Travelog post for: Dilbert

Today Fi decided to be brave and take us to experience some local bureaucracy.

Every five years you have to get your drivers licence renewed. So a month ago, off she went to the Randburg Licensing Department to apply. The queue was very similar to something she had once experienced at Eurodisney…. You stand for hours in a maze not knowing how long the rest of the queue in front of you is because it is always just out of sight. Anyway, on that occasion it took four hours till eye tests were done and finger prints were taken and large amounts of money were handed over (cash cow anyone?).

Three weeks later Fi was almost bowled over when she opened her post box and a postcard informing her that her licence was ready, tumbled out. Almost unheard of in the African time space continuum.

Fi chose her very largest handbag to hide her camera in. As patriotic as she is, she told us that Johannesburg is indeed a very dangerous place overrun with a criminal element… If her camera was spotted it was definitely going to be ‘re- purposed’!

So first stop. Drivers licence pick up. What a shocker, place was empty! It took longer to take a photo than to pick up her licence. Luckily there is nothing that African people like more than having their photo taken! See the man in the background? He was very funny. He asked if I had just taken a photo, whoops I thought Fi was in trouble… but he said ‘better check your camera still works you chose the ugliest member of staff to take a photo of!



Next, Fi picked up her car licence disc, very conveniently it was due at the same time so only one trip was necessary. Fi kept us tucked well in her bag with the camera; she was dying to show you all what it looked like in there (trust me – like nothing you have ever seen before) but she just couldn’t take the risk.

Then we stood for ages in a very grubby passage waiting for the door to open to room 105B so we could see Abie and make enquiries about a long overdue licence for a foreign vehicle. Of course ‘the other side’ had made no record of receiving the documentation  so it had to be re sent, now that was more like the South Africa Fi knew! Abie was also happy to have his photo taken



…hang on we are almost drowned in paper work… here we are close up.



Outside Fi used her camera phone to take a picture… then quickly walked back to her car.



This is the car guard! People are actually employed to look after your car to make sure it doesn’t get pinched! I can’t believe it. After she tipped him she asked if he would like to have his photo taken. He was very happy and asked all about ToyVoyagesr but I could see the look in his eye that said “crazy woman” - the same look they all have. 



On the way home we saw lots of interesting things but there was no where safe to stop. As we approached Fi’s area she found somewhere to pull over to show us Johannesburg city itself. It is about 30 km away  -18 miles for foreigners like us! We had to pull a Tom Cruise and hang upside down so we could be in the photo… right, so we see tall grass and a housing complex and. .?



Ahhh! There it is. Looks tiny from here.