I'm driving/riding illegally [Archive]

Biff

19th May 2005, 12:14

John

19th May 2005, 12:17

All KB cops please look away now.

I've just been told by my car insurance company that I'm now driving and riding illegally in NZ!

I was under the impression (thanks to the nice lady I spoke to at the LTSA 6 months ago) that I had 12 months from the date I arrived in the NZ to get a full NZ bike and car licence. That would take me up to October of this year. Apparently this is BS. My insurance company (IAG) have just phoned me and told me that the law actually is that I should get a NZ licence within 12 months of the first date of entry. I've just phoned the LTSA and this time they've confirmed this. This means that as I came for an interview here last February it's actually 12 months from this date, not the October date!

Shit! Shit! Shit!

By the way, my name is Keyser Soze, I'm from the Balkans and I live in Auckland.
:lol:, Your entertaining us all with your antics lately good on ya!

GO get your licence now you shit before you start posting stories about how you were in jail over night and was punished for being a naughty boy etc... :lol: (p/t)

Sorry to here it mate, get on to it quick smart :(

Biff

19th May 2005, 12:22

Hey - not a chance will I end up in prison overnight. Have you seen this poster?

John

19th May 2005, 12:25

Hey - not a chance will I end up in prison overnight. Have you seen this poster?
Bahahaha... What would be worrying is if you still shoplifted in that particular shop after viewing said sign, one would wonder what their motives are..

jazbug5

19th May 2005, 12:26

Get yourself down to an A.A. or VTNZ office pronto. All you have to do is the scratchy test and they'll convert your full UK license to an NZ one.
That's all you need to do.

Silage

19th May 2005, 12:27

Ohh so thats the reason why the brand new bird has only got 9.6 km on it. Nothing to do with not wanting to scratch it or cold/wet weather or anything.
:whistle:

Hope the license questions are not as hard as the renewal of the Arms License eg

When is it appropriate to drink alcohol when firearms are present?
a) Before heading off on a hunting trip
b) To celebrate the bagging of a game animal, or
c) (insert anything sensible)

crashe

19th May 2005, 12:29

Shit thats not good to hear at all.

Go to your local AA (automobile assoc) and do the scratchies asap,
for ya bike and car etc. BTW you dont get the two for one price.
You have to pay for each one separately.

Ya have to wonder how different companies can give out the wrong info so flaming often.

Biff

19th May 2005, 12:37

Can anyone point me in the direction of a site where I can find an example of the theory test paper please?

I'm thinking of doing the test this afternoon (catching a taxi to the AA office). But if there are questions that you only ever need to know to pass the test, as oppossed to just being common road rules and logic, then I'm up sht creak for getting home from work tonight!

Rainbow Wizard

19th May 2005, 12:37

I was under the impression that I had 12 months from the date I arrived in the NZ to get a full NZ bike and car licence. That would take me up to October of this year. Apparently this is BS. My insurance company (IAG) have just phoned me and told me that the law actually is that I should get a NZ licence within 12 months of the first date of entry. I've just phoned the LTSA and this time they've confirmed this. This means that as I came for an interview here last February it's actually 12 months from this date, not the October date!
The first time you came was on a visitors permit? You would officially need an international driver license (I don't know how long they're valid for).
You came back again as an immigrant? Surely the 12 months starts from then because that is a new "first date of entry".

Don't let those dipwit bureaucrats stuff you around mate, get out there and sort them out!

Biff

19th May 2005, 12:46

The first time you came was on a visitors permit? You would officially need an international driver license (I don't know how long they're valid for).
You came back again as an immigrant? Surely the 12 months starts from then because that is a new "first date of entry".!

Just what I thought, and was initially told. But apparently it has something to do with the fact that my first date of entry, and the date in which I migrated here were both within 12 months of one another.

Bstards.

crashe

19th May 2005, 12:54

Go to your local library and borrow the car road code book and also the m/bike road code book. Get the 2005 version...
check out the pictures as they are the ones to catch you out.
as sometimes the blue car looks purple...

Also one to catch most out is the one about "What colour lights are shown on a trailor?" red or white or ?. so many answer white..lol the answer is RED.

