Licence to Drive

I asked on Tuesday night what it takes to get a licence to drive. The answer: “Oh, just give Mzee Januari two passport photos, your present licence, and 10,000 shillings (about $1.50 USD) and you’re set.” I was worried I had to surrender my California licence. “Oh, no – they just want to know that you’ve driven before.” So I gave Mzee Januari (Mzee is a term of respect for an older person; Januari is a factotum who has been a long time collaborator of the Jesuits here).

This is another thing to like about this country! No DMV!

My asking about a licence opened up the conversation to traffic laws and traffic police. Many of the tales had to do with being stopped by the police and entering into a conversation such that the officer forgets why he/she originally had you pull over (they stand on the side of the road and motion you to the shoulder). One of my companions mentioned being pulled over because he was not buckled up. I said, “But the daladalas have no seatbelts, and they drive so carelessly. Why aren’t they pulled over?” “Oh, because they’ve already paid in advance.” Foolish me.

This is what a driving licence (notice, folks, that I'm trying hard to use British spelling conventions) looks like (It's a little red book -- no Maoist aphorisms, though):