Driving License Discrimination

VitalyT

My 10-year driving license has just expired, and I'm about to apply for a new one. I am looking at the application and can't believe the same nonsense in the application as 10 years ago...

The item that says "Country of birth". First off, why on earth would gardai care in which country I was born? I've been living in Ireland most of my life, and am an Irish citizen. I was really pissed that for the last 10 years while I had my previous license whenever I garda checked my license he would go on about "oh, you are from that country,...so what are you doing in Ireland?" type of crap, I can barely hold the steam...

Believe it when I say, not only Irish turn blind eye on discrimination towards foreigners, but they don't mind even discriminating their own citizens in a manner that I just described.

Now I'm looking at this stupid application once again, and tempted to write in "Ireland", even though it is not correct, just to avoid the moronic questions from gardai.

Did anybody face this thing before? Will they turn my application back?

This is just so wrong...

colm_mcm

How is it discrimination, dont they ask Irish people what country they were born in?

Duggys Housemate

The Licence is an ID, and like a passport wants to know your place of birth. And age. And so on.

VitalyT

colm_mcm wrote: »

How is it discrimination, dont they ask Irish people what country they were born in?

No, they look at "country of birth" in your license before they start asking questions. And if it says anything other than Ireland, they start harassing you to explain what is it that you are doing in Ireland.

I've had to go through this ever since I had my first license many years ago. I hoped this would have gotten fixed by now, but hey, not so fast...

colm_mcm

Is that not discrimination on the part of the person hassling you then ?

Marcin_diy

would you believe, that in Poland you even have to put information, what city you were born in? This is discrimination !!!

* lol seriously, i don't get your point..

VitalyT

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

...and so on.

- I don't think so. There is privacy matter that limits excessive prying from whoever it might be. In this case a garda has no business knowing where you were born, the country of your citizenship is utterly sufficient information for them.

Stheno

I dealt with a tender in work recently where (and this was an EU tender) they asked for age, gender, and nationality of proposed staff

Why does it bother you? Isn't it better to have a database of knowing how many licences are issued to nationals and non nationals? And even if you have citizenship, country of birth could be used for lots of different reasons.

I've duel citizenship, I've come across this loads of times.

VitalyT

Marcin_diy wrote: »

would you believe, that in Poland you even have to put information, what city you were born in? This is discrimination !!!

* lol seriously, i don't get your point..

I'm sure there is a bigger ####hole place where people get shot before they get to leave their car, my concern is about Ireland, in which I for some reason have to explain every garda that I am not an illegal person here, in my own home country.

If you still don't get it, that's just sad...

Jimdagym

VitalyT wrote: »

I'm sure there is a bigger ####hole place where people get shot before they get to leave their car, my concern is about Ireland, in which I for some reason have to explain every garda that I am not an illegal person here, in my own home country.

If you still don't get it, that's just sad...

Surely if you were illegally in the country you wouldnt have an Irish licence???

Marcusm

VitalyT wrote: »

I'm sure there is a bigger ####hole place where people get shot before they get to leave their car, my concern is about Ireland, in which I for some reason have to explain every garda that I am not an illegal person here, in my own home country.

If you still don't get it, that's just sad...

Chill out!! It's fairly standard across lots if countries,my UK licence has my place of birth (Dublin) on it. I assume Ronan O'Gara's says "San Diego". If you have an issue it's with the person reading your licence not the licensing authorities.

Shane Fitz

VitalyT wrote: »

My 10-year driving license has just expired, and I'm about to apply for a new one......

.. Am I reading this right? You have no licence at the moment?

Am I right in thinking that if you let a licence lapse before you renew it you'd have to re-do the test again?

bill buchanan

It seems excessive, and you'll find there's no good reason for it.

Sadly, you just have to deal with it. We're not known for a particularly frinedly police service, but they're not much more pleasant to those of us who are from ireland!