Most are common sense questions... read carefully and dont scratch it unless you are really sure. You are allowed to get two wrong.
If in doubt do the other questions and come back to the ones you are in doubt about... cos if you got all the rest correct then if only two unsure about it wont matter ...lol.

The other ones that get people caught out is what is the distance of carrying a load over from the front of your vehicle...

Good luck.

jazbug5

19th May 2005, 12:54

http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/roadcode/

Waylander

19th May 2005, 13:38

Get yourself down to an A.A. or VTNZ office pronto. All you have to do is the scratchy test and they'll convert your full UK license to an NZ one.
That's all you need to do.

Same thing with me. Need to do it soon though as of next month my time is up. Only thing keeping me from doing it is I don't have the $$$ to get it done.

Wolf

19th May 2005, 14:33

By the way, my name is Keyser Soze, I'm from the Balkans and I live in Auckland.
Balkans! It's true I tell you [/Morecambe and Wise]

Sorry to hear you've fallen afoul of the system. All the best getting your test taken care of and fixed up. Too bad you can't remember the name of the woman at the LTSA who put you crook - sue her for any expenses incurred.

Da Bird

19th May 2005, 14:55

All KB cops please look away now.

I've just been told by my car insurance company that I'm now driving and riding illegally in NZ!

I was under the impression (thanks to the nice lady I spoke to at the LTSA 6 months ago) that I had 12 months from the date I arrived in the NZ to get a full NZ bike and car licence. That would take me up to October of this year. Apparently this is BS. My insurance company (IAG) have just phoned me and told me that the law actually is that I should get a NZ licence within 12 months of the first date of entry. I've just phoned the LTSA and this time they've confirmed this. This means that as I came for an interview here last February it's actually 12 months from this date, not the October date!

Shit! Shit! Shit!

By the way, my name is Keyser Soze, I'm from the Balkans and I live in Auckland.

Hey Big Bad Biff...

I knew the 12 month period started from the time you first entered the country but I thought if you left and returned, you only lost the amount of time on your first visit towards the 12 months...

e.g if you came here for a month in February and left NZ and came back in October you would have 11 months left on your overseas licence. That's how I thought it worked, maybe something to look into.

I would suggest you just carry your passport with you to show entry / exit dates - makes life a lot easier for the cop (should you get pulled over that is).

BC.

jazbug5

19th May 2005, 15:00

I knew the 12 month period started from the time you first entered the country but I thought if you left and returned, you only lost the amount of time on your first visit towards the 12 months...

e.g if you came here for a month in February and left NZ and came back in October you would have 11 months left on your overseas licence. That's how I thought it worked, maybe something to look into.

I would suggest you just carry your passport with you to show entry / exit dates - makes life a lot easier for the cop (should you get pulled over that is).

BC.

Sadly, it doesn't work like that. I know because *sigh*
I work at LTSA and asked the lady in Overseas Compliance.
*dons armoured gear*
On the upside, she thought it was very unlikely you'd get into trouble for something you hadn't known. As Mr. Bykey Cop suggests, it might pay (in the meantime) to carry your passport. As in 'just happen to be carrying this, look'. Still, it's not exactly hard to get your scratchy test right, eh?

Wolf

19th May 2005, 15:27

Sadly, it doesn't work like that. I know because *sigh*
I work at LTSA and asked the lady in Overseas Compliance.
Oh, Jaz, and we thought you were such a nice girl... :D

*dons armoured gear*
Better be durned heavy armour.

Still, it's not exactly hard to get your scratchy test right, eh?
Apparently the boi racers manage it - or do they get daddy to pay $400 for a licence in addition to buying the Mazdabator for them?

Bit of a bugger tho', having to suddenly shell out for the tests earlier than expected - I hope Mrs Biff wasn't counting on flowers and a night out this week - not unless Biff earns a damn sight more than some of us here.

FROSTY

19th May 2005, 15:55

The official line is that as at 1999 you only have 12 months as of FIRST ENTRY into the country. even if ya only stayed 2 hours.

Biff

19th May 2005, 15:56

Wooohooooo!!

