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h1 The Canadian Champion, Tueaday, April 4,2000-7 Go ahead, driver examiner, make my day Have you ever asopped so notice how one person's miserable attitude can suck the life ous of your otherwise nice day? Granted, it's hard somesimex to control one's expreasiona when working in an asmoaphere dealing with a parade of peroonalities that corne and go thmughous tIse day. But being in a publk-relat- ed occupation, you have to leam quickly to greet each new face with a amile. If you haven't yet had an encounter wbere Use person serving you was a touch on Use gnampy aide, si-y taking a walk into your local Driver's Examinasion Centre. You might underatand what I mean. Borrowing fmm tIse worda of comedian Jerry Seinfeld, I have to ask, what is the deal with some driver'a examination employ- oea? No one likes to take a test. No one looka forward to Usem, espe- cially sehen you know Use examiner is going to be hovering over your shoulder judging your faulta with a fine-tooth comb. But I mean, could some of these people make it anymore difficuit? I was pmmpted to write on this subject aller a recent experience I had down as the driving centre in Oakville. I have had several bad experiences in the paat, where my friendiineas clashed sejth an examiner'a coarse attitude. Also, I have heard similar taies from many othera on how lhey were treated. Thia one pushed me over Use edge. It ail began afoor arriving a more five minutes late to the centre due to Use heavy moming traffic. I reporsed to the dispatch offi- ciaI who reminded me in a item and seemingly disgusted tone Usas I was laie. Thon, as if Usas wasn't humiliating enough, in bold lestera, Use word "late" was acrawled acroas Use top of my test. I was nover one for testa. WiUs as much preparation as I could gather, I still had zero self-confidence. Five minutes into it and I already had two faulta eating away as my nerves. My test was to begin as exactly 8:45 a.m. Aller cracking my knuckles a Usousand timos and grinding my teoth clear out of my face in waising, the testing officiai casually strolled out as exactly 9:15 am. Now maybe it's me. la Usas nos exacsly 30 minutes late on Useir part? To make Use procedure as pleasans as possible, with my nerves broken and my vital organs seizing, with a smile I said good moming and aaked how she was? Her response? A warm and heartfelt, "Yeah, okay whatever." Afser explaining Use procedure tome, Use rssad test began. To me, everything waa fine. AIl nervouanesa and tension was lifted and I drove wiUs a clear head and immaculate focus. My parallel parking akilla were excepsional. My lane changes were text-book perfees. After 20 minutes on Use road, I pulled back into Use tessing centre as the inatructor sas in silence making ber noses. WiUs a amile I glanced forward feeling confident I had pasaed. Thon with an exhaustive and utterly appalled sigh as if she had MUSIC for YOUNG CHILDREN TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES This acclaimed Canadian mssic programme for children ages 3 & up la trainiag new teachers for Ihe Bsrliagton/ Flamborosgh/ Miltoa/ Qakoilfe areas. Minimum R. q uirsmsnts: GRAD E VIII PIANO GRADE Il THEORY EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH CHILOREN Sanira Pasitua (Suuthmn' Ontaris Coordlnuthr) 519-669-8941 Alliance Rd., Milton * RailwaY Tics.........$400 * WaferbOard Strips (for sheiving> * 1x12X8 ft...........$200 * 2x20 Up to 48 ft. .. $5/ft.. * Other sizes-50% OFF * Pressure Tkeated Seconds. ................50% OFF .05-oe3-9oe3 The real juat easen rancid meat, she sold me I had failed. She spoke with such heated sarcastic tones, it could have melted a candle. She made me feel like an idiot. She said I failed because I didn't do a blind spot check and because I was speeding in a school zone. With the limis poxted as 40 km/h. I was going as an alarmsng 43 km/b. She poinsed out my fisses with disgust ai~sd walked off leav- N ing my day nained. I can honestly aay I sake criticism well. Without critîciam, how do any of ua learn? But it's the delivery of that crîticism that counta the most. ir r failed, shat's fine. But why further hurt my feelings with sarcaam? I felt bad enough, thank you. Waa it something I waa wearing? Waa it my spikey hair? What was it about me that this examination centre employee juat couldn't stand? Some people have off days. 10 can make your own dayaeem like a waate. As people you meet throughout life remind you of how unfortunate their day is with a tone sa sooohing and gentle as a amolce aîarm, remind them of how great your day ia. At the very lesat, it ticks them off royally to aee they haven't broken you as Ohey have many others before you (Andrew Jenkins is a second-year journalism student at Sheridan Callege. 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