The Day I Got My Driver's License

Today, I finally got my Philippine driver's license. It took me exactly 9 hrs and 7 minutes of waiting in queues, daydreaming on Neverland and actualyl sleeping on squeaky benches. Heres what happened:

5:00 AM: Arrived at LTO Office. The morning was dark, the gates closed, the building quiet and deserted.

5:26 AM: The second applicant arrived. Now the place is a little less creepy.

5:34 AM: Our Help arrived. She asked me to follow her and fill out two identical forms. This used to simultaneously queue me to both medical check-up and drug testing.

The Help helped us at the actual processing. What I did was paying the Help a little extra to speed up the processing of my papers. It is tantamount to an express processing of papers; you pay a little more to get want you want faster (oh, and one less step). Lets just say its an unofficial and unspecified type of LTO service.

Before continuing, it is necessary to tell you that technically the first step in getting a Philippine Driver's License is being given the application form. However, in actuality, in order to get one, the applicant needs a completed medical check-up as well as a drug test. I'd like to point out I have neither. Moving on...

6:04 AM: Exactly 8 applicants on queue to get their application form. The sun is up at last.

6:17 AM: 20 applicants.

Now I'm indicating the number of applicants because for the written part of the exam, they will only take 30 for each batch, and on a normal day, the first batch usually get their license before lunch.

6:34 AM: Medical check-up. For Php 100.00, the doctor took my height and weight and asked me to read a series of letters approx. 1 cm big about 5 feet away. Reading the letters; totally nailed it!

7:XX AM: (I didn't got the exact time :P) The queue for receiving the application form started to move and I still haven't finish drug testing. So me being the first applicant was all for naught.

8:14 AM: Finally finished my drug test. For Php 300.00, I filled up a form, peed on a cup, digitally took my fingerprints and sign. Being sleepy and all, I kinda missed on the cup a few times. Not a big splash, more of a sprinkle on my fingers. The thing is, the sink is outside the rest room so all people who did their drug test there most probably have turn the door knob using their urine enriched hands.

8:21 AM: Finally got my application form.

Now, the next step is another queue. This time a guard will give you a number. This will be for the written exam. Lucky for me, because of the Help, I was automatically give a number...14.

Now I don't know if I'm just unlucky but LTO's network was offline. Therefore, all processing was stopped we had to wait, indefinitely, until the internet connection is fixed. Damn PLDT!

9:22 AM: Finally online! The pain continues...

9:22 - 10:XX AM: A series of step. On Window 1 (I forgot what is this for) I gave my application form, on Window 3(Photosig), they took my picture and digital signature, and on Window 11(Cashier), paid Php 167.63. I don't know what was that for but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the written test.

10:2X AM: LTO Lecture. Now there wasn't any lecture. The person simply gave us reviewers and specifically told us to review traffic signs. But if you look around, road signs literally glued on the wall.

10:4X AM: Started the test. The exam is a multiple choice, 40 item test. The first 30 are about road knowledge while the last 10 are about traffic signs. Everything is in Tagalog. The questions are easy. Even if I didn't study I would have passed the test. Each item has 3 choices and an average person get eliminate at least on wrong choice. For instance, if you were asked "How should you look at your side mirrors", the choice "Whenever I want" is clearly wrong. However when I took mine, the questionnaire, although newly printed has some weird, light, pencil checks on one of the choice for each number. What do you think was that for? *wink*.

10:5X AM: Finished the test.

Now there is supposed to be another step here, the practical driving test but because of the Help, I skipped it. Hooray for the Help. Now just to be fair, I know how to drive an automatic car, but their test vehicles are manual.

11:06 AM: Waiting in front of Window 11 (Cashier) to pay for my license.

11:41 AM: Still no name call. Worrying that I might have to wait through their lunch break.

11:59 AM: Lunch break. Crap! Crap!! Crap!!!

12:47 PM: They resumed their work. Now I was amazed that they didn't milked their 1hr lunch break.

Around 1:XX, my application is now on Window 11 (Cashier). Since the payment the Help received includes the actual license fee, they didn't even call my name. They processed my papers first and finally...

2:07 PM: My name was called on Window 12 (Releasing). And I got my shiny license.