Getting a Tanzanian License

So, I set out to get a drivers license. I was really worried that it would take forever. I talked to Terry and she said that it was a huge hassle and it took her five days. She had to go to one office on one end of town and then pay for a license book. Then she had to go to the government hospital on the other side of town and pay to see the eye doctor. Of course, then she had to go back to the office on the other side of town and pay the license guy, but he was not in. Tanzania is so corrupt that in any office there is only one guy you can give money to otherwise the others would more then likely just pocket your money or they charge much more then they should. Then a couple days later she had to go to the police station so that a head traffic cop could sign off on her license.
Well, I decided to use this corruption to my advantage. I talked to my friend Alfred who is really well known in Iringa and he has a lot of connections. So, on Monday he agreed to take me to get a license. Me being the casual air head that I am I forgot to bring my glasses for the eye exam. I told Alfred and he said no problem. I was really nervous. I did feel a little good though. I had the feeling that today I would be like every other Tanzanian and bend the rules to get my way. Finally I would have the resources to avoid the normal problems that you have to deal with being white in Tanzania. Of course people want you to pay more for things because they think all white people are rich. They also usually jerk their chain a lot and make white people jump through more hoops then they would a Tanzanian.
Alfred and I went to the office on one side of town. We talked to the tax guy right away and he told us that we would need to go to get a passport picture and get an eye exam and come back. We got my passport picture and headed to the government hospital. I don’t know what Alfred said to the receptionist, but I got to see the nurse right away. Then Alfred worked his magic once again and the nurse didn’t even give me an eye exam. Then we made our way back to the office. He made me the license. Everything was going so smoothly and I was amazed. I was finally getting the same treatment a local would get. It felt so great! Our last step was to go to the police station and get my license signed. We headed over there.
We entered his office and he looked at my incomplete Tanzanian license, my Minnesota license, my passport, and all the other paperwork I had. He looks up at me and says “where is your international license?” I was like he has to be joking!! If I had an international license I wouldn’t need a Tanzanian license!!! He agued with Alfred for about a half an hour. He didn’t know what a Class D license was for. I told him that in the U.S. I can drive cars and trucks, but not big trucks or busses. Then he saw that under other endorsements it says firearm. I think that he thought that that meant that in the U.S. I can drive around with a gun and shoot things. (OH MAN!) I don’t understand a lot of Kiswahili, but I could definitely tell that he was being really rude and crabby. He told us to come back the next morning.
After we left Alfred explained to me that this guy wanted me to pay 50,000tsh about 47 USD to take driving classes, but this guy owns the company that gives these lessons. There is just one example of the corruption. On our way back we ran into one of the big potatoes (important person) at the police station. He said that if this guy didn’t give me a license we would talk to his superior about the situation and that I would be guaranteed a license by the next day.
The next day I could not continue on this adventure because I had class really early. Alfred went in to town for me and tried to get the license signed. Again they told him that he would have to pay them off. He said no. Then they told him to bring me back the next day. The next day I got to continue on this wonderful adventure of corruption.
We set out and first went to the tax office on the other side of town. They said that we would need to make some copies of the paper work that we had been given. That meant that Alfred and I would have to go to the main street and make copies. Ya, they don’t have any copy machines in most offices and why would they waste their ink and paper on you when you could spend your own money to pay for copies. Then we went back to the tax office he made me a new license and then I had to pay for a new license book. Don’t ask why. I don’t know. Then we set out to the police station. I sat there waiting for about a half an hour waiting for someone to help me. The office was empty. FINALLY when he came he signed my drivers license, no questions asked. Now, it is legal for me to drive in Tanzania for the next three years. Tumaini has agreed to borrow me a vehicle over Christmas break. Petty much I went through all of that so that I can drive for a week when Lindsey is here.
I can’t believe the hassle though! People are crazy behind the wheel here. I drive better than most of them on any given day. Linds and I will use the car to travel around town and other places close to town. It’s not really safe for us to go long distances by ourselves. The only thing that makes me nervous is driving on the wrong side of the road. It should be interesting! Lol :-)