Have I done the right thing?

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Hi everyone, it's been ages since I've been on here but I am a bit lost at the moment and my usual people to talk to aren't around because I've just started a new job and have to live on site during my shift, and I've had to shift back home to my parents and brother's house.

Last weekend, I was allowed to have Monday off because I went to a concert interstate (I booked ages ago) and I went in to get my motorbike licence (the place isn't open on weekends, and I have every second Friday off). Where I live it's really hard to get your motorbike licence, and working onsite away from civilisation means it's taken me about a month to get it - had to do theory and prac tests and everything- and it's something I've wanted to do since I could drive a car but it was never practical to do for various reasons. Anyway, on Monday I flew in and drove home, drove into town, passed my test and drove back home again. The final thing to do before I can legally ride is to get my bike roadworthy tested and registered, so I rang up a service station in town and they said to bring my bike down. I got off the phone and dad, who's an aspie I'm pretty sure, said I wasn't allowed to do this because I'd be too tired to ride down to the station after flying in, and because I've never ridden on the road before I wouldn't be able to do it. He said I should practice riding up the road a bit first. I explained that this is illegal and the only time I can ride it is to the service station to book it in for a test so it can be roadworthied and he got really angry at me and said I was wrong.

This made me so angry I nearly had a meltdown (something I haven't done for ages) because I've been waiting to ride for ages, and I was so angry I couldn't concentrate and if I would've rode in that mood I would've crashed (I don't even drive when I'm that mad). I agreed with dad to keep the peace and stop him getting mad, and now I have to wait until the 15th of March to ride because that's my next Friday off. I went up to my room to cool off and he came up several times saying patronisingly that I should just go down to the damn service station because 'otherwise you'll just be grumpy all day' so I tried to cheer up and forget it. The rest of the day he kept reminding me that: 'sometimes you can't always have what you want,'
'Cad, you know that you're tired cause you just came back from Sydney today,'
'don't worry, you'll get to ride soon, and when you do I can drive along behind/ in front of you for your first few rides'
'you have to be very alert when you ride for the first time because if you don't you'll have an accident and who's going to come and help you? It's not like a car; you're the only one out there.'
'Sometimes you've just got to listen to me. I'm not trying to tell you what to do, I know you hate that, but sometimes you're wrong and you've just got to listen to me.'

It makes me so angry that I have to wait. It makes me so angry that I gave in. I can't whinge to anyone cause my friends are in another town, my brother is always on my dad's side, and mum who I get along with well lives in a mining town during her roster on. I don't think I'd know anyone on this forum anymore, but I'm 23 and the only reason I haven't moved out permanently is that real estate agents aren't around during the weekend and mum wants to buy an investment property and I can live in that. I moved out when I was 18 to study but I would come home every summer holidays and dad's attitude towards me just got worse and worse. This is the first time since 2007 I've lived back at home permanently although during the week I'm onsite so I'm not at home 100%.

Did I do the right thing? Should I have stood my ground and rode down to the station but put up with an argument from dad (our arguments result in dad not talking to me for weeks. They happen over the stupidest things)

Any help is appreciated,
Cad

Although I think your Dad went on about it a bit more than was called for, I have to agree with him that it might not have been a good idea for you to ride it on the road for the first time when you were tired. Chances are you would have been fine, but his concern is touching and I think you did the right thing by acquiescing to his wishes.

All good things come to those who wait. You're safe and your bike is safe. If you have to wait a bit longer than it's worth it.

A friend of mine will never walk again because he was run over by an SUV while on his bike. I'm not sure what state of mind he or she was in at the time (obviously SUV driver wasn't thinking properly), but if you can avoid an accident because you are tired (nobody thinks straight when tired) or any other clear-cut reason, avoid it.

The upshot is that now you know how long the wait is going to be, unlike someone who is charged with a crime in a foreign country

Me? I know it's a bit easier to handle when I know what's facing me (I nearly had a meltdown last week when I spent half the day trying to retrieve a document)

These kinds of situations though, my family will tend to say "I'm not so sure that's a a smart idea" but it sounds as if your dad expressly forbid you to? But then he's saying to ride around everywhere EXCEPT the service station?

I'm a bit complacent in the fact that I live in a place where we really have it easy to ride legit, especially in a country that doesn't actively encourage its citizens to use more economical forms of transport. It's not at all unusual for people to be out riding the same day after passing their test, sorry to rub it in.

I think you were fine to 'back down' - I hear "you have to pick your battles" more than I care to in this lifetime and in this case you may have gotten through fine through the anticipatory adrenaline buzz but the best thing to do was to pull it back so when you do take to the road you can be fully prepared. Believe me, I know it's difficult when you're having 'situational myopia'

Meanwhile, watch lots of Motorcycle Safety Foundation videos on YT, and there is nothing at all wrong with using an empty parking lot for working on your riding skills.

Anyway, I love a good rant

Thanks for the replies guys. I guess he can be overbearing at sometimes it just makes me angry. They've changed my work roster today so I'll have no Fridays off until April. This doesn't help, but you're right, the bikes not going anywhere.

Situational myopia....that's what I often get. The only place I have to ride is the backyard which isn't as big as it sounds, unless I can find a friend with a ute I can load it on. Just ideas. Thanks for the replies again.