JoeP
05-08-2005, 01:21 PM
I wasn't sure whether to post this in The funniest thing happened today..., Driving stories or What's "right" with you?. So here's a new thread.
Back story: I've been resident in South Africa for 10 years, and I have the "permanent resident" paperwork :deal: to get me in and out of the country (I have a UK passport). But I have never been sure whether it's legally necessary for me to have an ID book, while I am sure that the bureaucracy involved is staggering. I am aware, however, that I need to have a local driving licence - a foreign or international licence is valid for one year after entering the country. I've made three or so attempts to get one, but in the second attempt I found that you need to have an ID number, so I've made some attempts to get that too. Each attempt has been met with some bureaucratic twist which disillusions me for another year (the delays are due to my inaction, not so much the bureaucracy). I've been asked for my licence twice before in routine roadblocks, and each time the traffic cops have been puzzled and let me go (they're really looking out for people with no licence at all). But the general impression has been they're trying to get much tougher on licence dodgers.
On Friday, I was driving up the N1 highway to Midrand for a meeting. The road widens to 4 lanes just before the exit I needed, and they were all full, but the slow trucks move to the left which is a bad design ... the left lane should be left turn only. So I slipped past the particular slow truck, using the hard shoulder, and joined the actual slip road ... to see two patrol cars :policecar: :policecar:, one driver already stopped, and an officer pointing at me. :copno:
I pulled over, thinking (a) I'm going to be late for my meeting, (b) I'm going to be late getting home because I'll be questioned at the station, incarcerated :cuffs: and possibly have my car impounded, and (c) can it be any worse? :alarm:
The officer came to my window, very slowly, and said "Geeve me your lacence so I can geeve you a fine :spend: for overtekking on the eenside." I tried to explain about my British licence, and showed it to him, and he got more officious. :miranda: But he clearly didn't know what to do and, after some further questioning ("How can I fine you then?"), decided to let me off with a verbal warning.
:yay:
Back story: I've been resident in South Africa for 10 years, and I have the "permanent resident" paperwork :deal: to get me in and out of the country (I have a UK passport). But I have never been sure whether it's legally necessary for me to have an ID book, while I am sure that the bureaucracy involved is staggering. I am aware, however, that I need to have a local driving licence - a foreign or international licence is valid for one year after entering the country. I've made three or so attempts to get one, but in the second attempt I found that you need to have an ID number, so I've made some attempts to get that too. Each attempt has been met with some bureaucratic twist which disillusions me for another year (the delays are due to my inaction, not so much the bureaucracy). I've been asked for my licence twice before in routine roadblocks, and each time the traffic cops have been puzzled and let me go (they're really looking out for people with no licence at all). But the general impression has been they're trying to get much tougher on licence dodgers.
On Friday, I was driving up the N1 highway to Midrand for a meeting. The road widens to 4 lanes just before the exit I needed, and they were all full, but the slow trucks move to the left which is a bad design ... the left lane should be left turn only. So I slipped past the particular slow truck, using the hard shoulder, and joined the actual slip road ... to see two patrol cars :policecar: :policecar:, one driver already stopped, and an officer pointing at me. :copno:
I pulled over, thinking (a) I'm going to be late for my meeting, (b) I'm going to be late getting home because I'll be questioned at the station, incarcerated :cuffs: and possibly have my car impounded, and (c) can it be any worse? :alarm:
The officer came to my window, very slowly, and said "Geeve me your lacence so I can geeve you a fine :spend: for overtekking on the eenside." I tried to explain about my British licence, and showed it to him, and he got more officious. :miranda: But he clearly didn't know what to do and, after some further questioning ("How can I fine you then?"), decided to let me off with a verbal warning.
:yay: