Jon Kakaley
I'd like to preface this by saying that I held a North Carolina State Driver's License for 10+ years, and made the mistake of letting my license expire when I moved up to NYC. Once I re-acquired my learner's permit, I began to take driving lessons in NYC so I could get acquainted with city traffic, but I wanted to take my road test in a more rural area so I wouldn't have to deal with the added stress of traffic in New York. I did a google search and found David's Driving School in Spring Valley. It's about a 1hr train ride out of NY Penn Station, and is about a 3 minute walk once you get off the Spring Valley platform. Very convenient and accessible location for anyone living in the city.
The woman answering the phone was lovely and hospitable, and it really puts you at ease to hear such a pleasant voice speaking over the phone like that. I booked a 45min practice session in conjunction with their road test package.
The day of my road test, it happened to be snowing. When I arrived everyone was very friendly and even offered me a free cup of coffee. My driving instructor (his name was Shai - I apologize if I'm misspelling this) was terrific. In comparison to what I experienced in New York, I would say that he was my best instructor. He understands driving very well, his instructions are extremely clear and easy to follow, and perhaps most importantly - he spoke in a manner that really helped me to relax and just enjoy driving. He also gave me some parallel parking tips that basically resulted in a perfect parallel park every time. Once we got to the road test area, he talked me through exactly how the road test would go, and sure enough - it went exactly how he said it. He prepared me extremely well, and I passed without difficulty.
I will tell you that even for someone who is an experienced driver, the DMV road test is a nerve-racking experience. You basically put your fate in the hands of someone who has total power to deny your driving privileges, and