Ronnel Gutierrez failed the driving test twice in a funny turn of events in getting it. It's the opposite of my roommate Rey Alenain and F & B Manager Edwin Acuyan, who both passed the written exam with a perfect score of 100%.HELPING FRIENDS/RELATIVES,
CO-EMPLOYEES GET THEIR
DRIVER'S LICENSE
I have more than 16 friends/relatives and co-employees that I have helped to get their driver's licenses after I've got my own in 1996. At Image Restaurant, I helped my daughter Karen Gennibeth Miranda Hernandez Cando, my wife Flor Miranda Hernandez, co-employee Romeo Coritico, Michael Carolino, Hermie and Ebot Leano. I trained Karen how to drive near the Papago International Resort, where my friend Amante Caballero worked for 19 straight years in Palau without having a single vacation. We are 5 inside the Toyota Corolla car (Karen, me, Flor and Muhini Castaneda, Karen's friend and classmate.
Karen is a fast learner while Flor is so nervous that I have to turned the steering wheel to the left so that she will not hit a house!
The most 'memorable' helping was with Ronnel Gutierrez, where we practice driving inside the parking area of Palau Royal Resort. When he passed the written exam, we set a date for his driving test with me driving him to the Bureau of Public Safety for the morning time test.
While inside the car, I warned him that sometimes policeman who is doing the test is cocky and will really test you by giving you instruction that is unlawful, like turning left when there is a sign that no left turn from 7 am to 5 pm. I also advise him not to drive fast because in Palau, they don't issue you ticket for slow driving but to those who drive faster than the Palau limit of 25 mph outside residential area, 20 mph in commercial area and 15 mph at school zone. I wish I should have not said the thing about cocky police officer/s because it affects his mentality about it.
The policeman is very furious when they come back after a few minutes and said, "Your friend is very stubborn! He didn't listen to me when I said "Go faster". He failed!"
While inside the car in going back to PRR, I asked him what happened. He said, "I drove slowly and the officer asked me to drive faster. I thought that he is just testing me by giving me an instruction to drive fast so I didn't listen to him."
The next driving test was done by a lady police officer. I said to myself, he can pass this driving test because the lady officer is not as strict and cocky as the first one.
But he failed again! Ronnel said that,"all the driving routes that we have gone went smoothly until she asked me to turn left in going back to BPS station. I am signalling to the left but the car is not aligned in the middle that the cars behind me cannot pass as well as the other cars at the other side in front of us.
Ronnel is interested to come with Palau chess team to Norway in 2014 so before that, I registered his name as one of the contestant in the 2013 Palau Rapid Chess Championship where he's got a Rapid Rating for possible inclusion in the team.
I didn't know that when an applicant for driver's license in Palau got a perfect 100% score in the written exam, he can have the driving test right away. This happened when I come with my roommate Rey Alenain for written exam. He passed it with a perfect score and as they are getting ready to board my old white car (Toyota Levin), the police officer said, "Can you get a better car?"
We go back to PRR and borrowed Erick Ventinilla's car (who happened to sold it to Albino Yap and later Albino sold it to me for $150.00 and I sold my old car to James dela Cruz for $150.00 also.
Edwin Acuyan, PRR F & B Manager, also got 100% in the written exam and get the driving test right away. Of course he passed it. He bought me cookies, choc. coconut juice as gratefulness for helping him.
The most 'unusual' incident is when Marc Montales, a chef at Chinese section, asked me also to get driver's license. He passed the written and when it's time for driving test, I am the one who's driving because he can be charged with driving without license if he will be the one to drive to the station.
The officer lets him use my car for drive test. When they come back, Marc told me that he failed the test but the officer will let him get a license for $20.00 that includes his girlfriend Cherry Tayag to get a license also with him giving her the drive test.
In going back to Palau Royal Resort, I let him drive and I noticed that he is also stepping at the brake and gas pedal at the same time. The police officer knew that he is not really ready yet to get license and the 'offer' is just to make extra money through bribery.
Eventually, he and his girlfriend got their license and when I saw that the officer is having another Filipino guy who is having a driving test, I can't resist to think that he will offer the same 'package' if he will know that the one taking the test is not ready yet to have a license.
Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
December 29, 2002 -- December 16, 2017
Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
Soon to be published as a book
Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
April 25, 2013 -- December 16, 2017
The History of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
June 09, 2002 -- December 16, 2017
No comments:
Post a Comment