HELP!!!

[danaeris]

OK, so I have a driver's test scheduled for Oakland Wednesday morning at 9:40 a.m. If I don't take this test, I'll have to retake my permit to take the drivers test.

I have someone who can give me her car for the test, but things got unexpectedly fubard and to do this she'd have to drive 5.5 hours in one day, getting up at like 5 a.m. to help me out. It's insane!

I need:
(1) a licensed driver who can drive with me in an automatic to Oakland Wednesday morning and be present during the test (so that I can legally drive there and back)
(2) an automatic car in which I can take the test. If you can't be there, that's fine, I just need a car!

I'd use unseelie's but its dashboard randomly stops working sometimes, and that's an automatic fail on the test. Anyone know if it is possible/kosher to have a licensed driver rent a car for me to take the test in?

Eep. Help anyone?

Comments

[princeofwands.livejournal.com]

Anyone know if it is possible/kosher to have a licensed driver rent a car for me to take the test in?

Not at all workable to turn over to you a rental. You're not a licensed driver. Huge liability ugliness.

I'd work out a loan you one of mine - but every vehicle I have access to is a manual.

[danaeris.livejournal.com]

Well, I wasn't talking about renting ME a car. I was talking about... If I find a licensed driver who is over 25, and THEY rented a car and then drove me in it to the test, could I legally take the test in that car?

Thanks for the thought even though your car obviously won't work for me. :(

[princeofwands.livejournal.com]

That was my point though - that you can't be listed as another driver for the rental cause you aren't yet licensed, and even in rental agreements where it is authorized to let someone not explicitly listed on the rental agreement go ahead and drive anyway, they always explicitly stipulate that it be a licensed driver.

The DMV can't actually enforce it, but Should Anything Happen, it'd be a really really ugly liability ball. (Especially w/ the DMV droid in the car as a witness that wouldn't let you off the hook for any possibile fudging of stories that otherwise sometimes happen between participants in such events.)

[danaeris.livejournal.com]

ah, ok. Now I understand. Suck. Oh well, I figured it might be a problem/not do-able. Thanks for clarifying, I appreciate it!

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

If my car were smogged and registered, I'd be happy to let deyo or joedecker use it to help you out (I could drive deyo's to work) but it's a few months overdue on those, and thus ineligble.

[bk2w.livejournal.com]

I might be able to help. One of the beauties of flextime. Though I would have to be back in San Jose at 1pmish to make my afternoon meetings.

However, I'd have to say that I would not be all that keen on trying to cross any bridges to do this. 4 bridge trips, including 2 during rush hour is a few bridges too far, I'm afraid.

[danaeris.livejournal.com]

Well, I have no problems with meeting you at a BART station on the other side of the bridge. It makes more sense in some ways because BART is just way faster than trying to cross the Bay Bridge, which has the traffic from hell.

If you were willing to show up shortly before 9 so I could spend about half an hour getting used to your vehicle, that would be tremendously helpful...
And what kind of car would it be? I'm aiming really for a normal sized car because the last time I took it it was in a huge Ford Bronco and I had trouble with it.

I can't imagine getting back by 1 to be a problem... the test will probably take about an hour, at which point I'll just need a ride back to the BART station and then we can go on our merry ways. That would take us to about 11 a.m., and I can't imagine the drive to San Jose from Oakland taking more than 2 hours at that time of day.

If you're sure you're willing to do this under those circumstances, please email me at questioner@livejournal.com. I really appreciate the thought even if it doesn't work out. Oh, and I'm looking forward to seeing you et. al. on Saturday! :)

[bk2w.livejournal.com]

Well, it might fail on the "normal sized" criteria, since it's actually a good bit smaller than most. But I find Mazda Miatas to be quite nice little cars. Very nimble and with a turning radius that just won't quite.

[benndragon.livejournal.com]

I thought Miatas all had manual transmissions? If yours is an automatic, then I'd so totally recomend questioner take her driver's test in one of those - it's small, responsive, and it's got decent power but not enough to get you in trouble (by accident at least ;).

[bk2w.livejournal.com]

The massive majority of Miatas have manual transmission, but a small number have 4 speed automatics. I haven't been able to find numbers, but my gut feeling is that less than 15% were made with autos.

I specifically wanted an automatic (even though I vastly prefer manual) because I'm still dealing with a nasty left-knee injury and wanted a car that I could drive right after my surgery. But I'm not going to let things like that prevent me from getting a fun car.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

That's why I love my automatic transmission. I love driving manuals, but because arthritis affects my hands, elbows, shoulders, feet, ankles, and knees, an automatic makes more sense. :)

[angelbob.livejournal.com]

This may be what you're already offering, but the pickup should be available that morning.

Not necessarily the easiest thing ever to parallel park, but not too bad.

[dopple.livejournal.com]

don't they still have cars at the testing cente you can use? When I did it my instructior let me use his car....

driving school

[leggylady.livejournal.com]

You could see if you could hire a driving instructor to take you and use their car. Their insurance is set up for this kind of liability. However, it may be difficult on this short of a notice and they may require you to buy a behind the wheel lesson or two first. I think I had 2 or 3 and a quick review on the way to the DMV.