Nine months for me to take my driving exam.

[Jkid]

A nine month waiting period thanks to a Maryland state law that requires you to have 60 hours of driving experience, plus pay for a driving ed course irrelgardless of age. A nine month waiting period I had to do before I take my driving exam, and until I pass the driving exam I can't drive unaccompnaied. In the next few weeks I'm going to live in Harford County with my mom for the next six to 12 months. In that county if you don't have a car you have either put up with buses that run once an hour or if you want to get there faster or for any reason you have to pay up through the nose for a taxi, and they eventuially become expensive.

And getting a job for me won't happen anytime soon.

I called the MVA about this being a undue burden for me asking them "How am I supposed get around in Harford county for the next 9 months?" Their answer is basically this "That's your problem"

And if anyone suggest walking, the nearest town (Aberdeen) is a hour walk from here.

Background infomation: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8698570

[EOTE]

1. Sorry you have to put up with that crap.

I'm a fellow Marylander and I know our laws can be rather unnecessary at times. I commented on your previous post, it's a shame it sank as it did. Anyway, good luck with your quest, I hope the delegate finds it worth pursuing.

[Jkid]

3. It's amazing that these stupid laws exist

and it's residents do not speak up until it affects someone personally. Why they can't speak up.

Oh and that delegate did replied to my email:

You have some valid comments concerning learning permit requirements. New laws and changes to existing laws can only take place during the legislative session. The sessions for the General Assembly run from mid-January to mid-April. Please contact this office around late December and we will evaluate your request and have a bill drafted or amended if necessary. Thank you.

Delegate Dan Riley

He could have help me in any other way, but no I get this. This means nothing to me. He might as well send me a email message saying "I can't help you at all, and I can't help you in the meantime. It's your problem, you figure it out."

[SunnySong]

2. Jkid I'm not feeling the love about now...

1st of all you are 22 years old and are just know getting your driving license. I could understand if you were an amish housewife or lifelong Manhattanite, but I am confused why in your case you waited so long.

You claim in your link that it costs 4,000 to get a learners permit yet I see no proof of this and find this number unlikely.

You currently live with your mother so in reality you didn't wake up today worrying about a roof over your head or food in the fridge this despite the fact you are a legal adult.

Your main concern seems to be getting around on the weekends (IE socializing) well buck up most members of the opposite sex are not interested if you don't have a car are male and live with your mother. Perhaps you show study one George Costanza.

Procrastination is a harsh mistress your young and hopefully you will learn the lesson of putting things off.


Good luck in the future.

[Jkid]

4. My responses

1st of all you are 22 years old and are just know getting your driving license. I could understand if you were an amish housewife or lifelong Manhattanite, but I am confused why in your case you waited so long.

Because in the past four years, I've been living in College Park, MD, I did not needed a car because I had easy access to public transport (metrobus, metroail).

You claim in your link that it costs 4,000 to get a learners permit yet I see no proof of this and find this number unlikely.

$300 for the driving course and $3600-$3000 driving experience lessons with a driving mentor, if you divide it up that's about $300 per 6 hours. That's a lot of money if a person's parents live outside the state of maryland, and has a minium wage job.

You currently live with your mother so in reality you didn't wake up today worrying about a roof over your head or food in the fridge this despite the fact you are a legal adult.

I will not be actually moving in with my mom's until a few weeks from now.

Your main concern seems to be getting around on the weekends (IE socializing) well buck up most members of the opposite sex are not interested if you don't have a car are male and live with your mother. Perhaps you show study one George Costanza.

Are you suggestion that I should learn to enjoy being stuck at home on weekends? Trying to find anything decent to watch on broadcast tv? (I hate sport)

[Kali]

5. can't the experienced driver be your mother?

wtf is "$3600-$3000 driving experience lessons with a driving mentor"? sounds off to me - if this is true why not get your license in another state or something?

[jp11]

6. The guide says it can, provided she creates, maintains and provides a log

documenting the date/times.

http://www.mva.maryland.gov/Resources/DL-060.pdf

It seems a bit insane to me, 60hours driving an experienced driver around in order to get a license.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. Huh. And legally you need only 40 hours to get a pilot's license.

Driving in Maryland must be a lot more dangerous than flying...

