Here’s how it works
My car, if you read an earlier blog, was killed, by a suicidal kangaroo.
The insurance company wrote it off, said it was dead, for all time, a meaningless pile of metal and plastic. We will declare it null and void, they said, which means you will have to re-license it. I said fine, ok, whatever it takes, because I like my car, I respect my car, as far as I am concerned it is not worth killing. Neither was the kangaroo, but it gave the car no choice, jumping as it did, right in front, while the car was at some pace.
All was done. I bought the wreck. On advice of the insurance company. Ricky Heng (earlier blog) repaired it. It ran well. The insurance company told me I could drive it away as the de-licensing had not taken place. all is good, they said. Excellent, I replied.
On arrival in my new home town of Albany, the Department of Planning and Infrastructure, the one responsible for licensing vehicles, makes sense, sent me a letter saying I had to hand in my number plates because my car had been de-licensed.
On instruction, I booked my car into a service station, one that checks vehicles for the Department, obtained a special permit to drive an unlicensed vehicle, had it checked, approved, then drove to the Department’s licensing centre.
You may not believe this, but it is true, the Department official then told me my car was not de-licensed and, in fact, was still in the system. In other words, licensed. So I can drive away then, I said, as though nothing has changed, as though you have not disrupted my life for no apparent reason, as though Mumbai has not been under attack, the world financial crisis has not occurred, and as though it is safe to yell I VOTED FOR BARAK OBAMA in the middle of Omaha Nebraska? She stared at me. Almost smiled, but not quite sure. She regained composure, then said, no, we have to re-license it. Mmmm, I said.
Right then and there, before my very eyes, she de-licensed the car, just so she could re-license it.
Wondrous. Amazing. I remain smacked, in the gob, and marvel at the trivial matters that inspire me.