u/AlternativeHat8964

/s

Last pic is from March for comparison.

Watch your drinks though. Monkeys be thirsty.

We all know your not a true citizen of scooterland until you get your license.

After years of driving without like a dumb laowai, I decided after two crashes (both not my fault) and about a dozen tickets, it's time. The penalty for unlicensed driving has been raised to 18k nt recently. Though they've not enforced it on me yet, but it'll happen eventually at this rate.

1. Get arc with at least 6 months left.

2. Book a test. The website is motc something something. I'm pretty sure the English version of the site doesn't have a link to booking because I couldn't find it. So look for it on the Chinese side. In the summer, it'll be booked full a month ahead because of all the 18 year olds with a death wish. You'll need to get try at midnight to book for a slot 30 days ahead. Or try at 7 in the morning to see if anyone cancels.

3. Get a health check at any major hospital. Ask for the 機車體檢. It's mostly a vision test. When they ask if you're normal, say yes. When they ask if you do drugs, say no.

4. Practice for the written. The app is called "driving written" on my phone. If you can't find it, try Chinese translation. 43/50 to pass. Actually quite hard. A lot of obscure rules you won't remember. I got exactly 43. The pic posted is from the practice test machine.

5. Practice for the road test. There are test facilities at the DMV and at random temples. Videos online as well so you know to shoulder check.

6. On the day, you'll need to come sit for a 2 hour video of horrific scooter accidents and some doc telling you why they're called death bikes. Lowest birthrate country with 67% of young adult deaths caused by scooters. Pretty ridiculous. But they're fun so 🤷 you skip this part for retests I assume.

7. Do the written. You'll know right away if you pass.

8. You'll be registered automatically for the road test if you pass, otherwise I assume they tell you to rebook? If you don't have a scooter which you can illegally drive to the testing location, you can rent theirs for 33nt. About 1/3 of my group failed the 7 second straight line. Pretty funny actually. You get 2 attempts at this part.

9. If you pass, get your 1inch photos at the photo booth and wait for them to call your name.

Congrats, now you're a proper citizen of scooterland. The license is your photo laminated onto a piece of cardboard lmao.

Lots of videos on these markets if you're not sure what to buy. Almost no laowai or wailao for some reason. Search 黃昏 for nearest to you.