Crappy Driving Licences

Jimbo

Is it just me or are Irish driving licences really crappy. I mean I've had mine for 2 or 3 years and it's abosolutley in tatters. Granted, it has been through the wash a few times but they should be more durable than this. Why can't we have laminated card-type licences like most other countries?
UK:


US:

MCMLXXXIII

Those are some olllllllllddddddddd licenses...look at those dates! I know most of the newer ones are even more advanced. Anyway, it costs more to make the better ones. Even though it might be a small amount, multiply that by millions of drivers and it gets expensive. That, and politicians don't want to look bad by raising a fee to pay for the better licenses. The reason the US licenses became more durable (with bar codes and magnetic strips as well) is because everyone was "scared" that an old ID (paper that is laminated) is too easy to make-your-own-fake and that people were driving, smoking, drinking, etc., on fake IDs. Using that scare tactic made it okay and everyone voted to pay a little extra for the upgraded licenses.

Run_to_da_hills

Count yourself lucky with your crappy paper licence, I go through at least one a year, either get washed or just fall apart in my bike jacket.

Ireland will soon follow the USA and the rest of the world with their nice shiny compatible smart card driver license / ID cards containing RFID technology. It will pinpoint your movements and tell the cops exactly what you had for breakfast and can also be read at a distance from inside your pocket!!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFID

alias no.9

If you've changed address since it was issued, you can get a free replacement.

L1011

Mine is shoved in to the map pocket on the sunvisor and its still getting worn just from taking it out at checkpoints (driving huge distances at night does mean I get checked about twice a week during the "drinking season" tho). The plastic wrapper is starting to get torn, and the paper crumpled.

Wishbone Ash

MCMLXXXIII wrote: »

Those are some olllllllllddddddddd licenses...look at those dates!

1996 and 2000!

Yea really 'ollllllllddddddddd'. :rolleyes:

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Ciaran500

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

Ireland will soon follow the USA and the rest of the world with their nice shiny compatible smart card driver license / ID cards containing RFID technology. It will pinpoint your movements and tell the cops exactly what you had for breakfast and can also be read at a distance from inside your pocket!!! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RFID

Don't start, you have a thread in the Christianity forum to rant about this.

Guy:Incognito

Ive had mine since Aug 99 and its fine. Been inmy wallet the whole time and spent the night in the garden in the rain once too (the licence, not me)

Tropheus

The Irish licenses aren't great, but it's not so long since they were hand written (10-15 years ago?). I remember handing in the hand written version when hiring cars and seeing the clerk sneering behind the desk.

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

slogue

The nice credit card uk licences look fine and are a handy size however
if you want to hire a car you still need to take the letter that came attached with the licence as it contains any endorsements you have got
If you don't have the letter most hire companies will not accept just the card

So not an ideal solution either

Zapho

I agree, its a pain in the ass carrying around an wallet unfriendly licence that in only contains a very small amount of information and is simple to forge. I have to carry it around considering I'm not always driving the same car. The least the government could do now that we have to have it with us at all times in a vechile is make it handy to carry it.

Saruman

When i go to the US, i use my drivers license for ID at bars etc. I had one guy examine it once, laugh and say "I could make this!"
I just said, "im sure you could, but would you bother?" He let me in no problem at least.. it was funny though.

craichoe

Exactly the same as the old Dutch and German ones, none of the cops on the continent will find it strange

And they are quite hard to fake, almost as hard to fake as money.

Jimbo

How do you go about getting one replaced?
Is it just the standard renewal form you use?
Will they replace it just because it's tattered?

Rory123

When those new licences come out do we all have to get hairstyles like the 2 guys in the op's samples? They are 2 hip an' happenin' dudes!

Jimbo

Rory123 wrote: »

When those new licences come out do we all have to get hairstyles like the 2 guys in the op's samples? They are 2 hip an' happenin' dudes!

Hey! Watch it.
That first one is me

Wishbone Ash

jimbo78 wrote: »

How do you go about getting one replaced?
Is it just the standard renewal form you use?
Will they replace it just because it's tattered?

Form D800 signed and stamped by a garda plus two pics plus €5.

Rory123

jimbo78 wrote: »

Hey! Watch it.
That first one is me

Howcome your signature is "A Sample"?!

Alun

craichoe wrote: »

Exactly the same as the old Dutch and German ones, none of the cops on the continent will find it strange

Exactly. My wife recently had to exchange her Dutch licence for an Irish one, and there doesn't seem to be any significant difference in quality. I don't see the problem really.

Jimbo

Rory123 wrote: »

Howcome your signature is "A Sample"?!

First you offend the way I look, then my name :eek:

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Form D800 signed and stamped by a garda plus two pics plus €5.

Cheers for that. Didn't think about getting it stamped by a Garda. More trouble than I thought

Wishbone Ash

jimbo78 wrote: »

Didn't think about getting it stamped by a Garda. More trouble than I thought

Strictly speaking that process is for lost, stolen or destroyed licences.

Some people 'lose' their licence when it is in tatters and get a new one but I've oftened wondered if they will replace it free of charge if a tattered one is presented!

promethius

The nice credit card uk licences look fine and are a handy size however
if you want to hire a car you still need to take the letter that came attached with the licence as it contains any endorsements you have got
If you don't have the letter most hire companies will not accept just the card

So not an ideal solution either

Does this apply to UK license only? I’ve rented cars in Ireland a couple of times with a US license without the need for anything else besides the license itself. Irish one's a joke, never fails to get a disbelieving look when i produce it anywhere outside ireland!

Guy:Incognito

promethius wrote: »

Does this apply to UK license only? I’ve rented cars in Ireland a couple of times with a US license without the need for anything else besides the license itself. Irish one's a joke, never fails to get a disbelieving look when i produce it anywhere outside ireland!

I've never had anyone react in a negative way at all. I've rented in Germany and Greece and no one batted an eylid.

L1011

Germany used to have an absolutely identical licence - its the former EU recommended standard that very few countries took.

promethius

I've never had anyone react in a negative way at all. I've rented in Germany and Greece and no one batted an eylid.

I should have said this experience was mostly outside europe, particularly in the US.

spuddy

The French licence is nearly the same as ours too (except theirs don't ever expire)