Fidler in the Hood: ‘Licence renewed … and meeting Shah Rukh Khan’s doppelganger’
The picture painted wasn't a pretty one, but we agreed to give it a go, a day or two before lockdown.
The time had come when the CO and I had to face up to one of those challenges in life which we dread.
We knew the day of reckoning was coming soon; we pretended that maybe it would just go away.
ALSO READ: Driver’s licence renewal: 12 things you need to know
Some things in life you have to face, no matter the anguish (and anger).
Every five years, we have to go through the eye of a needle, face a local branch of the Spanish Inquisition. There is no escape.
I’m referring to the renewal of our driving licences.Rumours abound, stories that renewing one’s licence locally is ‘hell on earth’, and that you could write off a day in one’s life just to get that piece of plastic with your face on it.
Well-meaning friends had told us that they had arrived at 6.30am and had to join an already long queue.
The picture painted wasn’t a pretty one, but we agreed to give it a go, a day or two before lockdown.
At 3.30am I arose to get ready for the day’s challenge.
At 4am the CO followed suit, greeting me with ‘I think we should put it off; the virus bug will be all around us’. After a few words of friendly persuasion the CO got the message. We were going.
At 5.30am we were at the gates at the licensing centre in Port Shepstone.
The place was locked up, the area deserted. A few local early risers were giving us funny looks and we decided it was not necessarily the best place to catch a suntan.
Dawn rose, and a few early birds joined the queue.
The gates opened, and we briskly skipped to the steps of the offices.
Shortly, a familiar friendly face appeared: it was Mearl Singh from the Herald, clutching the latest Bonus. More friendly faces appeared, some folk from Hibiscus Retirement Village in Margate, all cheerful souls. The hour of waiting (and parting) passed by quickly, everybody had a funny tale to tell.
At 7.30am someone came out, unannounced, and read out the procedures we were to follow: No jumping the queue, we were to be served by the numbers we had been allocated; first come, first served.
I looked at the number on my form. I was numero uno. The CO was next in line.
We were told we were to be seated four seats apart, to avoid any possible contamination. No touching, keep your distance. Any questions? The sounds of silence were deafening. We were ushered into the waiting area. ‘Number One!’ was called out. “Bingo, that’s me!”
At 7.40am I had my fingerprints taken; the forms completed, and I was ‘done’ by 7.55am.
The CO was second in line. Same process, and we were back home by 8.45am. Hats off and accolades all round to the marvellous, helpful and cheerful Melvyn Moodley, senior examiner, Port Shepstone.
He drew the line at having his picture taken, but for he does look like a cross between movie stars Shah Rukh Khan and Clark Gable.
Now all we have do is wait, and wait, and wait, for our licences to arrive. With the Covid-19 problems, this might take a while longer.
Keep those proof of payment receipts close to your chest, friends.
The moral of the story is to be prepared for the worst – which often doesn’t happen – and be pleasantly surprised and grateful when the good things do happen.
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