In the good old days, licensing departments sent out renewal notices, so you were in no doubt as to when you have to renew it.
For the second year running, I did not receive my renewal notice, but stuck a reminder on my computer in order to remember.
I made my way to the Licencing Department and took last year’s renewal form from which the licence disk was cut out, together with my ID. I had to go there as I had to renew my disabled persons parking disk as well – the only place where you can get the disk.
On arriving there I was told that I must fill out the green form, front and back, because I did not have my notification paper. I told them that is not my fault as I did not receive one. At least 15 other people were filling out the green forms and we all were mumbling about the fact that because Licencing had failed to send out notices, we now had to complete forms. I suffer from bad osteo-arthritis in two of my fingers, thus making it very difficult for me to write.
Eventually I got into the line. In front of me, at the counter was an elderly man trying to renew his wife’s car’s licence. He explained that, because of illness, she was not able to come herself. The clerk insisted that the wife had to sign the form.
By this time people were becoming agitated, as this clerk would not budge and the man shouted at her that he does not have the money to keep coming back. I then mentioned something about the inefficiency of the system, because meanwhile as I was talking to the people around me, they all confirmed that they also did not receive renewal notices.
A man who have five vehicles, had to fill out these green forms five times.
When I got to the counter, I gave my old licencing paper from last year, together with the green one. When the person demanded proof of residence, I lost it and shouted “What else?” – on which she took my green form and ripped it to pieces, pulled her face and gave me the middle finger.
Then she left her cubicle and did not return for 10 minutes. I demanded to see her supervisor, but was ignored.
Years back, if you had displayed such behaviour to a member of the public, it would have meant immediate dismissal. Yes, the public sometimes are rude and in the wrong, but an employee should keep her or his cool.
The, let’s call them management, was in a meeting, but I saw they had finished and requested to see one of them. It took quite a bit of persuasion to get the security guard to let me through the door. At last I got my sticker for parking for the disabled and when I told her what had happened, she said that it is new legislation about the green form and also about the proof of residence and conceded that it is creating a lot of problems as the public is unaware of it.
Rika van Aswegen, senior admin officer took me into her office and I repeated the incident. However, on showing her my ID and the previous year’s licensing receipt, she assisted me professionally and in such a friendly, efficient manner that I left her office (with my licence) happy and smiling.
Thank you Rika for the way in which you dealt with the matter.