Alanstrainor

Shane Fitz wrote: »

.. Am I reading this right? You have no licence at the moment?

Am I right in thinking that if you let a licence lapse before you renew it you'd have to re-do the test again?

Jaysis, you were very quick to get the pitch fork out there!

You have 10 years to renew your license once it expires.

Jimbob 83

Discimination Boss !!!

familystand

If you hold a Full Licence and it goes out of date by more than 10 years you must resit your driving test and do a theory test and get a Learner permit to sit the test.

colm_mcm

Nothing for the OP to worry about till 2022 so...

Shane Fitz

Alanstrainor wrote: »

Shane Fitz wrote: »

.. Am I reading this right? You have no licence at the moment?

Am I right in thinking that if you let a licence lapse before you renew it you'd have to re-do the test again?

Jaysis, you were very quick to get the pitch fork out there!

You have 10 years to renew your license once it expires.

Pitch forks?? Give over.
So I get my licence, it's for 10 years. And once it lapses I've a further 10 years before I have to renew??

Jimbob 83

No the day your license goes out you are no longer legal to drive, but you can apply to get a new one over the counter within 10 years of its expiry, after that it's a resit of the test.

Also these questions/rules have always applied so get over it and im sure they would have been checked in any country to do a backround check incase someone is flagged as a banned driver or someone with convictions

Bohrio

I dont really see whats the big deal, I had the same "problem" in my previous country, the license/passport says I am born in Uruguay but I have a spanish password, same as a Spanish drivers license and Id. Same with my Irish driver license. It is an Id, I think, although for ex, in Spain, it isnt used as such neither accepted by the police not even by a shopping center to confirm you are the credit card owner.

In my 38 years I have never been called or suspected to be an ilegal citizen.

Please dont get me wrong but I dont see why you are so upset about... but that's just my opinion. Who else if not the garda should be able to check details such as the country were you were born, age, etc...

ResearchWill

VitalyT wrote: »

My 10-year driving license has just expired, and I'm about to apply for a new one. I am looking at the application and can't believe the same nonsense in the application as 10 years ago...

The item that says "Country of birth". First off, why on earth would gardai care in which country I was born? I've been living in Ireland most of my life, and am an Irish citizen. I was really pissed that for the last 10 years while I had my previous license whenever I garda checked my license he would go on about "oh, you are from that country,...so what are you doing in Ireland?" type of crap, I can barely hold the steam...

Believe it when I say, not only Irish turn blind eye on discrimination towards foreigners, but they don't mind even discriminating their own citizens in a manner that I just described.

Now I'm looking at this stupid application once again, and tempted to write in "Ireland", even though it is not correct, just to avoid the moronic questions from gardai.

Did anybody face this thing before? Will they turn my application back?

This is just so wrong...

From UK driving license web site "Your photocard will contain your full name, date of birth, country of birth and your address."


http://m.direct.gov.uk/syndicationController?action=view&param=DG_068315&utn=af4d6c12a52e47e3a405201208202331

As a random application fromCook Count also requires at question 8 on page 4 "Country of Birth" http://www.corkcoco.ie/co/pdf/52268970.pdf

I would think if I keep looking all over the world I may find the same question.

dr.fuzzenstein

bill buchanan wrote: »

It seems excessive, and you'll find there's no good reason for it.

Sadly, you just have to deal with it. We're not known for a particularly frinedly police service, but they're not much more pleasant to those of us who are from ireland!

