After getting four teens through the drivers’ test, I am convince that the first test is finding the test. The first teen went to the bottom floor of the TAC house to test.
The next teen went to Smackover Municipal building. When his brother was ready to take the test we went back to the TAC House, top floor, to read a sign directing us across the way to the Boys Club.
He failed the test. He took the next test upstairs in the TAC House. About the time I felt secure in planning on taking the next prospective driver to the municipal Auditorium, it was closed.
That’s when it really became VERY difficult for beginners in the largest city in southern Arkansas to even take the test. A city this size and there was not one place in town available to give the test. We had to travel out to one of the smaller communities for a rendezvous with the officer and try to align the right day with the right test site.
Because the current prospective driver worried about missing his morning classes in college prep math and science we aimed for Saturday testing. (Ever wonder why state law requires proof of a student’s attendance and good grades to gain a license, but schedules weekday tests only during the school hours?)
We missed picking the right days to take tests in Strong and Junction City. We did try Smackover, though. We even called before leaving to be sure the test would be in Smackover that day. I must have called the wrong place for verification or they were just as confused as us.
In Smackover we were assured the test would be at the Worthen Bank in Camden.
Did you know that there were at least two Worthen Bank buildings in Camden? I went to the wrong one.
The right one was over the river and through the woods where a sign announced the cancellation of all tests that day due to illness.
Another couple Saturdays the test wasn’t given because of holidays and-or vacation. When the tests finally returned to El Dorado with the re-opening of the Municipal Auditorium, I thought it would get easier. It didn’t.
Between the announcement of the new schedule and cessation of the old, testing in limbo. Tests either weren’t given or were difficult to verify the exact times, dates and places.
I do remember rushing one morning only to once again be greeted by an ominously empty parking lot. I had missed the announcement that all tests were canceled for a week, the officer was away.
Now Saturday testing is to be deleted and tests only given in El Dorado, Junction City and Camden. Just don’t confuse the different testing hours for each day and place.
It was so much simpler the year I became a driver. I lived in three different states that year. I had tree permits. At least two states administered the multiple choice tests at the licensing bureau during all regular office hours. A teen could skip school for half a day or go in after classes any week day.
Sometimes the good lo days really were better.