NRK Licence Division - you are not this bad...

I got a leaflet in my mailbox today (the snail mail mailbox). It was from the TV Licensing ENFORCEMENT Division. It was the closest I've ever been to a threat letter from a company. The logo of the firm is: "TV Licencing - Easier to pay. Harder to avoid." And the whole brochure is packed with sweet formulations like "Any evidence collected may be used in court", "They could even apply for a search warrant to investigate your property."... This is really comforting, if I include the fact that I once a month come back from the school and meet notes like "The Hall manager was in your room today" on my desk. What a sweet and heart-warming country! Feel like I'm in a boarding school of some sort...

This Saturday Harald and I ordered a pizza from St. Pauls pizza. Although it wasn't heavenly tasty, and the delivery guy didn't have wings, it was still a good meal. (Not that healthy, but who's counting calories...) This was at the same time as we saw the "Around the world in 80 days" movie, in Knut's flat. As we were sitting in their "living room", I didn't know the flat letter. Instead I gave the delivery guy my cell phone number, so he could call me when he arrived. 30 minutes later, one of the other inhabitants came into the living room, saying that a pizza was waiting in the hall reception (with a delivery guy attached to it).

I went out to pay, and was called to the reception window by a sweet young lady. Her words, that sounded like a machine gun, were: "WHY DIDN'T YOU GIVE THIS MAN YOUR ROOM NUMBER??! I HAD TO CALL -ALL- THE RESIDENTS IN YOUR FLAT TO FIND YOU!!" I calmly responded that I had given my cell phone number, but hadn't received a call, therefore I couldn't see why this was my problem... Flabbergasted, she pointed at the pizza guy: "TALK TO HIM, IT'S NOT MY PIZZA!!" "But you asked me??!" I responded, a bit surprised by her sudden change of attention. To this she of course chose not to respond, and instead she focused on something in front of her that looked like a guest list or something... Must have been really interesting, because she didn't look up when I wished her a pleasant evening after I had tipped the pizza guy. My point of writing this is first of all that some people tend to believe that power is something you have to show (strangely enough even if they have no power...). I don't have an authority problem, just an idiot problem. I am yet to see a written verbal warning in oral wrapping on this one, but I haven't stopped hoping..

But enough of this path to nowhere... Back to TV Licencing! Any TV in my flat will make me liable for paying a Licence fee of £126.50. Or £42, if I choose the ultra modern black&white solution. Did I say any TV, by the way? No, that would be understandable. Any television, set-top box, video recorder, DVD recorder or computer with a broadcast card will make me a criminal offender if I don't pay the licence. Except TV-sets solely powered by its own internal BATTERIES... Of course. That makes perfect sense...
But if you think this is a braindead solution, consider this:

If you are registered blind, you are eligible for a 50% reduction in the licence fee.

50% reduction? Of course! After all a TV set can be considered a 50% watching and 50% hearing experience! I mean, the TV licencing Enforcement Division is not an unreasonable company...

They even believe in miracles!

If you're applying for a Blind Concessionary Licence for the first time, or if it has been five years since you provided proof of your entitlement, we will need to ask you for some information to confirm that you qualify.

Yes! The perentage of persons gaining vision after being blind must be huge. Good thing they "keep an eye out" for possible returners from the dark... My conclusion is probably that the Licence division in NRK is a mild and gentle one. I remember the time Licence control came to Gyldenpris. Word of mouth (and MSN) made the operation successful for about 27 seconds.