Thanks everyone for your advice.

I'm now hofficaly a fully legal NZ licence-totting driver.

I've just got back from the local AA office (miserable sods) after an hour of scratching car and bike test papers. I passed!

I'd like to thank my mother for making it possible for me to be here etc etc

SPORK

19th May 2005, 16:17

Excellent! So you're on ya learners now? :bleh:

Wanna lend me the bird?

Biff

19th May 2005, 16:27

Excellent! So you're on ya learners now? :bleh:

Wanna lend me the bird?

*cough*
*cough*
*cough*
*cough*
= 4 cough. :D

Incidently - one of the motorbike test questions I failed went something like:

If you come accross rough ground or a road with a loose metal (stone I guess) surface do you:

a. Drop a gear and accelerate
b. Carry on as normal
c. Dismount and push the bike
d. Brake hard

Now - excuse me for being a pleb - but under no circumstances, when riding a road going (as opposed to off road) motorbike, would I recommend either a or d. I was therefore very surprised to hear that the answer was a - drop a gear and accelerate..... and watch the back end of your bike slide out faster than I'd gladly give a portion of pork sausage to Kylie.

BM-GS

19th May 2005, 16:29

That "date of first entry" thing is a bit iffy, from an ethical point of view & practically.

I came here on holiday for Feb 2002, came back for interviews (& checking I wasn't about to drag the family across the planet on a rose-tinted memory) in May 2003 and moved properly in Aug 03. Was I flouting laws the minute I fired up the rental on the second trip? Nothing told me about a date of first entry, all the lit said about 12 months from date of entry, which I took to start from when I first arrived with the intention of living here.

Is there a reset after a year without setting foot in the country, or something? Otherwise it's a bit crap for business visitors, or people with rellies here. I must have ben illegal before I did my test in July though, if the May thing counted - pass me the handcuffs...

I suspect the secret lies in not getting nicked for anything, ever - though it'd be a very bored copper who's going to trawl through immigration records to find who landed when.

Maybe it's a new govt revenue-raiser: anyone who comes here must take & pass the test before they're allowed to enter the country again? Winston'll love it!

BMbloke

Ixion

19th May 2005, 16:31

*cough*
*cough*
*cough*
*cough*
= 4 cough. :D

Incidently - one of the motorbike test questions I failed went something like:

If you come accross rough ground or a road with a loose metal (stone I guess) surface, do you:

a. Drop a gear and accelerate
b. Carry on as normal
c. Dismount and push the bike
d. Brake hard

Now - excuse me for being a pleb - but under no circumstances, when riding a road going (as opposed to off road) motorbike would I recommend either a or d. I was therefore very surprised to hear that the answer was a - drop a gear and accelerate..... and watch the back end of your bike slide out faster than I'd gladly give a portion of pork sausage to Kylie.
\
Nah. Fistfulla fwottle. Never fails. You'll probably still crash but at least you'll get bonus points for style :niceone:

sAsLEX

19th May 2005, 16:42

\
Nah. Fistfulla fwottle. Never fails. You'll probably still crash but at least you'll get bonus points for style :niceone:

Like FF went he lost it in to a ditch, kept the throttle pinned untill it was certain he wouldn't regain it!

Hitcher

19th May 2005, 16:51

I really worry about recent immigrants with English as a second-language and poor comprehension skills...

inlinefour

19th May 2005, 16:51

Just get into it and get yer licience. It'll be much cheaper than getting busted dude. :msn-wink:

Skunk

19th May 2005, 16:53

Incidently - one of the motorbike test questions I failed went something like:

If you come accross rough ground or a road with a loose metal (stone I guess) surface, do you:

a. Drop a gear and accelerate
b. Carry on as normal
c. Dismount and push the bike
d. Brake hard

Now - excuse me for being a pleb - but under no circumstances, when riding a road going (as opposed to off road) motorbike would I recommend either a or d. I was therefore very surprised to hear that the answer was a - drop a gear and accelerate..... and watch the back end of your bike slide out faster than I'd gladly give a portion of pork sausage to Kylie.
Just so the newbies reading this get the idea... down a gear (to keep the bike in a useable power range) and GENTLY 'on' the power to keep the load off the front wheel (that means not slowing or braking, but not accelerating really neither). The idea is that with a light load on the front wheel it will not wash out. You steer more with your weight (which is possible on the road anyway).

