Waikato Times letter of the week #92

 From the edition of Saturday 22 August. As always, spelling, punctuation, grammar and logic are exactly as printed in the Waikato Times.

Driver licensing

Some readers may recall when the (now) Dame Shipley reneged on the permanent NZ Driver’s Licence paper one being changed to plastic with driver photo.

Part of the changeover involved being told to look into a hooded telescope and asked to alert what they viewed.

It seemed you were supposed to pick up on flashes of light coming from all directions.

Many took it as faulty equipment, as you do with new gear and failed to pick up on what was wanted.

This resulted in huge numbers being referred to opticians, who made a financial killing in fees, before being declared OK and fit for licence.

Now the LTSA seem determined to deny licence renewals for the over 75s.

They may pass the standard medical, blood pressure, eyesight and answer yes to the usual range of medical requirements but the new factor is the demand to visit the family doctor yet again and have a psychiatric confirmation. The latter will relieve your back pocket of up to $700.  

I am reminded of when in the 1960s I flatted in Lower Hutt during the 6 o’clock closed Sundays pub days.

Sunday flagons were the order of the day and the group of flatters next door and our group combined. A convivial pint or two did cause some arguments to arise between neighbours and one of our team, quarrelling with Reggie next door, asserted . . . ‘You are mad you bugger’.

Whereon, said Reggie pulled out a psychiatric report which declared him sane and Reggie then demanded of us all ‘where was our sane document’?

A R Baker, Morrinsville