A BC Driver's license
I love my husband. He is a great man. But one of the great things about him is his incredible ability to procrastinate. I used to think I was good at this ~ as evidenced by the long lapses in postings, but my husband truly takes the cake when it comes to putting things off to the very last minute.
As a new resident to the country, Akis was given 90 days from the time he landed to obtain a valid BC license. During these 90 days, Akis needed to get his Greek license translated, write the written test, and take/pass the road test. After landing, we had stopped in at one of the offices which is located in the Metrotown mall and picked up a book of signs for Akis to be able to write his test.
With many things on the go, time passed and it wasn't until the end of March that Akis had his license translated. (By none other than my Greek Teacher ~ turns out he is the only recognized translator in all of Western Canada, go figure.) With the days creeping up and only 6 weeks left where he could legally drive without me in the car, Akis kept saying to me 'endtaxi mori (OK honey), I'll get to it...' (Funny, I seem to hear that a lot.)
The days continued to tick and it was only when we were down to 2 weeks left that Akis agreed that he needed to go. Deciding that this was becoming a priority, Akis spent all day Thursday reading the book and doing the online tests, and we headed to the Driver's Office with the translated license in hand on a Friday afternoon. The office was full and Akis couldn't believe that there would be so many people there needing to do something with their license. He was shocked that all of the people actually had to take tests, complete documentation and were not privy to the 'greek' method of obtaining a license which involves merely providing some financial compensation for someone. Guess in Greece everything has a price. Knowing that we wouldn't be able to start the written test after 3:30, we squeeked in at 3:28pm. This is when the fun began.
The lady who handed out the numbers to everyone asked to see Akis' license and his translated copy. She then asked us which office translated it. We gave her the name and she proceeded to look on the list. After scanning for a few moments, she looked at us and told us that she didn't think this was a valid translation. She said she wasn't able to find the translator on the list of recognized translation companies that ICBC dealt with. She asked us for his name again and scanned the paper a second time. After an unsuccessful review, she handed us the paper and asked if we saw his name on there. What I found quite surprising and would have been comical if it had happened to someone else, was the list of 'accredited' translators was nothing more than a photocopy of the Yellow Pages with circles around the companies they dealt with. Are you kidding me? A provincial organization doesn't have a formal list of accredited translators and must rely on a circled list from the Yellow Pages???
As we 'discussed' ~ and I use the term loosely ~ the fact that the person we dealt with is the only translater west of the Red River and referenced to us by the Greek Consulate, his license was passed from employee to employee. It was only after calling Mr. Stavrides that they were able to track down where he was registered and that there is in fact a 'formal' list, and not the photocopied crack pot version they insisted was gospel.
By this point, we had now been in the office for 25 minutes and were instructed to take a seat and wait. We watched as teenagers queued up to take their test, as new transit employees sat waiting for their results and drivers who did not speak any English round up their 8 yr old son to translate their questions to the people at the desk. By the time Akis was called to take the test it was well after 4pm. We completed the paperwork, got his picture taken and paid our $15. He was told that there was no time limit and that he could work through the test at his own pace. 28 minutes later, with the office vacant of everyone but myself and the guy who issued the eye test, Akis passed. Requiring 40 correct answers, he answered 47 questions out of a possible 50 which means he now has a learners. Next step is the Road Test, however there was a wait period of about 5 to 6 weeks for this depending on where the test was to be taken. We were luck and able to book a test on May 26th in North Vancouver. Here's hoping he remembers to keep both hands on the wheel and to check those blind spots!
As a new resident to the country, Akis was given 90 days from the time he landed to obtain a valid BC license. During these 90 days, Akis needed to get his Greek license translated, write the written test, and take/pass the road test. After landing, we had stopped in at one of the offices which is located in the Metrotown mall and picked up a book of signs for Akis to be able to write his test.
With many things on the go, time passed and it wasn't until the end of March that Akis had his license translated. (By none other than my Greek Teacher ~ turns out he is the only recognized translator in all of Western Canada, go figure.) With the days creeping up and only 6 weeks left where he could legally drive without me in the car, Akis kept saying to me 'endtaxi mori (OK honey), I'll get to it...' (Funny, I seem to hear that a lot.)
The days continued to tick and it was only when we were down to 2 weeks left that Akis agreed that he needed to go. Deciding that this was becoming a priority, Akis spent all day Thursday reading the book and doing the online tests, and we headed to the Driver's Office with the translated license in hand on a Friday afternoon. The office was full and Akis couldn't believe that there would be so many people there needing to do something with their license. He was shocked that all of the people actually had to take tests, complete documentation and were not privy to the 'greek' method of obtaining a license which involves merely providing some financial compensation for someone. Guess in Greece everything has a price. Knowing that we wouldn't be able to start the written test after 3:30, we squeeked in at 3:28pm. This is when the fun began.
The lady who handed out the numbers to everyone asked to see Akis' license and his translated copy. She then asked us which office translated it. We gave her the name and she proceeded to look on the list. After scanning for a few moments, she looked at us and told us that she didn't think this was a valid translation. She said she wasn't able to find the translator on the list of recognized translation companies that ICBC dealt with. She asked us for his name again and scanned the paper a second time. After an unsuccessful review, she handed us the paper and asked if we saw his name on there. What I found quite surprising and would have been comical if it had happened to someone else, was the list of 'accredited' translators was nothing more than a photocopy of the Yellow Pages with circles around the companies they dealt with. Are you kidding me? A provincial organization doesn't have a formal list of accredited translators and must rely on a circled list from the Yellow Pages???
As we 'discussed' ~ and I use the term loosely ~ the fact that the person we dealt with is the only translater west of the Red River and referenced to us by the Greek Consulate, his license was passed from employee to employee. It was only after calling Mr. Stavrides that they were able to track down where he was registered and that there is in fact a 'formal' list, and not the photocopied crack pot version they insisted was gospel.
By this point, we had now been in the office for 25 minutes and were instructed to take a seat and wait. We watched as teenagers queued up to take their test, as new transit employees sat waiting for their results and drivers who did not speak any English round up their 8 yr old son to translate their questions to the people at the desk. By the time Akis was called to take the test it was well after 4pm. We completed the paperwork, got his picture taken and paid our $15. He was told that there was no time limit and that he could work through the test at his own pace. 28 minutes later, with the office vacant of everyone but myself and the guy who issued the eye test, Akis passed. Requiring 40 correct answers, he answered 47 questions out of a possible 50 which means he now has a learners. Next step is the Road Test, however there was a wait period of about 5 to 6 weeks for this depending on where the test was to be taken. We were luck and able to book a test on May 26th in North Vancouver. Here's hoping he remembers to keep both hands on the wheel and to check those blind spots!
posted by Carrie @ 5:21 PM
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