The Story of Motorcycles and Cars

This is the story of motorcycles and how I got my driving license:

When I was studying in the university, I decided I should learn how to ride a motorcycle as I found a good deal for a cheap secondhand scooter. What strongly inspired me to do that was if I rode to university from home, the journey would probably take me a little more than 15 minutes given the proximity of my home - however, if I took the public transport, it would take me at least an hour - sometimes it even takes me an hour and a half due to the crowd going into the school during peak periods! Yes, I know some will wonder how that is possible given that Singapore claims to have a world-class transport system but I guess most Singaporeans already know how true that claim is - nonetheless this topic will not be discussed here. So I got about enquiring and even picked up a registration form and brochure from the driving school. By some strange fate the very next day, my mum found the form and brochure on my desk (despite being stashed under some books) and gave me hell. She would scream at me every day from then on for me to give up the notion of getting a motorcycle license, and I would just silently oblige with the hidden intention to learn without her knowledge after the screaming phase had blown over. She somehow knew my intention and after 2 weeks, she directed her screaming to my dad, urging him to sponsor me to learn driving instead. I lamented that it was pointless for me to learn driving as there was no way I could afford a car (even a secondhand one). However, both my dad and I could sense how determined she was and eventually both of us relented - that I was how I ended up learning to drive instead.

Since I was sponsored by my dad, I decided to get a good instructor from the driving school but unfortunately I didn't pass on my first attempt despite not getting any demerit points from driving in the circuit. During my first driving test, I was on a filter lane waiting to drive off and it was all because some scooter decided to beat the red traffic light at that junction that the tester stepped on the brake of the car and in an instant, the test was deemed an immediate failure. It was already a red traffic light and the junction was clear, so I was about the drive off after waiting near the mouth of the filter lane but some law-breaking scooter decided to beat the red traffic light, making a high speed wide right turn at the junction towards the mouth of the filter lane where I had already been forced to stop as the tester had his foot on the brake. There was at least a good half a minute before the scooter would pass the bonnet of my car and the deep rage within me almost tempted me to press the car horn real hard when the scooter passed me by - that should really jolt that irresponsible dangerous bugger and probably even cause him to crash horribly! Like a predator I waited... heck what did it matter after all the fate of the test was sealed... yet I really had to suppress my burning rage and let that law-breaker passed me by without event before grudgingly driving back to the centre and accepting the results unwillingly. I felt miserable after spending my father's money and failing in such a manner. So after picking myself up (I prayed that for his own sake that scooter rider better not ride so dangerously in future or one day his dangerous riding will catch up with him), I informed my dad that I would pay for the additional driving lessons as well as for my second driving test attempt. The second test went by pretty uneventful and I passed the entire test with only a mere 3 demerit points for failing to check one of the blind spots.

So I continued to take the less-than-efficient public transport for my entire university life. It wasn't till after some years of working before I could eventually afford a car. It was only after I had really started driving before I realised how right my mum was - about how dangerous it was to ride a motorcycle. All my friends who rode motorcycles (yes, every single one) at some point in time, have gotten into an accident before (but of varying severity). When I was in junior college, one of my classmates almost lost his life after slamming face-first into a lorry. His whole body and face were so badly injured, he couldn't take his A-levels examinations that year and had to take it the subsequent year. Recently a colleague of mine didn't know what had happened as the next thing he could remember, he had already woken up in a hospital - apparently according to the traffic police report, some witnesses said his motorcycle had skidded, rendering him unconscious and someone called the ambulance. He was probably lucky that he is still alive though suffering from multiple minor injuries. When I drive, I can see how easy it is for a motorcycle to get into an accident, especially with all dangerous weaving in and out and between vehicles. Recently a lot of bad driving behaviour on the roads is not helping the situation at all. There is very limited protection when riding and risk of having severe injuries is high. Now looking back I guess my mum had the best of intentions and a valid concern.