Inca
Member Extraordinaire
This morning I was all ready for a full-throated DVLA rant when they went and burst my bubble and instead I have to award them a huge 
.
Like all septuagenarians I have to renew my driving licence. Initially it was quite easy, they send you a form without prompting and all you have to do is tick a whole lot of boxes. Like many septuagenarians I’ve also had the odd run-in with the dear NHS which has cost me my driving licence twice before and the various boxes I ticked explaining this earned me another form to fill in. There the problems started, it went quiet, very quiet, deafeningly quiet so this morning I telephoned them. “Your call is important to us but we are experiencing very long queues, we estimate you’ll be holding on-line for 90 minutes.” A serious WTF moment that tested my blood pressure medication but then, “if you would like us to call you back on this number when you reach the front of the queue please press 1 and hang-up”. With 90 minutes to spare I can get a target session in so I pressed 1 and had a little fiddle before the 6 yd walk to my garage to start a 6 yd target session.
The phone rang and the delightful Tamsin introduced herself and how could she help. I explained I only had 2 weeks left before my licence expired and was starting to get worried. Once I had sufficiently identified myself; inside leg measurement - favourite beer - colour and quantity of eyes, that sort of thing and provided her with my reference number the delightful Tamsin said she’ll put me on hold (here we go again) for a minute while she downloads my file - click. Ten seconds later the delightful Tamsin is back, “all is in order Mr Inca, if you haven’t heard from us by the time your licence expires you can continue driving under Section 88 of the Road Traffic Act, l’ll send you a copy, what’s a good email address?”
As good as her word, an email appeared in minutes and Section 88 gives me the right to drive for up to a year with an expired licence (providing I self-certify I’m fit to do so). Thank you the delightful Tamsin and whoever the current Transport Minister is, well done. Your agency might be snowed under and creaking but your temporary fix works.
Spoiled a rant though.
.Like all septuagenarians I have to renew my driving licence. Initially it was quite easy, they send you a form without prompting and all you have to do is tick a whole lot of boxes. Like many septuagenarians I’ve also had the odd run-in with the dear NHS which has cost me my driving licence twice before and the various boxes I ticked explaining this earned me another form to fill in. There the problems started, it went quiet, very quiet, deafeningly quiet so this morning I telephoned them. “Your call is important to us but we are experiencing very long queues, we estimate you’ll be holding on-line for 90 minutes.” A serious WTF moment that tested my blood pressure medication but then, “if you would like us to call you back on this number when you reach the front of the queue please press 1 and hang-up”. With 90 minutes to spare I can get a target session in so I pressed 1 and had a little fiddle before the 6 yd walk to my garage to start a 6 yd target session.
The phone rang and the delightful Tamsin introduced herself and how could she help. I explained I only had 2 weeks left before my licence expired and was starting to get worried. Once I had sufficiently identified myself; inside leg measurement - favourite beer - colour and quantity of eyes, that sort of thing and provided her with my reference number the delightful Tamsin said she’ll put me on hold (here we go again) for a minute while she downloads my file - click. Ten seconds later the delightful Tamsin is back, “all is in order Mr Inca, if you haven’t heard from us by the time your licence expires you can continue driving under Section 88 of the Road Traffic Act, l’ll send you a copy, what’s a good email address?”
As good as her word, an email appeared in minutes and Section 88 gives me the right to drive for up to a year with an expired licence (providing I self-certify I’m fit to do so). Thank you the delightful Tamsin and whoever the current Transport Minister is, well done. Your agency might be snowed under and creaking but your temporary fix works.
Spoiled a rant though.
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. I make no secret of the fact that I'm no fan of the DVLA but, it's amazing how 1 good person in the right place at the right time can change things for the better 
