Trying to figure out the shift pattern almost drove me nuts. I had a memory like a sieve anyway, and that did not help things for me. Roy finally got around to telling me it was the same as in the tractor. The shift pattern is always in the "H" formation. You do it OK on the truck; well the car is the same thing. Just turn the "H" on its side on the car's steering column, and then shift in the "H" pattern as usual. After he explained it to me that way, it was a snap. I was off to the races. One problem, I was still under age.

 It was shortly after that, that there was a lot of friction at home. I was tired of hearing the arguing and fighting. I figured it was time to get out. I called my dad in Sarnia and asked if I could stay with him. It was agreed, under certain conditions. I said goodbye and took off hitchhiking, the 250 miles.

 I spent a few months in Sarnia and there was friction building up in this house as well. One day, I was called into the principles office for a confrontation. (First year, high school) I asked what was I here for, and he began to explain ....  Well Bill, it's like this .... You know, I don't think that we are doing you any good, and to be frank with you, I don't think that you are doing us any good either. I sat for a minute and had no idea what was going on here. I said, what do you suggest? He had his answer in short notice, and without batting an eyelash, he said .... I think it would be better for both of us if we parted company. If you mean I am to quit school, I do not think that it is legal. I was always told that you could not leave school before you are 16 years old. I will be 15 in 2 weeks. His answer to that was .... I think we can overlook that this time. Am I out? You sure are. I jumped up and ran down the hall to my locker, opened it, grabbed what was there and took off out the front door. I'm FREE, I'm FREE. The greatest day in my life has finally arrived. Oops, dad doesn't know yet. Oooh-oooh, big time trouble ahead.

 Well dad got home from work ahead of me. I was uptown bragging to everyone that I had just finished school, by getting thrown out. I am now a big hero. So I thought.

 When I got home, he immediately took me out to the garage for a conference. I was surprised, that he did not invoke his extremely short temper, and punch me out. Instead, he just laid the law down, now that I was (Supposedly) old enough to be on my own.

 He did not even mention any reason why this happened. He told me that he would try and help me get by as long as I was in school. If I am out of school for good, I was expected to carry my own weight.

 In a couple days, he had pulled a marker in, and said that he could get me into a mechanics apprenticeship. I would have to make my own way down to Corunna Ontario, and work at Brocks garage. It was about 10 miles and I had to ride my bicycle to and from work.

 The job was 6 days a week, at 10 hrs. a day, for 16 dollars. He told me that as long as I was living there, I had to start paying room and board at $10 dollars a week. That would include my laundry as well. If I wanted to drink, (beer) I had to pay for my own. It would have to be in the house only, and not in some ally, if caught, it would mean getting the crap punched out of me. Cloths, trips, transportation, personal or public, was now my responsibility. Now that you are a man, you have to carry a man's weight. (Quite a load to handle with $6)

 That carried on till September, when the friction started to get a little rough around the house. I decided that it was time to move on again. So hitchhiking back to Toronto was the only alternative. After all who was going to hire a 15 year old on his own, with little or no experience to work with?

 Well things had cooled down in Toronto again. I tried to get a job, but with no luck. Being truck crazy, I told mom that if I had my licence, I would be able to get work. (Dreamer) The weekend parties were still going on, so I grabbed all the time behind the wheel that I could.

 Finally, everyone thought that I was ready. It was suggested that I use Ab's address in Dunbarton Ontario, because it was easier in a small village than testing in Toronto. I was still under age. I was 15, and the licence had to be 16. I was big and ugly for my age and could pass for much older.

 I was set up for the test. Ab advised me to show up for the test at the village hall, at exactly 10 minutes before lunch. Not before, nor later than 10minutes before lunch. He stressed that over and over.

I pulled up in front of the ministry at exactly on the planned time. I parked right in front of the office door, and went inside. I asked for the test and he gave me a dirty look and said that he was going out for lunch. I responded with, I have borrowed this car and have to return it shortly so as they can go home for their lunch, 5 miles away. He gave some thought and said OK, let’s go. He got in the car and as I got the engine started, he said to make a "U" turn and pull into the curb on the other side of the street, and then he would direct me. OK, I made sure that the way was clear, pulled a "U" turn and parked directly across the street. I sat for a moment waiting for instructions, while he was filling out some papers. I said where do we go now, and he answered, I don't know about you, but I am going into this restaurant for my lunch. Here is your licence, been nice having you drive me here. At that, he got out and went into the restaurant and I drove off into the sunset, fully licensed and still underage. (I had to lie on the form) I am now officially 16 years old, because my licence says so and looking forward to a lifetime of trucking. (So I thought) A friend of the family had me driving a 1/2 ton pick up truck part time, hauling precious metals, (Copper, brass, and cast iron) to the scrap yards. It was a lot of work for very little money. Now life has REALLY begun ....

    ---------------  William (Diesel Gypsy)  Weatherstone                        RETURN TO STORY MENU