Is that clear?

No?

OK then. Carry on.

White trash

19th May 2005, 16:55

And Ive gotta say, I'm fucken good at it

Ixion

19th May 2005, 16:56

I really worry about recent immigrants with English as a second-language and poor comprehension skills...

T'is OK. They can have a friend to translate for them. Said friends have NEVER been known to read the translation of the correct answer in a lower louder and clearer tone than the other answers. So that's all right then.

jazbug5

19th May 2005, 16:58

And Ive gotta say, I'm fucken good at it
...places, dates and, er- what was your address again..?

Ixion

19th May 2005, 16:59

And Ive gotta say, I'm fucken good at it

Mr White trash's model answer

Drop a few gears, pull a wheelie until the front wheel is on the far side of the gravel, then pull a stoppie until the back wheel's past the gravel. Neither front nor rear wheels actually encounter the gravel. Hence, no problem.

Wolf

19th May 2005, 17:01

*cough*
*cough*
*cough*
*cough*
= 4 cough. :D
:killingme :killingme :killingme :killingme

If you come accross rough ground or a road with a loose metal (stone I guess) surface, do you:

I bought a dictionary of archaic words (OK, I'm a geek, shut up people) - a reprint of an 1800's dictionary (they deemed these words archaic over a hundred years prior to the book being reprinted, OMG!) and I was reading it (yes, I know, we've established I'm a geek) and found the term "metal" describing gravel - and had a good chuckle because the word is in common use here, has been since the dawnatime(tm). In the UK, the term is considered archaic (was considered archaic in the nineteenth century, no less) if anyone has heard of it at all, but here, even kids know the term - no sign of it dying out...

jazbug5

19th May 2005, 17:01

T'is OK. They can have a friend to translate for them. Said friends have NEVER been known to read the translation of the correct answer in a lower louder and clearer tone than the other answers. So that's all right then.

I haveta say- seen it done when I went for my scratchy test. No supervision at all, just 'off you go to the corner with your mate and come back when you're finished'. I wished at the time I'd pretended to be a militant Gaelic speaker.
Couldn't BELIEVE it...! Stoopid system.

Waylander

19th May 2005, 17:02

Mr White trash's model answer

Drop a few gears, pull a wheelie until the front wheel is on the far side of the gravel, then pull a stoppie until the back wheel's past the gravel. Neither front nor rear wheels actually encounter the gravel. Hence, no problem.

That would be rather interesting to see actually.

crashe

19th May 2005, 17:14

19th May 2005, 17:21

Hey - not a chance will I end up in prison overnight. Have you seen this poster?
I want that poster

Ixion

19th May 2005, 17:26

:killingme :killingme :killingme :killingme

I bought a dictionary of archaic words (OK, I'm a geek, shut up people) - a reprint of an 1800's dictionary (they deemed these words archaic over a hundred years prior to the book being reprinted, OMG!) and I was reading it (yes, I know, we've established I'm a geek) and found the term "metal" describing gravel - and had a good chuckle because the word is in common use here, has been since the dawnatime(tm). In the UK, the term is considered archaic (was considered archaic in the nineteenth century, no less) if anyone has heard of it at all, but here, even kids know the term - no sign of it dying out...

[Envies interesting dictionary]. I was once interested enough to trace the etymology. T'is from the Medieval French metal metial, the actual stones used, from the Latin metallum, from the Greek metallon, a mine, quarry, or the produce (stones or ore) thereof [Yeh, yeh, non geeks exit left, nothing for you here. Now where were we ].

C18 the phrase was very common, many parish records making long and tetchy complaints about the "roading metals" - lack thereof, cost thereof, and carters stealing them as soon as they were spread (very common the latter. Could raise a good alderman to near apoplexy - especially when the cheeky sods turned with the "hot metal" and tried to sell it back to the parish)

I think it fell out of use with the coming of MacAdamisation.

