If you were an NCT inspector, what would you do?

Brendan Burgess

Brendan Burgess

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True story. If you know the answer, please don't reply.

An NCT inspector was going to fail a car. The customer said that his wife was in hospital with cancer, so he needed the car to visit her in hospital.

What would you do if you were the NCT inspector?
 
I guess by your phrasing of the question its not a cut and dried pass or fail. However, if I was an NCT inspector I'm sure I'd hear a million reasons every day why the customer needed the car to pass, I'd have no way of knowing if they were true or not. That said, if I was the guy with his wife ill with cancer I don't think my car having a current NCT would be top of my list of worries!

So, as the inspector I would tend to think he was lying and fail the car. Didn't think they had any discretion in the matter anyway, other than falsifying a legal document, which I presume would lead to their loss of job and possible criminal prosecution.
 
I would see if there was something I could do about getting the customer back in urgently - maybe within a day or two - for re-inspection. I would still fail it but try and help some other way. Not knowing the system I dont know if thats possible but if it were thats what I would do.
 
Brendan said:
True story. If you know the answer, please don't reply.

An NCT inspector was going to fail a car. The customer said that his wife was in hospital with cancer, so he needed the car to visit her in hospital.

What would you do if you were the NCT inspector?
Click to expand...

Postpone the test?
 
Fail him.

If it's only something small like emmissions he can plead his case with the Gardai if he is pulled in with no NCT.

If on the other hand I pass a car with faulty brakes, I'll be lucky if I just lose my job if he kills someone.


Murt
 
Fail him. I am sure they hear these types of stories eveny day. Even if true not having a valid NCT Cert will not put a car off the road.
 
OK, so the Inspector actually passed the car and gave the customer a list of jobs to be fixed.

Next question. You are the Management of the NCT, and this is brought to your attention. How would you deal with the Inspector?
 
Brendan said:
Next question. You are the Management of the NCT, and this is brought to your attention. How would you deal with the Inspector?
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Depends on the defect.... if a safety (breaks etc...) one then I sack his ass....
 
Brendan said:
OK, so the Inspector actually passed the car and gave the customer a list of jobs to be fixed.

Next question. You are the Management of the NCT, and this is brought to your attention. How would you deal with the Inspector?
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I would give the inspector a verbal warning that stays on his record - he needs to be reprimanded for failing to follow procedure but his reasons for doing so were altruistic and honourable and he didn't gain anything by passing the car - he was naive but not malicious.

However, that is how I would manage the situation but there are probably sufficient grounds to sack the employee so NCT management probably would be within their rights to do so if they so choose.
 
OK, so they went through the disciplinary proceedings and they fired him.

He appealed to the Employment Appeals Tribunal.

How did they rule?
 
It's difficult to imagine that they would uphold the appeal but I'm guessing the story becomes a little more complicated now anyway.
 
Had the Inspector failed the car and pointed out the problem areas the customer could still have driven away and had the use of his car until the retest. I fail to see why the Inspector had to pass the customer in the first place. :confused:
 
Last edited:
demoivre said:
Had the Inspector failed the car and pointed out the problem areas the customer could still have driven away and had the use of his car until the retest. I fail to see why the Inspector had to pass the customer in the first place. :confused:
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Yes, also in my experience, you don't interact with the Inspector until he presents you with the test result, printed out from their system, so I'd like to understand the sequence of events in this case.

For example did the Inspector change the result in the system and print it out again? Or did the owner hang around the car and talk to the Inspector as he was taking it to be tested?
 
rmelly said:
Yes, also in my experience, you don't interact with the Inspector until he presents you with the test result, printed out from their system, so I'd like to understand the sequence of events in this case.

For example did the Inspector change the result in the system and print it out again? Or did the owner hang around the car and talk to the Inspector as he was taking it to be tested?
Click to expand...

Thats my experience too. don't know how he could have altered the result. also don't know why he'd have to pass it. Cars that fail drive away and return for a retest. Not like a driving licence.
 
I'm guessing the driver was on the appeals board and ruled in the employee's favour.
 
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