One of the things I like about Blogging is explaining “our” everyday life and reading about everyday life in (for example) Bedfordshire and Texas. Take……the “MOT”.

I suppose we are all familiar with road worthiness tests to make our aging cars street legal. English readers will be familiar with MOT (it stands for “Ministry of Transport”) but their version …carried out in licensed garages…is different from the Norn Iron version. Our version is more ….official and carried out by a Government Agency…….DLVNI…….the same Agency which administers the “test” to Learner Drivers.

As far as I recall, our MOT test is for cars which are ffour years old and over. Every few years the limit is lowered…I certainly remember a time when cars needed to be seven years old….so the MOT tends to affect more and more people and it follows that it has no real impact on people who can afford to change their cars every one, two or three years. In other words it is a “test” which affects people in a lower income group in a disproportionate way.

There are more cars tested in January than any other month. Most “new” cars are registered in January so most attain their fourth birthday in January. Our family car had gone thru the test twice, prior to yesterday.

The process actually begins in mid-December. A letter is delivered, just when you realise that you are over-spending on Christmas. The letter advises that the current MOT certificate expires on 14th January 2012.

So onto the Internet and arrange a “test” for…7th January 2012……that’s the bit that annoys me. Theres no point in booking a test on the “last” day because failure will mean the car is not roadworthy and illegal in the time between expiry and successfully passing the test. And this invalidates insurance. It costs £30 to book the test.

So……book 7th January 2012. Next step is to contact a mechanic…but of course the car dealership contacts you. Cos their records show that a test is needed. They did the work last year. So they will do the MOT service for £69 or the winter service for £149. Which one? Oh and if you fail the test (subject to you taking their advice on work needing done) they will pay the re-test fee. Well that kinda sounds good.

So 8.15am on 4th January, bring car to the Belfast Dealers. They look like nice people. Even drive your wife to her work. See you at 4pm……and er…..if you need some unexpected (ie expensive) work done……is there a number they can phone. Well yes……”my wife”. Dealers eyes light up and I smell a rat.

So 4pm I arrive at Dealers ……..and pay the bill. The £69 has become £450. They had explained it on phone to “my wife” who agreed to the repairs. But the Dealer is still worried about brakes. …well its kinda advisory……….the car should go thru test but maybe in a few months my wife might hear “a noise from back of car”.

Hmmmmm. See this is the tricky bit. I…unusually for a man…cant drive a car due to a medical condition. And this has made me totally alienated from the workings of the internal combustion engine. But in twenty nine years, I have never wanted to feel that my wife is driving an unsafe car.

My wife….and most women I know …feel vulnerable in garages. They are made to feel that the Service Managers know more than “the little woman” and the “little woman” should really not worry her pretty little head about car repairs. Leave it to big strong men.

Yeah……the point is that sooner or later all dealerships let you down. There is the January 2010 repair which wasnt so bad. The dealers were kindly…….this needed replaced but no “charge” so the modest bill seems almost welcome. The January 2011 repair……well it could have been worse. But both my wife and self had a bad feeling about January 2012. Looking into their eyes as we left the car keys at the Service Desk….they were “too greedy”. We could see the big bill coming.

It is the duty of a husband to protect his wife. I take my responsibility seriously. But MOT Week is the time of the year when I am at my most vulnerable. Knowledge is Power…….and car repairs make me powerless and I dont like it.

So the twenty miles drive home from the Dealers and I am listening out for that “noise at the back of the car”. My wife re-assures me. Because she knows the Garage ripped us off and were trying to go for a bigger rip-off. Basically the Garage had used up its third and last “life”. They always do.

There are of course alternatives. I am obsessed with the safety of my wife, who leaves this house….uncomplaining at 7.30am……all year round. And her safety is the least I can do.

There are of course other mechanics…..but like with all……..plumbers, electricians etc……..its getting one who is competent, honest……and cheap. Thats how most people do it.

Indeed some people just pay the £30 for a test….in the expectation of Failure. Book the re-test and bring the car to a mechanic with the list of failures (left front tyre and a headlight bulb perhaps) and bring the car back to the Test Centre a few days later.

Its was a nervy few days between Repair and Test. One of our sons brought the car into the Test Centre for us. (See the photograph). Lane #4………..they close the big gates behind him …………..emissions, brakes, handbrake, steering,five tyres, windshield wipers etc etc……..and we wait for about twenty minutes and he drives back to us…………with the precious certificate. We are roadworthy until 7th January 2013.

Actually we are probably better than roadworthy. We are “safe”. Nobody mentioned brakes…..but we need to fix a light……probably a loose connexion. No big deal. Until next year.