Wesley Chapel Road Test Experience (First Try in Pasco County, FL)

 

Address: Pasco Tax Collector - 4610 Pet Ln #101, Lutz, FL 33559

Car: 2015 Black Chevy Sonic

I remember when I first got my learner's permit to drive in 2018, upon passing the written exam, the lady asked: "Would you like to take the road test this afternoon?" I was stunned because I had never driven before, so I said, "No, mam, not today."

Back then, I felt that my husband was reluctant to teach me to drive.  We did a couple of practices and I was able to drive from Dade City to Lakeland then back. However, I stopped driving after nearly crashing into a tree and causing almost an accident.

Fast forward to 2021, if you have read my previous post about some of my life updates, I mentioned that I went back to working in the office. Since I don't drive, my husband would drive me to work in the morning, and I will arrive an hour early. To get home, I will ask for my officemates to drop me off, which sometimes makes me feel as if I am too much of a burden. But they have been very accommodating of that and never made me feel as if I was a burden. In fact, if my regular ride can't drive me home or is out of the office, another will step up to offer me a ride. I am forever grateful to be working with such wonderful people.

Having said that, my point was that I was eager to learn how to drive again and my husband couldn't agree more. He began teaching me again and lets me drive myself to work in the morning. I literally work near the DMV office here in our town but sadly, their office started a renovation project right around the time that I was planning to schedule my driving test, so they are only able to provide limited services, not including road tests.

There are four other locations where I can take the driving test, although Wesley Chapel is closest to us. Initially, I was hesitant to schedule my road test over there because I was not familiar with the area and I felt like I would be more comfortable driving in our small town.

After carefully considering my options, I scheduled my road test in Wesley Chapel. It was July 2021 when I chose a date for my appointment, which was set for September 4 at 8:30 a.m. Thus, I had plenty of opportunities to practice and get better at driving. The days went by so quickly and finally, it was time to get my road test done.

We arrived 30 minutes early, and there were already a lot of people outside the building. On Saturday, only Pasco residents are allowed to visit the tax collector's office, which many people use exclusively.

I have to park at the designated area no more than 10 minutes before my appointment time.  I went to the shaded area at the back of the office with orange cones and waited until my road tester arrived.  The first thing he did was ask for my car registration and insurance then for my learner's permit. After that, he checked my signal lights, brakes, and horn.

The confirmation email mentioned that the test would be conducted with the windows down, but my tester asked me to raise them once he had settled in.

He then instructed me to back up and turn to the right then left after the stop sign, then left again after the next stop sign. Right on that road, my nightmare began. The road was without a separation line and had a couple of curbs ahead. As we turned onto a road next to a construction site, my road tester asked me to do my first maneuver, the quick stop. He told me to drive 20 mph and make a quick stop when he told me to. I was then asked to do the straight backing. Sadly, I failed this part, as I backed up and ended up on the wrong side of the road. He was kind enough to let me try again, but I still didn't get it right. The last maneuver he had me perform was the three-point turn or K-turn. I thought I'd nailed this one, but I was so stressed out about my horrible backing straight maneuver that I miscalculated my turn and did a five-point turn instead. Because of that, I already lost hope and expected a failure in this driving test.

My tester instructed me on how to get back to the Tax collector's office and asked me to park in an available parking spot, in-between two cars. My most proud moment was probably this one since when practicing, I had difficulty parking and I had never done it between two cars before, but I did pretty well. 

So what's the verdict? "Today is not the day," as my examiner said. Yes, I failed my first road test. Then he explained what I did wrong and what I could do better next time. The three-point turn maneuvers and backing straight clearly didn't go well for me. He also said that next time, I should brake more quickly during the quick stop. And lastly, he noted that when making sharp turns in curbs, I often end up on the other side. He told me to keep practicing and that I could go back in a week without having to make an appointment. All I have to do is show up early and tell them that I want to retake my driving test. 

He led me inside the building and got me a number. He told me to wait until my number was called so I could update my records and pay the tax collector fee of $6.25. My number was called after only two minutes of sitting. In addition to asking me to pay, the lady told me she still needed to take my photo to ensure I am the one who took the road test today. It was a quick process and after she returned my learner's permit, I was out of the building and ready to go home.

It was such an experience! I was discouraged at first but I know we can't win all the time. Obviously not everyone succeeds on their first attempt, and losing is inevitable. However, we can always try again and do our best, so that's what I am going to do!

I will come back to share my second attempt experience and maybe write about how you can prepare for your driving test next, so stay tuned!