It's one thing to require an appointment, but quite a different thing to make a person wait THREE MONTHS for the first appointment. When I got my first license (unrestricted operator's license, at the age of 14), there was no waiting period between pbutting the written test (for a learner's permit) and taking the road test. Theoretically, I could have taken both tests in the same day. (I'd have probably pbutted it that same day I took the written test, as I had plenty of practice driving before I got my learner's permit) I actually waited a few weeks, to get some LEGAL time behind the wheel. I was barely 14 years old when I pbutted my road test and got my unrestricted operator's license. (that is, at 14, I had the exact same type of license that I hold today, several decades later) The only thing I messed up on is that I forgot to signal for a lane change when I was pulling away from the curb after parallel parking. For the test, one of the activities is I had to parallel park between two (brand new looking) vehicles that were parked fairly close together. I NAILED IT, on the first try. In one smooth motion, I got the car parked roughly centered between the cars, with the tires just inches from the curb. I felt so good about that that I forgot to signal when I was pulling out. (ooooops) Looking back, I'm still surprised that I was asked to parallel park between two vehicles on the road test. The vehicles were parked on a residential street. They were obviously not state owned, so what if I had hit one?
But anyway, I see many states trying to raise the minimum age to get a driver's license, and I strongly object to that. I know the theory is that "older" drivers will be more mature and therefore safer. But in some cases, you can't even get a learner's permit until around the time you leave home to go to college. So WHO are you going to learn to drive from . . . your PEERS, who also have no experience behind the wheel??? It seems pretty idiotic to raise minimum driving ages to a point where parents have no control over what a kid does behind the wheel for the first few years that he-she is driving.
Getting back on topic . . . the OP is 19. He needs to drive. The state is unnecessarily delaying him getting a driver's license. Like I said before, it would be one thing if he FAILED the road test. In that case, it would be OK to tell him to try AGAIN in a few months. But to make him wait a few months just to TAKE the road test? No, that's ridiculous. IMHO He wants to take the test now. If he DOES take it now, he will either pbutt it or fail it. If he has to wait a few months, he will still either pbutt it or fail it. But in the meantime, his life is on hold. (What's the holdup, here?) -Dave
