Find Ancestors

No, jax, to get a licence you have to pass a test, even in the US. ;)

They also have problems with unlicensed / uninsured drivers. My parents were hit by one in Florida years ago. The cop issued a ticket and off she drove.

My father was aghast. You're letting her drive away?? Nothing he could do about it, shrugged the cop.

Well whats most shocking about all this is that Jonesey and Cyns are still driving at their age...

I think once you get to their age you should have your licence removed and cut up into little bits!

I have wondered when we see the American shows over here when the rich parents buy a brand spanking new car for their 16 year old kid and off they go...can they pass a test before their birthday then?

ja...x

Ah, don't believe everything you see on US teevee. ;)

When I was 16 I had a notion I might get a car for Christmas. I'd read too many USAmerican books. ;)

My mum got a used station wagon from my dad that year. I got the driver training manual.

I didn't actually get a driver's licence until I was 27, and then only because I was tired of not being able to pay for things by cheque because I didn't have photo ID. Even though I was a lawyer.

Didn't get a car til I was in my 30s.

You would really be surprised to see the parking lots at high schools in the US, though. I think when I was in high school in the 60s I knew one person who had a car. In the states, they all seemed to. In the US, there's just no public transit outside the major urban cores, and also they're just self-indulgent.

It's quite uncommon for teenagers to have cars here in Canada still, at least in cities.

No.1 grew up in Toronto and lived in Toronto and Montreal as an adult, and never even got a driver's licence.

Hello 'Wall'


Come out where ever you are

You can orf some people y'know Gins.


I love driving....just as well really as I am forever ferrying my lot around!


Jonesey may have slight seniority over me though.....:)

You may love driving but what about the others on the road? See lots of accidents in your rear view mirror!

ginny


this little ole lady passed her old age Spanish Driving Test in May last year

gaining 8 out of 9 points ---------OH only got 7 out of 9 --he passed too


Renes

My mum passed her age-80 test last year with flying colours!

And she's just as much a tail-gater as she always was. ;)

Mine has lapsed, what with the eye surgeries and all. If I want it back, I'll have to do at least a vision test, and possibly a road test, I haven't checked. And my insurance will likely go back to "beginner" level.

I only hope I won't have to start with the graduated licence thing!

Did you need to take another test on top of your UK one when you got to Spain Renes?

Or do you mean you oldies have to keep taking the test ;)

Oooh JC thats not good...you lose all your NCD then?

Hi all
xxxx



cloudy here today



s
xx

JC

Us Brits have always been able to live 365 days a year in Spain --- WT had OH family living here over 110 years ago --- in Barcelona

Until EU we could not buy property unless you had a Spanish sponser -- but normally the Estate Agent acted --- when selling you the house

Even in Francos reign --- Tourists money was wanted

Spain has also welcomed British Tourists --- good old Benidorm is one of the richest Coastal Towns in Spain and has been for over 50 years --- the Brits flocked there .. and spent the cash ---

Grandma is eighty-eight years old and still drives her own car. She writes:

Dear Grand-daughter,

The other day I went up to our local Christian book store and saw a

'Honk if you love Jesus ' bumper sticker ..

I was feeling particularly sassy that day because I had just come from
a thrilling choir performance, followed by a thunderous prayer meeting.
So, I bought the sticker and put it on my bumper.

Boy, am I glad I did; what an uplifting experience that followed..

I was stopped at a red light at a busy intersection, just lost in
thought about the Lord and how good he is, and I didn't notice that the
light had changed. It is a good thing someone else loves Jesus because if he hadn't honked, I'd never have noticed.

I found that lots of people love Jesus !

While I was sitting there, the guy behind started honking like crazy, and then he leaned out of his window and screamed, 'For the love of God!'
'Go! Go! Go! Jesus Christ , GO!'

What an exuberant cheerleader he was for Jesus !

Everyone started honking! I just leaned out my window and started waving and smiling at all those loving people. I even honked my horn a few times to share in the love!

There must have been a man from Florida back there because I heard him yelling something about a sunny beach. I saw another guy waving in a funny way with only his middle finger stuck up in the air.

I asked my young teenage grandson in the back seat what that meant. He said it was probably a Hawaiian good luck sign or something.

Well, I have never met anyone from Hawaii , so I leaned out the window and gave him the good luck sign right back.

