A "fine" way to start a Monday morning!

This morning I was riding my Vuka to the church office at St Andrews when, just past the prison on the Golden Highway, I was stopped at a Metro Police roadblock.

I did not have any concern when I was pulled over, since the bike is roadworthy, I know I wasn't speeding (the bike can't do more than 80, which is the speed limit on that stretch of road), and I'm not aware of any outstanding fines against my name.

The officer asked me for my licence, which I produced - and I was expected to be sent on my way. He then asked me to show him the licence for the bike, and I said "Sure - it's over here..." - and was cut short for words as I pointed to the blank space where my license disc was when I left the house.

It had obviously fallen off on my way to the church this morning, but the law is the law - it's illegal to ride a motorcycle without displaying a valid licence disc, even if it fell off 10 metres before the roadblock. I suppose that it was my word against that of the officer, who has probably heard every excuse in the book.

So here I sit, tail between my legs, R200 poorer...