HOLA! I left school for a couple hours today to take my road test. I'll tell ya on a readiness scale of 1 to 10 I was a 3. We're talking big time unprepared. I hadn't driven in over a month. My dad took me in to the RMV in Watertown. I had all my paperwork and I was nervous as hell. The trooper took my permit and application form and pointed to the wall in his office. I turned to where he was pointing to find a map of the Watertown mall with red arrows drawn in to show you where to go. He asked me if I understood the map and I said I did. I go back to the car keeping the map clear in mind. Unfortunately I was thinking so much about where I was going to drive that I forgot to put the car in reverse and was quite surprised when I put my foot on the gas and found myself flying forward toward the car in front of me. Off to a good start!! I drove to where the map had said and waited for the trooper. About 5 minutes later two troopers come out the back door. One of them approached my car to tell me to roll down the window. I look down at the panel of window buttons next to the drivers seat. Panicking, I don't know which one to press, I didn't want to roll down the back window by mistake and fail the test before I even got on the road. I take a chance and push one of them. It ended up being the right button...phew. The trooper leans towards the door and says "first part of the test is you have to roll down your window." I smile and say "I know, I wasn't sure if you wanted me to open the door." It was a great cover, he never suspected I didn't know how to roll down the window! He laughed and asked me to show him the hand signals. I acted cool and collected and worked my memory trying to remember the hand signals. I remembered the hand movements but not what they meant so I guessed on all of them and ended up getting them right. It was my lucky day! Then he asked me to turn on the emergency break. I turned it on and he suddenly said "nope, I can't take you out, it needs to be a handheld emergency break." I knew that I needed one, but I didn't want to borrow a car for my road test so I thought I'd get lucky and the trooper would do the test without one. Unfortunately he said no and said that I had to find a car with an emergency break in the middle and not by the pedal. So that was it. I drove away and went home. AHHHHHHHH why why why why?!?!?! SO CLOSE to having my license. And for anyone wondering, I am a good driver, this whole window opening stuff has nothing to do with the quality of my driving skills. I can three point turn like a pro I just can't open windows. Everyone has their weakness right? Also what is it with the hand signals? Does anyone use them? When would you ever use them? "Yes officer, you see, my directional lights and brake lights are out...BUT I've been using the hand signals!" I just don't see that happening. Anyway if someone was sticking their arm out into traffic I would be more likely to think that they were giving someone the finger and not signaling for a left turn.