The BES islands aren’t very well known in the Netherlands today. But about forty years ago, things were different — everyone knew them. This was the place to get your driver’s license if you were in a hurry — or less talented.

Today, it’s still possible. But first you have to become a Statian, and only after six months can you take the test.

It’s still much easier than in the Netherlands: no trams, no trains, no highways, no traffic lights… and the occasional roundabout that leads neither to nor from anywhere.

The exam requirements are almost the same. You can still take multiple exams in a single day. A truck license? In a truck. A bus license? In the same truck — just with a few chairs added to the bed.

The theory used to be done with a model table where traffic situations were acted out using erasers, pencil sharpeners, paperclips, and bits of pencil representing different vehicles. I’m not sure how it’s done today, but it’s probably less creative.

What you do see, though, is that parking has been elevated to an art form on the island — and the locals have mastered it down to their very core.