I learned to drive on a standard transmission (that’s a manual transmission for you Nubies…) I got my Learner’s Permit the day I turned 16 and took my Driver’s test a week later (that was the earliest I could get scheduled). This was all in 1966. I lived just outside Albany, NY, and had to go to Albany for the road test. The Road Test in Albany was very specific and the map below shows the route every tester took the testee on to demonstrate their mastery of driving. The traffic lights had all been synchronized specifically for the Road Test. Back then, the written test even asked for the hand signals used in case your vehicle did not come equipped with directionals.
Since so many more vehicles came equipped with manual transmissions, the test included demonstrating stopping a vehicle on a hill and starting up again without rolling backwards.
The test started at location A, the tester would have you start out when the light at intersection B was Green. The tester is checking how safely you pull out into traffic. The tester would then direct you to turn Left at the light (B).
But the time you got to B, the light would have turned Red. Testing your smooth stopping and use of the directional.
The road B-C is a 4-lane road and the tester would direct you to turn Right at the light (C). Testing your ability to change lanes safely (use mirrors, etc…).
By the time you get to the light (C), it is now Red. Again testing your stopping and direction use. The street C to D is a small hill and of course, the light at D is now Red. Now, the “Terror” part of the test, the tester instructs you to apply the Parking Brake, put the vehicle in Neutral, and remove your feet from the brake and clutch petals. Yes, even if you were driving an automatic, you had to do this…
The tester would instruct you get the vehicle moving again after the light turns Green without rolling back.
Now, I have learned that some “old-hands” who have driven manual transmissions for years do not know how to do this… Those of you who know how to do this can appreciate it; you depress the clutch and put the car in 1st gear, and when it’s safe to go, you start slipping the clutch (you’ll feel the car torque a bit), and then release the parking brake. The hill was steep enough that if you did not apply a bit of gas when you release the parking brake even with an automatic, the car might creep back a bit.
Depending on the amount of creep, determined the loss of points or even failure.
Assuming you have not rolled into the vehicle behind you, you take a right at intersection (E), then you will Parallel Park, then proceed to (G) and perform a 3-point turn (K-Turn).
And then it was a simple matter to get back; to intersections E, H, I, and stop back at A.
Back then (1966) the tester still told you if you pasted or failed and if you passed, the tester certified your Learner’s Permit as a Driver’s License until your real license arrived in the mail. I drove away from the test site a Happy Licensed Driver…
A few years later, when my younger brother took the test, he had to wait in the mail for the results. I guess some folks who failed caused trouble and getting the results in the mail precluded a tester being punched out…
