Driving license
Jan 17th 2013, 9:05 am
#17
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Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Home, I think.
Posts: 9,217
Re: Driving license
We had our water cut off last night. No warning - just a note stuck to the gate saying we owed R6500. We've been in the new house for 4 weeks. I take the morning off work, go to the municipality to sort it out. The previous owners owed R6k, but could I pay that and claim it back from them? No - I bloody well couldn't. Long, frustrating and swear-filled story later, it turns out they had cut off the water in the wrong complex. Right house number, wrong street - so 10/10 for ingenuity I suppose.
Got home - opened the meter in the ground and turned the mains supply tap - just in case...guess what? It came back on.
Man, I love South Africa.
Got home - opened the meter in the ground and turned the mains supply tap - just in case...guess what? It came back on.
Man, I love South Africa.
Jan 17th 2013, 9:10 am
#18
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2009
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 20,821
Re: Driving license
We had our water cut off last night. No warning - just a note stuck to the gate saying we owed R6500. We've been in the new house for 4 weeks. I take the morning off work, go to the municipality to sort it out. The previous owners owed R6k, but could I pay that and claim it back from them? No - I bloody well couldn't. Long, frustrating and swear-filled story later, it turns out they had cut off the water in the wrong complex. Right house number, wrong street - so 10/10 for ingenuity I suppose.
Got home - opened the meter in the ground and turned the mains supply tap - just in case...guess what? It came back on.
Man, I love South Africa.
Got home - opened the meter in the ground and turned the mains supply tap - just in case...guess what? It came back on.
Man, I love South Africa.
Really makes you wonder sometimes.
Jan 18th 2013, 5:36 am
#19
Nuts and Bolts
Joined: Sep 2006
Location: Palm Tree in the Snow
Posts: 2,116
Re: Driving license
We had our water cut off last night. No warning - just a note stuck to the gate saying we owed R6500. We've been in the new house for 4 weeks. I take the morning off work, go to the municipality to sort it out. The previous owners owed R6k, but could I pay that and claim it back from them? No - I bloody well couldn't. Long, frustrating and swear-filled story later, it turns out they had cut off the water in the wrong complex. Right house number, wrong street - so 10/10 for ingenuity I suppose.
Got home - opened the meter in the ground and turned the mains supply tap - just in case...guess what? It came back on.
Man, I love South Africa.
Got home - opened the meter in the ground and turned the mains supply tap - just in case...guess what? It came back on.
Man, I love South Africa.
Now do what the locals do and break the meter so you can enjoy free water until they fix it
.
Jan 18th 2013, 5:46 am
#20
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Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Home, I think.
Posts: 9,217
Re: Driving license
The guy I bought my house from was a prize tit. So I made sure I emptied and filled the new pool before the transfer - so I got 30,000 litres of free water out of him...
Jan 18th 2013, 10:57 am
#21
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 59
Re: Driving license
Have things changed recently? I lived and worked in Cape Town between 2008 and 2011 and drove without issue on my UK license. That includes buying two cars and having to produce my license at road blocks on numerous occasions.
Jan 18th 2013, 12:02 pm
#22
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,881
Re: Driving license
A lot of people also drive with no licence at all if the stats are to be believed.
Jan 18th 2013, 12:27 pm
#23
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2010
Location: Beautiful Garden Route of South Africa, hoping to return to equally beautiful Kent soon!
Posts: 125
Re: Driving license
Just saying what my experience was. I won't recommend driving without a valid license
Jan 18th 2013, 2:47 pm
#24
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Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Home, I think.
Posts: 9,217
Re: Driving license
The regulations have changed - you can drive on a UK licence for 5 years - but not only do the cops not know that - they don't care if a R50 is produced at the same time.
Jan 28th 2013, 3:27 pm
#25
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Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Home, I think.
Posts: 9,217
Re: Driving license
Quick update seeing as the other driving licence thread was closed.
I phoned a guy who knows a guy. For R350 he managed to get me a learners appointment quickly (a pre-requisite for taking your test). I took my learners theory test this morning (following an hours revision in the traffic on my way to the testing station). Passed it, of course. Piece of cake. Based on the British highway code, with a couple of dumb questions thrown in.
The tester told me that for R2000 he could get me a licence, no questions asked. Or, for R500 - could get me a full licence test date.
Being the typical tight-assed Brit, I threatened to report him for corruption - so he took me to the office and we scheduled an appointment, legally, for February - to take my test.
Pain in the backside, but worth noting that I have finally given up on the conversion and am going to do it the old fashioned way.
