The 1998 PMA was held in Las Vegas, United States. I decided to take my wife and spends a few days tagged on at the end in LasVegas and San Fransisco in the company of William Cheung. We flew by United Airlines 919 from Heathrow to Washington Dulles and on to Las Vegas. I was in Seat 21H
After the exhibition the three of us went on a few excursions including the Star Trek Experience and Vegas Tower and then to Pier 41 and Alcatraz.
We hired push bikes and cycled to The Golden Gate Bridge
I passed my Cycling Proficiency Test in my last year of primary school. The test was a school-based road safety programme designed to teach us how to ride safely on public roads. It was run organised through local education authorities and the police.
Theory test
Before going onto the road, we were taught:
The meaning of road signs and signals
Basic Highway Code rules
How to signal properly with one hand
Road positioning (riding away from the kerb, not in the gutter)
Awareness of cars, buses, and lorries
Bicycle safety check
We had to bring our own bikes. An instructor (in our case PC Lapper) checked
Working brakes (front and back)
Bell
Tyres properly inflated
Saddle and handlebars secure
Lights and reflectors (especially important in winter months)
Helmets were not commonly worn in the 60s so not tested..
Road training
Unlike today’s playground-based training, much of the 1960s test took place on real roads near our school.
We practised:
Starting and stopping safely
Looking behind without swerving
Signalling left and right
Turning at junctions
Overtaking parked cars
Riding single file
Proper positioning in traffic
Cycling Test
PC Lapper observed us riding a short route. We were assessed on:
Observation (looking over shoulder)
Clear hand signals
Correct road position
Control and balance
Obeying road rules
It wasn’t like a modern driving test — it was firm but encouraging. Most of us passed after training.
