I AM not the best driver, nor do I claim to be.
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Plenty of bad habits have trickled into my daily driving since I received my licence on my second attempt in 2010.
I'm impatient, time-deprived and easily frustrated.
The unnecessarily slow drivers can get off the road and while they're at it, the overly impatient can overtake and get off my tail.
Sometimes I feel it would be faster to walk along the city-end of Peel Street North than get stopped by every damn traffic light.
And don't get me started on that Pleasant Street North 'driving-through-a-red-light' manoeuvre.
It seems laughable that someone with four year's driving experience would even bother challenging The Courier's motoring reporter to a rematch of their driving test.
Gavin McGrath wasn't going to turn down a challenge, even though I'm sure he was a little nervous in the lead up to the test.
After all, he had everything to lose and nothing to gain. I, on the other hand, needed to shake my shonky, poor driver image.
The last time Gavin had done a driving test was in 1988.
Bob Hawke was prime minister, the VL Commodore was the car of choice, and I hadn't even been born.
I sat my driver's licence test in Pakenham in May 2010. The day was overcast and I was overly nervous.
The weather and mood were almost identical on the day we completed our mock test.
"The last time Gavin had done a driving test was in 1988. Bob Hawke was prime minister, the VL Commodore was the car of choice, and I hadn't even been born"
Gavin decided it would be better for me to drive first; I guess he needed to be shown how it was done.
There were plenty of mirror checks, advance notice for indicating and lots of reasonably slow driving.
The hardest thing I was asked to do was turn right and give way to oncoming traffic.
I followed Gavin on his test around Ballarat and he was still in with a chance.
There was a questionable flick of the indicator as we veered around a same-street bend and a few cautious stops at amber lights.
VicRoads licence tester Wade Farrugia had a tough decision to make. But surprisingly, I received top honours.
It turns out Gavin failed to keep his indicators on long enough while changing lanes and didn't head check in the rear mirror when reverse parallel parking.
I was told I needed to use my mirrors more often.
This weekend I'll surrender my membership to Ballarat's bad driver's club, but I'm not sure Gavin will have much fun nursing his bruised ego.