Mirror, signal, shoot the taxi driver, manoeuvre.
Wish me luck.
I phoned a guy who knows a guy. For R350 he managed to get me a learners appointment quickly (a pre-requisite for taking your test). I took my learners theory test this morning (following an hours revision in the traffic on my way to the testing station). Passed it, of course. Piece of cake. Based on the British highway code, with a couple of dumb questions thrown in.
The tester told me that for R2000 he could get me a licence, no questions asked. Or, for R500 - could get me a full licence test date.
Being the typical tight-assed Brit, I threatened to report him for corruption - so he took me to the office and we scheduled an appointment, legally, for February - to take my test.
Pain in the backside, but worth noting that I have finally given up on the conversion and am going to do it the old fashioned way.
Mirror, signal, shoot the taxi driver, manoeuvre.
Wish me luck.
Jan 28th 2013, 6:25 pm
#26
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 50
Re: Driving license
Good luck!
ededed, do you mind if I ask how long you have lived in SA for?
You mentioned in the previous post that the regulations have changed and that you can drive on a UK license for 5 years.
Do you also need to have an international driving permit?
Since getting back to the UK I have been to the Post Office and it is a simple form and the IDP only costs £5:50 and is issued there and then at the Post Office without having to send the driving license to DVLA Swansea.
ededed, do you mind if I ask how long you have lived in SA for?
You mentioned in the previous post that the regulations have changed and that you can drive on a UK license for 5 years.
Do you also need to have an international driving permit?
Since getting back to the UK I have been to the Post Office and it is a simple form and the IDP only costs £5:50 and is issued there and then at the Post Office without having to send the driving license to DVLA Swansea.
Jan 28th 2013, 6:52 pm
#27
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Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Home, I think.
Posts: 9,217
Re: Driving license
Good luck!
ededed, do you mind if I ask how long you have lived in SA for?
You mentioned in the previous post that the regulations have changed and that you can drive on a UK license for 5 years.
Do you also need to have an international driving permit?
Since getting back to the UK I have been to the Post Office and it is a simple form and the IDP only costs £5:50 and is issued there and then at the Post Office without having to send the driving license to DVLA Swansea.
ededed, do you mind if I ask how long you have lived in SA for?
You mentioned in the previous post that the regulations have changed and that you can drive on a UK license for 5 years.
Do you also need to have an international driving permit?
Since getting back to the UK I have been to the Post Office and it is a simple form and the IDP only costs £5:50 and is issued there and then at the Post Office without having to send the driving license to DVLA Swansea.
Yes - 5 years is now the limit but the cops either don't know or don't care. It's pot luck if you get hassled or not. R50 sorts it out either way.
You don't need an IDP - but it helps. Only problem is you can't get one here, and you have to apply in person in the UK at selected post offices.
Jan 29th 2013, 7:02 am
#28
Just Joined
Joined: Jan 2013
Posts: 4
Re: Driving license
Hi Ed,
Sorry, I am going to bombard you with another question now too!
After 5 years do you have to give up your UK licence to get an SA licence?
Thanks
Em
Sorry, I am going to bombard you with another question now too!
After 5 years do you have to give up your UK licence to get an SA licence?
Thanks
Em
Jan 29th 2013, 7:12 am
#29
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Joined: Apr 2007
Location: Home, I think.
Posts: 9,217
Re: Driving license
Yes. Regardless of when you convert you must surrender your foreign licence. As per the earlier thread, you can then reapply with DVLA - tell them you lost it and have it posted to a UK address. I know Pablo thinks this is dangerous (he's right, of course) but I think it is highly unlikely they will check and your UK licence is a very handy thing to have. I still have mine and always will. But - you can be fined if caught.
Jan 29th 2013, 9:38 am
#30
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2009
Location: Brisbane
Posts: 20,821
Re: Driving license
No worries,
Yes. Regardless of when you convert you must surrender your foreign licence. As per the earlier thread, you can then reapply with DVLA - tell them you lost it and have it posted to a UK address. I know Pablo thinks this is dangerous (he's right, of course) but I think it is highly unlikely they will check and your UK licence is a very handy thing to have. I still have mine and always will. But - you can be fined if caught.
Yes. Regardless of when you convert you must surrender your foreign licence. As per the earlier thread, you can then reapply with DVLA - tell them you lost it and have it posted to a UK address. I know Pablo thinks this is dangerous (he's right, of course) but I think it is highly unlikely they will check and your UK licence is a very handy thing to have. I still have mine and always will. But - you can be fined if caught.
They'll never check.