Driving School Diaries, Part III

I just finished my fifth driving lesson in Taiwan.

500 minutes down; 1,000 to go.

For my first two lessons, the English-speaking instructor rode with me. But since then, I’ve been on my own: repeatedly, mindlessly circling the test track at 2km/h.

During each 100-minute session, the odometer has never risen by more than 3 clicks. Three kilometers in an hour and 40 minutes.

I’m yet to touch the accelerator.

Aside from one 45-meter stretch, where we need to progressively shift up to 3rd gear (sans accelerator), we drive so slowly the speedometer never visibly rises.

Per instructions, I control vehicle speed by riding the clutch(!)—an approach that causes the CMC Veryca micro-truck to shudder when it starts moving forward.

I’m being taught how to pass the test, not how to drive.

This clutch-only approach might be easier for new drivers, but it doesn’t always work. During my previous session—on a relatively cool, rainy day where I was thrilled to activate the windscreen wipers because that gave me something new to think about—the micro-truck struggled with uphill starts, stalling a couple of times.

I mentioned this to my instructor today, and he offered an innovative solution: open the window.

This, he explained, would cause the AC to work harder, thus adding extra load to the engine, which would increase its idling speed to compensate.

And… it worked!

Before today, blasting the AC with windows wide open wasn’t something I expected to be taught at a Taiwanese driving school. But then again, neither was riding the clutch.

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