My grandson burst out laughing. Why even he was enjoying this religious experience!!

A couple of the people were so caught up in the joy of the moment that they got out of their cars and started walking towards me. I bet they wanted to pray or ask what church I attended, but this is when I noticed the light had changed. So, grinning, I waved at all my brothers and sisters, and drove on through the intersection.

I noticed that I was the only car that got through the intersection before the light changed again and felt kind of sad that I had to leave them after all the love we had shared. So I slowed the car down, leaned out the window and gave them all the Hawaiian good luck sign one last time as I drove away. Praise the Lord for such wonderful folks!!

Will write again soon,

Love, Grandma

I only have a three year licence with one year left so I need to get some sort of adaption maybe left foot accelorator to stop d**k h**d of GP saying I cant drive anymore

ja...x

Ginny


Our British Licences expired in August last year and they cannot be renewed legally in UK as we are Spanish Residents ---although some do buy giving out families addresses --- but they can now check ER and catch most of them

So we changed to Spanish Licences and surrendered our UK ones -- before they expired ---you can only do this whilst the UK Driving licences are in date

It is a real paperwork mountain -- as everything is double triple quadruple checked to ensure that you are not a banned driver in one EU state and changing it in another ---- for a valid one

Also if you are a resident and have to have points on the Guardia contact DLVA -- and notify points --- ( say for holiday makers ) but if you are found to be resident --- the Guardia fine you for not notifying them of your residencia

So we changed -----------I have a year to change back when we return to UK ----

Palaver over bits of paper

I don't drive, never have



but we pay insurance on the car here .............. our car is licensed for one regular dirver plus occasional use by a driver over 25, either sex.

In BC, we have a provincially-run insurance company (ICBC) from which you have to buy a basic 3rd party insurance. You can purchase extended Optional insurance either from ICBC or any other private insurance company.

The absolutely minimum coverage that you have to have is 3rd party ........ last year we paid $826 to ICBC (or about £400). We then take out further coverage from a private company


Basic Autoplan coverage includes up to $150,000 for medical expenses and rehabilitation costs, and up to $200,000 for damages claimed by other drivers. Premiums vary depending on a number of factors, which may include: claims history and type of insurance you have; what the vehicle is used for; where it is located when it is not being driven (the garaging address), or, in the case of most commercial vehicles, where it is driven.

Using a vehicle to drive to work is different from using it for business. ICBC charges different rates accordingly. There are more than 150 different rate classes to cover all the different ways B.C. drivers use their vehicles.

The type of vehicle does not affect the cost of Basic coverage. It does however, affect the cost of any optional vehicle coverage, such as Collision or Comprehensive. If a vehicle costs a lot to repair or replace, it will cost more to insure.


The cost of optional insurance varies depending on the options chosen.

It can include:- Topping up the Basic Autoplan with: up to between $200,000 and $5 million in Extended Third-Party Liability; and up to $2 million in Excess Underinsured Motorist Protection. Optional extra coverages for the vehicle include: Collision — to repair the vehicle, even if the crash was your fault; Comprehensive — if thevehicle is stolen or vandalized coverage for new vehicles


I don't have the amount that we pay for Optional coverage (we renew over the phone by credit card), but I know we have a minimum $2 million extended 3rd party liablity.



we think it is pretty good coverage!




s
xxx

Ooooh Jonesey.....loved that one........still smiling!

Nice one Jonesey...I think I must follow god too!


Renes thats interesting as is all the stuff we learn from each other from all over the globe....

Expire? Hmmm...so does mine expire too, I passed my test in 1986 in Herne Bay

For those who enjoyed grandma's missive:

Working people frequently ask retired people what they do to make their days interesting. Well, for example, the other day, my wife and I went into town and visited a shop.

When we came out, there was a traffic warden writing out a parking ticket.

We went up to him and I said, 'Come on, man, how about giving a senior citizen a break?'

He ignored us and continued writing the ticket.

I called him an "a--hole" . He glared at me and started writing another ticket for having a worn tyre.

So my wife called him a "s--t head". He finished the second ticket and put it on the windshield with the first.

Then he started writing more tickets. This went on for about 20 minutes.

The more we abused him, the more tickets he wrote.

Just then our bus arrived, and we got on it and went home.

We try to have a little fun each day now that we're retired. It's important at our age.