07.07.06
Driving School
So there’s an interesting little quirk in Italian law - American drivers licenses aren’t valid after you have been a resident in Italy for one year. And in order to get a license here, you have to go to driving school.
So last week, Marcus and I took the plunge and signed up. After paying €300 to enroll, €50 each for the driving test and the written test, about €40 in taxes, €25 for a medical exam, and about €15 for a stamp to certify the medical exam, I was in! For those of you keeping track that’s about $600!
But here’s the rub: class attendance is optional. As long as I can pass both tests, I don’t have to step foot in the classroom. You do, however, have to pay the fees - even if you don’t attend. Does this sound like a scam to anyone else?
So I’ll probably attend a few classes for the language learning aspect if nothing else. My vocabulary about driving is pretty small, so it will be helpful to learn some of those words. Soon I, along with all the other foreigners and 18 year-olds, will soon be plunged into the world of full and complete stops and yield signs.
The odd thing is, I barely even notice any more when these silly little quirks of Italian culture show up.