Taking a break from our missionary testimonies for at least one post for an update on our vehicle situation.
As you may recall we nationalized our vehicle at the border on January 9th. This process creates an import paper trail, but leaves the vehicle without license plates and still considered a foreign vehicle. We had a few days allowed for getting home and getting to the local license plate office in order to receive our state license plates and then would need to drive to an emissions testing location to receive the legal inspection and stickers that apply to that.
When we went to get the plates on January 14th we were told that we would have to wait for 30 working days in order to accommodate a random paperwork check. In order to continue driving we would need to go to a transportation office where a 30 calendar day permission could be obtained (for a price). We did that. Unfortunately, the 30 calendar days ran to February 12 and the 30 working days ran to February 24. However, the temporary liability insurance ran for 30 days from January 9th.
So, on February 8th the insurance ran out and we parked the van. A few days later we discovered that we could get another 30 day permission to drive, but when we called around to try to renew the temporary insurance, we were told it would be impossible to get liability insurance on the van since the original temporary insurance had already expired! So, the van remained parked and we didn’t bother attempting to get a new 30 day permission for driving.
The last two weeks we called to check on the status of the plates, and each time they said to call back in a week. Today, Bethie called and the phone lines weren’t working on the other end. She called a couple hours later and the phone lines were working AND they said that the plates were approved and ready for us to obtain!
Not having a permission paper to drive the van, I decided to go and pay the $159 pesos (about $14 USD) in order to at least eliminate some risk of that 3 mile drive over to the office where the plates are and where they will physically inspect the van (matching VIN numbers from the van to the paperwork).
Since the office for the license plate was to close in less than an hour from that point and the driving permission place was in the opposite direction, we gave up the hope of getting plates today. At the permission office, they contradicted what I was clearly told at the plates office a couple weeks ago. No, I can’t have another permission. Oh.
“Well, I have to drive the van over to the plates office and I won’t have any legal permission to drive it?”
“How far is it the plates’ office from you?”
“Oh…just a few kilometers.”
“It’ll be fine. You can explain that you are going to get the plates because they’re now ready.” (in the chance that I get stopped by police on the way there…she almost laughed to say it…no Mexican would ask this question apparently…they would just drive over there with no plates or permission without a 2nd thought)
So, Tuesday we have a Geometry class in QRO and I have an early test-taker to proctor and there’s also a Biology lab with another dissection, so it’ll have to wait until Wednesday.
“It ain’t over ’til it’s over.” But I think I hear someone singing opera.
Knowing Your ABCDs 