What NOT to do in Ontario, Canada

Ah Canada, beautiful Canada, home of stunning scenery and exceptional hosts....and the MTO of Ontario!
For those not in the know about what the MTO is, it's the Ontario Ministry of Transportation.

Now anyone who has a car licence will THINK that they know the horrors of what lays ahead in this tale of institutional ignorance - rest assured I believe that I can take you to new lows.

Let us start at the beginning.
ROUND 1
The Australian mob aka 'The Jenkinsons' arrive in Thunder Bay Ontario on Saturday January 23rd. We are innocent to the pettiness of the MTO and its front Drive Test. This latter organisation is a privately operated group that processes all driving licencing in Ontario. As private operators, the SERCO owners must turn a profit. How do you MAKE money when you are operating a government service? Pay your staff peanuts. We have all heard the saying that when you pay peanuts you get monkeys working for you. Drive Test is the epitome of that saying. Staff are incapable of making a decision other than NO. I think that this video was made after a visit to our local Drive Test office to get a reciprocal licence.


Let me explain why I rant ad nauseum about this issue. You will recall that we arrived on January 23rd - on February 19th Jill and I excitedly entered the office to show our 'Letters of Authority' which are required in Ontario for any Australian driver to gain an Ontario licence. We had previously tried to explain to the trained monkey behind the counter that our scanned copy of the original included a signed note from the issuer to explain that an original was due soon -"Not good enough, we need the original", was the response.

The conversation then proceeded something like this:
Ian: Can can you please ring someone and see if a scan of the original with the original is due soon will be OK?
Trained Monkey (TM): I will ring some one and ask.
Ian: Thank you. Please explain that it is NOT just an email but a scanned document with a signature and explanation.
TM: [silence] Performing said task.
TM: [Over telephone] - various pleasantries exchanged - no mention of peanuts- then...I have an email of a letter of Authority from Australia (pause) yes it's an email (listens)
Ian: [loudly interjecting from across counter] It's NOT just an email it is a scanned document with the original signature and a qualifying note to explain the original is coming soon!"
TM: [valiantly ignoring the facts] Yes that's right an email (pause)that's what I thought - more pleasantries exchanged and hangs up.
TM: No I was told that we cannot accept this - it MUST be the original.
Ian: But you didn't tell them the whole truth! You said that it is an email and it is actually a scanned document there is a difference, but you didn't tell them that! (voice level but tainted with indignation)
TM: [response - silence] Trained monkey reverts to best defence and stares at unreasonable customer.
ROUND 2
Triumphantly we return to the Drive Test office with our ORIGINAL letters of authority including the ORIGINAL envelope (as requested, one unopened just in case THAT matters too!)
Proudly I show my slip of ORIGINAL paper, along with my passport and drivers licence (I had a DNA sample in reserve in case that was also required) - the licence would only be minutes away now wouldn't it?

Well NO actually.

Our trained monkey had found an anomaly that could only mean the certain downfall of the entire Canadian system of government if allowed to proceed - the letter C was NOT on my drivers licence, BUT it was on the letter of authority!!!!
Through gritted teeth I explained, after Jill showed me where the class explanations were, that this was because I have a bus licence which is shown as LR and therefore it incorporates the C coded licence. Therefore LR means that a C licence is included, but SA being what it is the C is not written on updated licences for drivers who have a LR licence.
The analogy that an equally dumbfounded Canadian friend used was that of being a Principal of a school. In that situation you do not need to show that you are also a teacher as you had to be one before you could become a Principal. You cannot get a bus licence unless you have a car licence!

This is where the trained monkey role comes into play again. "I will have to contact 'The Hotline' about this. More trained monkeys getting more peanuts later and still nobody can make the decision to give us an Ontario licence because of the missing letter C on the drivers licences!!!

The rear of the letter of authority states:

C Any motor vehicle with a GVM not exceeding 4.5 tonnes (except a bus designed to carry more than 12 seated persons and a motor bike or motor trike).

LR Any motor vehicle in class C and any other motor vehicle with a GVM not exceeding 8 tonnes (except a motor bike or motor trike).

Even after reading and faxing copies of the relevant documents, there is not a monkey being paid enough peanuts to say, well hey this means that they CAN drive a car in Australia - we can give then the Ontario version.

Why all the fuss about wanting an Ontario licence?
In Ontario you cannot register a car without getting insurance at the same time. You cannot get insurance without an Ontario drivers licence!

We can of course RENT a vehicle at $450+ CAD per week!