[madinmaryland]

8. Trust me. Driving in Maryland is dangerous. Fortunately we don't

have toll-booths, but the roads are f'ed up.

BTW, there is essentially no private pilots that fly in this area, due to all of the security issues.

[Kali]

11. driving is way more dangerous than flying - at least for other people

you crash a plane, good chance you won't be doing it on the freeway

[madinmaryland]

9. That sounds like a no-brainer to me. Just have her mother assist.

:shrug:

[Kali]

10. well, a lot of it can be done during other errands and stuff, right?

if you are working have her go with you to work and then drive herself home occasionally

most trips are at least 20 or 30 minutes so you can get an hour in at least every couple of days - its not that big of a deal - print out a little form and have her sign it - I doubt if most parents are completely honest about record keeping - here we just had to sign an affidavit saying yes they drove X hours daytime and Y hours at night while we accompanied them.

then if you really want to compare things check out what getting a license in Europe is like (or at least Germany)

[Jkid]

12. Moving out is not an option

I won't be able to move out until next year by the least. 3 years is the worst case senario.
The closest state where I live is DC and the last time I checked, you have to prove residency in order to get a DC provisional license in DC.

My mom can be a great driving mentor, but she has a atttude equvilent to jackal and hyde which I don't like.

[Kali]

13. I'm sure you can find various other over 21 drivers

don't think it has to be the same person. Driving with a parent can be nerve wracking but just tell yourself "Thirty dollars, thirty dollars" or whatever.

Good luck - none of my kids got their licenses until their 20's - I think that is much more common these days than back when us geezers were at the DMV at 15 and 6 months or whatever the learners permit age was then.

[Chan790]

14. As a fellow Marylander I'm going to address these concerns because I think you mean well...

it's all got to be 60 hours with the same person, that person has to have a spotless driving record (gotten a parking ticket in the past 7 years?...you're ineligible to be a "driving mentor" in MD.), and the log report is comprehensive: where you went, road conditions, times, dates, weather, traffic conditions...it's onerous. Even if you were to fudge or fake the log you're talking about 4 or 5 hours AS THE MENTOR to write this thing up as to not be caught in an outright lie. Guess what happens if you get caught in a clear lie on this form? You're going to jail...statutory minimum they suspend your license 6 months. It's bad enough that most locals I know won't agree to be the "mentor" once they find out what it requires of them.

The whole process is actually fucking absurd. His $3K estimate? It's lowball in my experience...the whole thing is bad enough that I'm faking DC residency to avoid it and based on where he lives (which is about 45 minutes from PA or DE if he's in Harford Co.) I'd advise him to rent a pied d' terre in PA to establish out-of-state residency...it'd be cheaper and less of a hassle. It's become a local cottage industry here to avoid the Maryland driving-test statutes.

[Kali]

15. ok yes that is ridiculous if it has to be the same person

but a log should be able to be set up and just a few blanks filled out each time - don't think that would have to take anybody 4 or 5 hours - if they are so stringent they may even have a form already?

I am NOT advocating fraud, but I highly doubt any state has the funds to investigate drivers' "mentors" logs. Especially a family member.

[Chan790]

16. Well no...

but if you put down that you rode with me on Jan. 22nd and it was sunny and the road conditions were clean with moderate traffic as we drove on Rt. 3 to the mall you'd be caught-out easily. It was snowing, 22" fell, and the state hwys were closed. They're not poring over then with a fine comb, but they're getting read looking for obvious signs of fraud.

They don't intend for you to drive with a family member though, they've made it a "process"(read: an utter pain in the ass) to attempt to force you to take your road time with an instructor. That's what they prefer.

They do have a form, yes.

It's a bad enough process that every year some lawmaker or another does actually bring a motion to ease the policy and the insurance-industry lobby and MADD get out their signs and ads claiming that supporters don't care about the lives saved.

[Jkid]

17. How much do they cost?

How much does a pied d' terre costs in PA? I would still need a job to afford one, if they don't find out that I only have a learner's permit when I apply for one so they can make an excuse that they can't hire me. Even if I want one, it will have to wait until I graduate from university because if I change residency, I may be charged the out of state tuition. So I'm in a catch 22 position.