I never found Irish cops to be particularly unfriendly.
Try German cops out for a laugh, I think they go into a dark cellar to crack a smile.
When I go back to Germany, they guy at the passport checkpoint takes my passport and looks at it for 10 seconds. Then he looks at me for 10 seconds. Looks at the passport again. Then he scans the passport, looks at the screen, looks back at me, back at the passport, then he seems to think for 10 seconds. Then he grudgingly hands it back to me and gives me a look that says "Get out of here, before I change my mind".
Passport control here, they barely glance at it, wave you through or maybe make some smalltalk about the weather back wherever you just came from.
Have been to many cop stations in my job as an office technician and they where quite easy going. I'd say when the officer asks the OP about his/her country of birth, he/she might just be chatting.
I'm here nearly 20 years and every Irish person asks me where I'm from, what brings me to Ireland, do I like the weather (not really, but what can you do), how I like Ireland, etc...
With a lot of people it's just idle curiosity. Don't read too much into it OP.

Del2005

VitalyT wrote: »

My 10-year driving license has just expired, and I'm about to apply for a new one. I am looking at the application and can't believe the same nonsense in the application as 10 years ago...

The item that says "Country of birth". First off, why on earth would gardai care in which country I was born? I've been living in Ireland most of my life, and am an Irish citizen. I was really pissed that for the last 10 years while I had my previous license whenever I garda checked my license he would go on about "oh, you are from that country,...so what are you doing in Ireland?" type of crap, I can barely hold the steam...

Believe it when I say, not only Irish turn blind eye on discrimination towards foreigners, but they don't mind even discriminating their own citizens in a manner that I just described.

Now I'm looking at this stupid application once again, and tempted to write in "Ireland", even though it is not correct, just to avoid the moronic questions from gardai.

Did anybody face this thing before? Will they turn my application back?

This is just so wrong...

If your that p!ssed off there's only one solution you need to talk to Joe

BTW what has this got to do with motoring? It's a government issued document that you're having issues with, it's not a motoring issue.

coolisin

What about your licence having your address on it?
At a checkpoint it was inquired as to what i was doing on my own so far away from home.
Surely this is also discrimination?
Its probably as much to do with having as much info about each person in a database so to make sure your the correct person and you hope no mix up's.

Nonoperational

I tried to think of something constructive to say but really this is as far from discrimination as you can get. Just write the country you were born in and forget about it. It's a complete non-issue.

MarkR

Never had a problem personally. Mine says I was born in the US. How often do you get pulled over that this is a problem?

Just spotted my licence is due up next week! :eek:

K.Flyer

VitalyT wrote: »

Duggys Housemate wrote: »

...and so on.

- I don't think so. There is privacy matter that limits excessive prying from whoever it might be. In this case a garda has no business knowing where you were born, the country of your citizenship is utterly sufficient information for them.

@Vitaly
If you are stopped by the Garda (or at a checkpoint) and they see where you are from, do they just pass a comment on it or do they haul you out of the car and start to search you and your car?

Nearly every single official Irish gov application form asks your place of birth, regardless of citizenship.
Personally I do not see the problem with the question being asked on the form nor the fact that its on the driving licence.

BTW, you do not have to be an Irish Citizen to hold an Irish Driving licence, which is probably why place of birth is shown on it.
Furthermore the licence is an E.U. model which I presume carries the same information as other E.U. members driving licence, which would mean having to have them all changed.
It is what it is.

pontia

fill out the forms like everyone else,if its a lot easier in poland you know what to do

ABajaninCork

Blimey! If that's all the OP has to worry about, he's a lucky man!

I have a UK licence. Every time I'm pulled over by the Gards, they ask for my licence. I produce it. Rent's all paid on the car, so I figure they're curious to see if I'm driving legally. Which of course I am.

When they cop the London accent, I'm usually asked:

• Whereabouts in London I'm from?
• Am I on holiday? - Um NO. I live here, drive a car with Irish plates, fully taxed, insured and NCT'd!
• They know London well. Do I know a Mr Murphy in Kilburn? :eek:. Sorry, officer, no I don't. I'm from the opposite end!!

I'm always pleasant, have a laugh and joke with some, and go on my merry way. Simples and no hassle!!

rocky

So where were you born??

Bohrio

rocky wrote: »

So where were you born??

Its like he is ashamed to show where he was born, ummm... maybe he is French?...