Life In Goa

Re-registration of a motorbike

I climb up the stairs to the RTO(Regional Trasport Office.) There is a long serpentine queue leading to the enquiry window. I open Leo Tolstoy’s War and peace and look absorbed. My turn comes. The RTO officer looks at me suspiciously. He grunts.
I say “Good morning! I have to transfer my Bullet motor bike from Bombay to Goa, what is the procedure?”
“Get RTO clearance from Bombay on prescribed NOC form and bring here NEXT.”
He says all this in one breath! “Hold on,” I say pulling out the transfer NOC, my face beaming. God I’m smart I think to myself ! He takes the form, takes his portion of the form and says “Come back after 15 days NEXT.” I am confused
“Why do I have to come back?”
He looks at me like I am half-witted “we have to get a verification from Bombay RTO that this transfer form is genuine NEXT”.
“But it is” I plead “see here’s the rubber stamp of the RTO office.”
He looks at me long, (like the hardened criminal I am!) “how do we know this is not a forged document NEXT?”
He definitely had a point there. Maybe he was a fiercely spiritual man with roots deep into Vedic philosophy.
“We will send a request to Bombay RTO by registered letter and wait for their confirmation NEXT” he clarified.

I leave wondering why I had to get a RTO clearance from Bombay if the RTO office in Goa does not accept it at face value. I return after 2 weeks.

Now a small man at a different window attends to me. I carry a very small receipt.
“Has the RTO clearance come?” I ask expectantly. He checks the ledger “No NEXT”
“Wait a minute,” I say. “When is it expected then?”
“Can’t say NEXT” is the clear response.
“Suppose it never comes?” I ask imagining the worst.
“Then give indemnity letter to RTO and we will issue you Goa registration NEXT”
I decide to tackle this at the highest level. I go into the office.
I look in. There is no one there. I step out and ask at the enquiry counter “where is Patrao?”
“Out, NEXT” is the unambiguous reply.
“Why was I asked to get an NOC from Bombay RTO when your office does not accept it?” I asked, deciding to attack the next best man.
“We have to be careful, lots of people are forging documents after having accidents.”
“So how do I get a Goa registration…?”
“Go to a lawyer, indemnify the RTO against any responsibility from a stolen vehicle, accident or any criminal act associated with your vehicle and we will issue you a new registration NEXT”
I am happy to say it took me almost 8 months waiting for the Bombay RTO to verify its own NOC to transfer my vehicle. It never came. So I did do the indemnity thing and finally got a Goa license plate.
A month later I met a friend with a similar bike with a Maharashtra State license plate. “Why don’t you transfer your registration to Goa?” I ask
“What and pay a one time road tax again and wait for transfer papers that never come and finally go to a lawyer and pay for an indemnity bond…I have better things to do my friend!”

Moral: If you want to be honest you should have a lot of time and patience!

PS: My BulBul is doing fine. He has developed a liking for empty cigarette packs. I think he likes to read the health warnings!

Cedric Serpes has given up riding a Bullet. He realized that it was not the Bullet that was heavy but that his muscles were getting weak! Anything else you may have heard is a rumor!