Business at the R T O office.

Before I go over to the Brookfield zoo, Chicago, I will take a break to make a short trip (many not very short trips as it turned out ultimately) to the Office of the Assistant Director, Transport, popularly known as the RTO office.

My driving licence expired on the 7th of January and had to be renewed. It was not something very difficult. Three forms, two photographs and a medical certificate. All the concerned officials were helpful and treated me courteously. White hair on the head has its uses. But I had changed my residence since the last renewal and it made things a bit difficult. I found myself standing in an awful lot of lines before I was done. The normal procedure is something like this.

1st line - To meet the inspector who checks the old licence and okays renewal.
2nd - Forms counter to obtain the required forms
3rd - In front of the inspector again to show the filled forms and get his initials.
4th - In front of the cash counter to pay the fees
5th - In front of the clerk to submit forms
6th - In front of head clerk to get his approval
7th - In front of the ‘smart card’ counter to get the renewal instructions entered in the ‘smart card’
And you are done.

In case you have had the misfortune of having changed your address, date of birth or parents between the previous renewal and the present, repeat stage 1-5 before proceeding to 6.

I had changed my residence.

Clerk at stage 5 : Make another application for change of address and attach a copy of the ration card.
Me : I will make an application but my ration card too has my old address
Clerk : Then attach a copy of your voter card
Me : My voter card also has the old address

The clerk scratched his head with his pen and I was expecting him to say “in that case go back and stay at your old address if you want your licence renewed” but he did not think of it. He simply closed his eyes and probably waited for divine help.

“Make an affidavit with the notary” the fellow standing behind me tried to be helpful. I can understand his feelings. He wanted me out of the line at the earliest and had no intentions waiting for the divinity to help the clerk.

“I have my telephone bill and water bill. Both carry the new address” I volunteered. I did not want the clerk to catch on to the affidavit business or the divinity to come up with something worse.
Clerk : (opened his eyes and for once divinity appeared to be in my favour) OK. Attach the originals of both and submit.
I called my son and asked him to bring the bills to the RTO office. (He was at home and willing to help. divinity in my favour second time) I attached them and submitted the application before the clerk changed his mind.

I got a smart ‘smart card’ eventually with a picture looking somewhat like me in place of my dog eared old licence booklet which only had a black smudge of fungus in place of my photograph.

Changing the address is common. But don’t ask me how one can get to change the date of birth or parents. One can. The man standing in front of me in one of the lines had come for insertion of new date of birth! It is not every day that people come changing birth dates. The clerk did not know if he has to ask the man to get into his mother’s womb once again and come back with proof of a second birth. Also, he was not sure if a fee was to be collected and how much? The situation called for someone more powerful than divinity.

He asked the man to meet the assistant director.

I did not come across anyone trying to change a parent but am sure that it is not something unheard off.