A call from my dear husband the other day asking if I would feel comfortable lending my car to Joel, 17 year old son of a good friend and colleague, to use in his driving exam. The car Joel had originally intended to use had developed some mechanical problem, so with DH’s assurances I agreed.
Poor Joel didn’t get off to a good start. His appointment was set before the motor registry office opened, and he had instructions to knock on the door and ask for the instructor. The door was answered by a gruff, middle-aged gentleman who clearly didn’t appreciate being summoned there. He was in the process of telling Joel to clear off when he happened to look up and notice the two police officers who had accompanied Joel to the door (DH and his colleague, Joel’s mum). From then he was all sweetness and Joel was ushered through!
Next came a basic check of the car to ensure everything was in working order. A brief moment of panic when it was discovered the windscreen washer on my car wasn’t squirting water. Apparently this is a big no no, a bookable defect. Turns out it was easily fixed – the hose had simply fallen out and once reinserted it worked fine. To my shame, it had been like this for at least two years – I had always been meaning to look at it … but never got around to it. Regular car maintenance was never one of my strong suits.
Fearing the gruff gentleman was to be his instructor, Joel was most relieved when it turned out to be a nice middle-aged English lady instead. Apparently Joel is a bit of a charmer and despite one or two minor goofs (which would normally have cost the exam his instructor revealed) he made it through.
Since earning his licence last week, and with the other car back on the road, very little has been seen of Joel at home apparently! What a nice boy though, he gave me a box of chocolates to thank me for the use of my car. It is also a bonus to get it back in better working condition than it was before I’d lent it!