Hotelnet: Fri 14:15

Friday, 14 January, 2011 14:15

Currently near IGIA, New Delhi, IN

I sought out someone to help me with the legal details of leaving the bike in India noting a rumour of a six month limit. The first bloke seemed to think that leaving it with my friend together with the carnet and copies of my passport and drivers licence would be enough (noting that I wouldn't be telling the Customs people where the bike was so what was the point?).

He then took me into see his boss, the Deputy Commissioner for Customs (I think his title was). In that peculiar way he totally ignored me and spoke to the guy in Hindi for a while before I was addressed (other than being told to sit). No, the carnet was to go with the holder, not the bike.

Some document specifically regarding tourists, carnets and length of time in India was produced and everyone read snatches and quoted key phrases out of context. The particular bugbear for the boss was that the holder had to stay with the vehicle. The two of them then left the room without a word and I was left alone for fifteen minutes. I read the entire document and decided much had been quoted out of context. There is a maximum stay of six months (without having to pay customs duty) but no mention of the carnet holder having to be with the bike during that time.

The boss wasn't convinced on either occasion when he returned and said it was all quite clear, the condition against one clause was going to be applied against a different one -- which might well have been the spirit of the document but wasn't what it actually said.

As a software engineer, the specifications were laughably imprecise. Being a lawyer must be great fun sometimes abusing such inadequate documents.

Anyway, I was dismissed from the boss' office ("Get Out!"). His directions to the man were "put something in writing for him or just explain it but he either leaves with the bike or stays with the bike" and much wafting of the hand in the "I'm bored of this now" fashion. I could apply for the one-off six month extension 15 days before the current six months expires.

I asked for a photocopy of this document and whilst I was back in the man's office his colleague suggested I go see a M Michaels downstairs as she was good with all this stuff.

Copy in hand I went to see her, via the PA, of course, and was let in straightaway. She was (by her door) Commissioner for Air Customs which didn't sound promising but she claimed to be in charge of all Carnets which did. She was terribly practical. She said most people head to Nepal for six months but in practice, she didn't think the passport and carnet were tied together so I could just leave and come back whenever (though she admitted she was a bit rusty with the details). Regarding leaving the bike for more than six months in India, she said, send a letter in now requesting the (one-off) extension then when you come back point at your copy and simply ask "What's happened to my application?" "It is a small matter."

That's the boss, who am I to argue?