I could have had a staff member go and have my car inspected for me, but I wanted to do it myself to see how things have changed. I was impressed.I have always thought that preparing for a car inspection is almost like getting ready for an exam. The last time I had my car inspected in America, I took it to my mechanic and asked him to check it out for me. I thought he would take a serious look at the car and check everything carefully. All those technical things like steering rack boots, steering knuckles, CV joint boots, suspension components, shock absorbers, bushings not cracked, etc. Well, let me tell you what he did instead.
My mechanic said he would need to drive the car around the block, and so he did. Then he took a quick look underneath the hood for leaks, glanced at the tires and turned the lights on and off. That's it. I paid him $15 for that. Growing up with three brothers, I learned how to do all those things myself, so I wondered why I had even gone to the mechanic. I could have saved myself some money.
Preparing for the car inspection in İstanbul was totally different. I learned about the Web site for TUVTURK (www.tuvturk.com.tr) and found it very helpful. It was so detailed I almost felt overwhelmed with all the information. I thought the inspectors would want to definitely check for things such as fluid leaks of any kind, the exhaust system, the brakes, perhaps the catalytic converter and heat sensor, tires and wheels, etc.
As I began to look closer at the Web site to begin to prepare for inspection, (which you could never do a few years ago), I got bogged down on the details of the Compulsory Inspection Equipment List. The list for all vehicles includes an extensive amount of medical equipment, such as a first aid kit, several types of bandages, antiseptic solutions, needles, scissors, a tourniquet, etc.
Reading this list made me think that most of the inspection was focused more on safety. I got my car's first aid kit and began counting how many band aids I had and measuring what size they were. Realizing this could take a couple of hours, I decided to just buy a new first aid kit, one that had the equivalent of “Guaranteed to pass the car inspection” written across the front of it in Turkish.
Usually, inspectors are more concerned with minor details like whether all the lights function, the blinkers, low/high beams, brakes, the reverse gear, rear license plate light and wipers and horn. The Web site did not give this impression.
A friend of mine saw me sorting through this first aid kit and asked me what I was doing. I explained about the list of items I needed to have in the kit. Finally my friend, swallowing her last sip of tea, said, “It seems to me that the inspection is geared to prepare you for after you have your accident rather than helping you prevent one.”
She has a point.
Having access to all the information was a change. It struck me as being rather like going from one extreme to the other. I guess that it is like a lot of things in life here.
All the personnel at the inspection office were very helpful. Two decades ago, I would have been offered some tea. The pace is faster now. The whole process was orderly and completed in a reasonable amount of time, and I was on my way with a shiny octagonal sticker to affix to my license plate, attesting that my car was current on its inspection, in no time. Of course, I had done my homework.
Remember: Turkish officials check the paperwork to make sure it is original. No forgery. It crossed my mind that nobody was interested to know if I had a valid driver's license. They never asked to see it. You just need to have proof of valid insurance for the car.
Having the octagon-shaped holographic sticker on the license plate is new and will make life easier for law enforcement officers as well as drivers.
Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.” Please keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers. Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com
