UK Passport office

[ASB]

Not sure what the passport system is like but the Indian driving test leaves something to be desired. At least according to a rerun of Clarskon on the telly last night.

When I was India years ago I had a sikh driver. On getting in the car he used to pray for safe delivery wherever he was taking me. I thought that was interesting for a few days.

Then I started joining him...


Never ever get a bus from Delhi to Agra without a blindfold. "Oh there's a hairpin in 50 yards, never mind I'll try and overtake this lorry I don't expect there's anything coming".

[Forumbore]

Not sure what the passport system is like but the Indian driving test leaves something to be desired. At least according to a rerun of Clarskon on the telly last night.

Drive 50 yard in a straight line. Turn Left. Turn Right. Drive another 50 yards. Stop. All on a closed road with no traffic.

Thats it.

Apparently 50% or so dont even bother with that they just send a couple of thousand rupees to an out of state agent and get a license by return thats valid in the whole of India!

Other choice quotes :

"Well at the speeds you usually drive in Bombay accidents are usually minor. If you look at your speedo now.... Oh, it's not working."

"Dont worry about indicators, just use your horn. Thats your biggest safety feature in a car in India, the horn, watch.... Oh, it's not working."

"There are around 25 million vehicles on the roads in Britain and around 5000 people are killed each year in road traffic accidents.

There are around 29 million vehicles on the roads in India and around 60,000 people are killed each year."

"Many Indians are Hindu's and belive in both pre-destiny and reincarnation. Think about the kind of attitude that fosters in local drivers."

Dont Brainbench supply them?

[expat]

Not sure what the passport system is like but the Indian driving test leaves something to be desired. At least according to a rerun of Clarskon on the telly last night.

Drive 50 yard in a straight line. Turn Left. Turn Right. Drive another 50 yards. Stop. All on a closed road with no traffic.

Thats it.

That's a lot more complicated than their DBA certification!

[MrsGoof]

I remember that, was taht the one where the guy had his car blessed so it didn't crash, but if it did crash then that was fate

[DaveB]

Not sure what the passport system is like but the Indian driving test leaves something to be desired. At least according to a rerun of Clarskon on the telly last night.

Drive 50 yard in a straight line. Turn Left. Turn Right. Drive another 50 yards. Stop. All on a closed road with no traffic.

Thats it.

Apparently 50% or so dont even bother with that they just send a couple of thousand rupees to an out of state agent and get a license by return thats valid in the whole of India!

Other choice quotes :

"Well at the speeds you usually drive in Bombay accidents are usually minor. If you look at your speedo now.... Oh, it's not working."

"Dont worry about indicators, just use your horn. Thats your biggest safety feature in a car in India, the horn, watch.... Oh, it's not working."

"There are around 25 million vehicles on the roads in Britain and around 5000 people are killed each year in road traffic accidents.

There are around 29 million vehicles on the roads in India and around 60,000 people are killed each year."

"Many Indians are Hindu's and belive in both pre-destiny and reincarnation. Think about the kind of attitude that fosters in local drivers."

[AtW]

When I had to apply for new Russian passport I was forced to use Russian Embassy - price is £200, time - 4 months. Best part is that they would not let you get new passport inside (cheaper and faster) Russia because I lived here.

The ****s!

[Mustang]

Lucifer - good point. There was I thinking I could do it the law abiding way.......!!


Update: Passport office called me back this afternoon. The file has arrived from the Embassy!! My son's passport will be processed today.......

[Lucifer Box]

Mustang, just do what our guest workers do and go and buy one at the local car boot sale. Much easier and no red tape.

[MrsGoof]

were you expecting something else ?

[Mustang]

Trying to get a British passport for my 7 week old son. As I got married to an Irish women in Italy I needed to double check the documents I required. Five calls to the passport information service provided 5 different answers.

As a result I became very sceptical and phone the passport office directly to establish that I only needed to do was send the application form plus my son's birth certificate as the law had changed on July 1st 2006 so that a nationality can be given via the father without having to be married with the mother.

Point 1
The Post Office "checking service" knows diddly squit. They contested every bit of information I had and even sent off my own passport when they didn't have to! This resulted me cancelling a trip.

Point 2
Our passport offices don't know what they are doing either. I received a letter in the post asking for a copy plus translation of my marriage certificate stating my son's application was on hold till they received it.
I phoned today only to be told that I was correct - the law had changed and no marriage cert was needed.

Point 3
On the phone today, I got told that the application was still on hold - despite having all the information because MY passport was issued from an Embassy outside of the UK not a passport office and therefore the UK system does not have my details on record. They had requested my file from the Embassy and would continue with the application when they had received it.

Bottom line: Unless you are a Brit who has never lived outside the UK, nor married a non-Brit, nor got married outside the UK then don't expect to get a passport anytime soon.........unless of course you are an illegal immigrant then I am sure the waiting time is so much quicker.......!!!