Driving me crazy
Had to get up at the crack of dawn today.
The car was booked in for its two-yearly test at twelve.
Why people work at that ungodly hour of the morning is beyond me.
Arrived at the test centre and found two huge lanes of cars waiting to be tested. It was nearly as bad as queuing for the car ferry.
I was waved into the third lane and got my yoke tested ahead of everyone else. At least they got that right.
Naturally the car passed. Wouldn’t expect anything else. Spanner may be a scruffy bollix but he’s a damn good mechanic.
At least that’s over for another two years. Until I looked at the certificate, that is.
Next Monday is the car’s tenth birthday. I’d trade it in but I would never get its true value. Ten years old and 21,907 on the clock? Heh! But apparently as reward for keeping it on the road that long I now have to get it tested every fucking year from now on.
Bastards.
You don't do much driving then?
Did you not take the car to France?
I do indeed, along with the horse and the butter.
There are ways and means….. Heh!
Do you remember the days when the State let you get on with your life? Now the state controls all aspects of our lives. Your right, they're all bastards.
I'm actually in favor of road tests for cars – might keep some dangerous bangers off the road.
Of all the rules, regulations and petty restrictions, this is one of the miniscule minority that has had an effect. It's quite a while now since I had the shite scared out of me at night when I see an oncoming motorcycle that turns out to be a fucking lorry in the middle of the road with a dud headlight.
Here in the UK we've had mandatory MOT tests every year for any car over three years old for a long time. Does not seem to have had much impact on "bangers", though. There's always a way, from stolen certificates to computer hackers. And then those who simply steal a vehicle, or never register, insure or tax their cars. I know one guy who crashed his highly illegal car in the middle of town, picked up his belongings and simply walked away. He was back on the road two days later in a different car. I don't do so much driving these days…
The simplest way around the test is to borrow a much newer car of the same make and switch plates.
Over here they work by the vin rather than the number plates. The number plates are only there because they are large enough for the 'enforcement' cameras to read.
Can't get away with a Guinness label for a tax disc anymore then ?
They were made obsolete with the advent of the home colour printer. Heh!
Here in Pennsylvania we have to get our cars inspected every year but when I was a kid it was twice a year. You would have a sticker in the corner of your windshield that had either 1 or 3 or stickers that were 2 or 4. Used cars from PA used to be worth more because they were inspected twice a year.
Surely a regularly stamped log-book would serve the same purpose? Just get your Spanner to stamp the book each year on a service.
Its just a money making scam and any way the bastards can think of screwing your hard earned out of you, they will do.
I had 'words' with their oilrag over a no fucking 'E' mark on one of my tyres which was in top condition. 'Der isnt da e on de tir Sur'…..What the fuck did you say, I enquired….'Der ist no e on de tir'….What are you fucking talking about?….'De tir…..der is'nt de E mark'
A fucking 'E' mark as required by EU regulations to prove that the tyre was produced and purchased in Europe and conforms to EU standards. FFS I said, The fucking Tir was bought in Ireland from a reputable dealer just before the cunts introduced the fucking 'E'.
'It haf to haf der 'E' on de tir to pas da test'…….Oh! Jasus…..I'll give you a fucking 'E' mark on yer bleedin head, I said.
'Dat wont wurk, it haf to be on da tir to pass'………..I had to get a new fucking tyre and come back for a visual test where the gobshite looked at the tir to see a new 'E'. As he left satisfied Joe Bloke beside me says ' Heh! ya shudda changed the wheels around, dem Polish fellas wouldda never noticed'.
Fukkit, why did'nt I think of that?
God bless the EU and their petty regulations. As it happens, I was warned that that was coming down the road [as it were]. The old tyres were getting a little aged having had to cope with ten years of potholes so I had 'em changed last year. I would love to challenge that scam in court though – a car is deemed unroadworthy because it doesn't have the letter E on its tyres? Fuck that!
What would happen if you simply painted an 'E' on them? How could they fail them then?
There could be a market there, selling little rubber stick-on Es?
anything to gouge another coin from your pocket eh
The real scam is in failing the car for some petty reason and then charging for a re-test. And it takes months to book a fucking slot! And the Boys in Blue just love puling people over for no NCT certificate!
Over here most car mechanics are licensed to carry out MOTs as they're called. My local mechanic will do and MOT and if the car fails will fix the problem(s) and does a free retest. Of course you always get stuck with the repair bill, but don't have to wait for another slot. Can't you get Spanner to apply for a license?
Damn, that grammar is so bad I need to edit it – but I can't!!!
I could provide a facility for you to edit your comments, but then why should I be the only one to suffer schtick over bad grammar/spellings? 😈
Spanner get a licence? Hahahaha!!
Over here all tests have to be carried out in gubmint test centres so not only are there not enough, but they are a complete monopoly. It's all part of the rip-off culture.
I hate that. Every time someone in Ireland complains about a product or service. Like you have done here regarding the NCT. Some fucker compares it with the united kingdom. Who cares with how it's done over there. We're not there we're here. If its so much better over there. Go there and live there. And shut up about it.
Welcome Cathal! There is no harm in comparing with what goes on abroad. If they have a better way of doing something then a comparison is valid. However, I doubt anyone would be daft enough to emigrate just for the sake of a car test? Life here isn't perfect by a long shot, but I doubt if things overall are any better in the UK.