Doesn't half confuse tourists though.

SPman

19th May 2005, 18:17

"MacAdamisation." - Macadam

Now theres an archaic word, if ever there was

Kickaha

19th May 2005, 19:02

If you come accross rough ground or a road with a loose metal (stone I guess) surface do you:

a. Drop a gear and accelerate
b. Carry on as normal
c. Dismount and push the bike
d. Brake hard

I'd choose option A,most softcock Blackbird riders probably wouldn't go near a shingle road though,but if you want some lessons I'll take you down a few :msn-wink:

Biff

19th May 2005, 19:16

Congratulation Biff in becoming all legal on our roads.
Well done. :niceone:

So now you have done it, does it mean you are on a Learners, restricted or Full license?????? This question is for both the bike and car.

Full licence for both. In fact - I now have a UK and NZ licence.
Hmmm - I wonder what kind of mischief can I get away with now????

I'd choose option A,most softcock Blackbird riders probably wouldn't go near a shingle road though,but if you want some lessons I'll take you down a few :msn-wink:

I was wondering when you'd churp up with a pearl of wisdom. And just for the record, I've done plenty of (involuntary) shingle riding on the bird thank you. Or maybe I was just riding behind the mighty XJ, and it what I mistook for shingle was actually bits of your bike - arse bandit. :D

Skyryder

19th May 2005, 20:32

*cough*
*cough*
*cough*
*cough*
= 4 cough. :D

Incidently - one of the motorbike test questions I failed went something like:

If you come accross rough ground or a road with a loose metal (stone I guess) surface do you:

a. Drop a gear and accelerate
b. Carry on as normal
c. Dismount and push the bike
d. Brake hard

Now - excuse me for being a pleb - but under no circumstances, when riding a road going (as opposed to off road) motorbike, would I recommend either a or d. I was therefore very surprised to hear that the answer was a - drop a gear and accelerate..... and watch the back end of your bike slide out faster than I'd gladly give a portion of pork sausage to Kylie.

Actually Biff if you think about it a. is the closest to the correct answer. If you carry on as normal there is every possibiity that you will slide out.

c. is rediculouse(sorry 'bout the spelling) and d. is just downright dangerouse.

By dropping down a cog you are getting more traction due to engine revs and on the gravel is you start sliding the best way out is through your throttle.

Skyryder

Kickaha

19th May 2005, 20:41

I was wondering when you'd churp up with a pearl of wisdom. And just for the record, I've done plenty of (involuntary) shingle riding on the bird thank you. Or maybe I was just riding behind the mighty XJ, and it what I mistook for shingle was actually bits of your bike - arse bandit. :D

At least I haven't crashed the XJ :msn-wink: not that you'd be able to tell the difference

How about a little ride on the weekend,I'll take you out through Lee's Valley it's a nice easy ride :niceone:

TonyB

19th May 2005, 20:55

Arse bandit:

How about a little ride on the weekend,I'll take you out through Lee's Valley it's a nice easy ride :niceone:
Jeeze Biff, you might have a point- he's just offered to take you up the old dirt road. Ew!

Biff

19th May 2005, 20:58

Actually Biff if you think about it a. is the closest to the correct answer. If you carry on as normal there is every possibiity that you will slide out.

c. is rediculouse(sorry 'bout the spelling) and d. is just downright dangerouse.

By dropping down a cog you are getting more traction due to engine revs and on the gravel is you start sliding the best way out is through your throttle.

Skyryder

Point taken.
I slow down and drop a gear, take my time, keeping a decent amount of torque at the back wheel, but never accelerate.

The wording "The drop a gear and accelerate" worried me, in that it may give the impression that you should drop a gear and increase speed quickly through the shingle, running the risk of letting the back end loose.

Jeeze Biff, you might have a point- he's just offered to take you up the old dirt road. Ew!

You've got a point there. Only the other day he said, "If you ever need a hand with your pipe......"

I did wonder as the Biff Bird has two....

Thanks Tony. Next time I'm around him and drop a $2 coin on the floor I'll leave it there.

$10 though and I'll take my chances.