The Car Story

2011.06.30
As far as I wrote, I got my Traffic Register Number, a perfect
official document where I don't need to carry around my Passport.
After picking up the papers I thought I would have enough time to
register the car because it had a valid License Disk. So after a week
I went to the traffic department in King Williams Town again. They
knew me already and I was really relaxed that I 'just' wanted to
license my car.
Well, the 'just' took actually two weeks.
In the computer there was still a fee for the past years outstanding,
about R5000. Of course I rejected to pay it and said that I bought
this car with all certificated, RWC and so on, as well with a valid
License Disk.
So we went outside to the car and discovered that this License Disk
was a fake. They told me that the official procedure would be now
calling the police and investigate this issue. 'Ou, my bra, you'll go
to jail with this…' were the words of the lady. Luckily they just
confiscated the Disk and made me a copy of it, so that I went to the
auction place again to reclaim the buy with all its certificates. I
got a temporary license for the car and after two weeks I had to drive
to East London again to fetch my papers. Before I picked them up I
stopped in King Williams Town and went to the Traffic Department if
everything would be right now and they gave me a print out that the
car was licensed on my name. Perfect. Now I also have new number
plates, even if I liked the old yellow ones on the blue car much more.
Back in Somerset I had also a nice experience with my car. I was
stopped by the police and I did not have my driver's license with me
because I cleaned the car the day before it. So (I thought) it was
lying down the street at my home. I got a fine of R500 and had to pay
it at the court the next day. At home I couldn't find the license and
discovered that it was lying all the time in my laptop bag in the car.
I was not very happy about this. But the story ended well.
Two days later I went to the court to pay my fine and show all my
documents. I did not really understand how the procedure here goes,
but after handing in all my papers, the lady came back with stamps and
signatures on my fine and said: 'The prosecutor decided you can go.' I
did not have to pay anything. Great. Maybe it was also because I
explained my work here at a black school and that I was on my way home
and so on… The argument of German volunteering is always the best.
The other day I was stopped by the police at a road block where they
control all cars. That time I had all my documents with me. And
instead of controlling all them we spoke about the quit of Michael
Ballack from the German National Soccer Team.
So far