Skip to main content

My Visit to the DMV

“Now serving G040 at window 14.” Was the announcement over the loudspeaker during my recent visit to the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). My first thought, Oh brother, I wonder how long I’ll be sitting here? We’ve all heard the horror stories . . .

The day everyone dreads; you walk to your mailbox, pull out a notice from the DMV, open it, and read, “In order to renew your drivers license you must bring the attached document to the Department of Motor Vehicles on or before your license expires.”

You throw the notice on the counter and say, “I’ll get to it.” One month passes by. Now it finally sinks in that you have less than two weeks to renew your license, no problem, you go online to make an appointment. (Isn’t technology great?) Simply say, “Hey Siri, look up the Department of Motor Vehicles,” and like magic you’ve arrived at the website to secure an appointment.

Wow, that was easy! Now just click the link, provide the information required and low and behold the next available appointment is over ONE MONTH away.

Ok, guess I shouldn’t have waited.

What’s next? Check your schedule for a day off work and make plans to spend most of the day in lines when you actually get there. Finally, you get the pluck to make the dreaded trip. According to Siri, “The Department of Motor Vehicles on Plaza Drive in Oceanside is open today from 9 am to 5 pm.”

All I have to do is get there early, shouldn’t be a problem.

Hey Siri, “Directions to the DMV in Oceanside.”

“Getting directions to the Department of Motor Vehicles in Oceanside. Starting route to . . .” 

Travel time 15 minutes, 5.0 miles, estimated arrival time 7:45 am.

This isn’t so bad, you pull into the parking lot a see a handful of cars and plenty available parking spots. There are people already lined up outside the building. As you’re walking towards the building you’re thinking, Huh, this line isn’t that long. Then you round the corner of the DMV building and there it is - the dreaded line extends all the way around the building - oh brother, here we go.

You’ve prepared yourself mentally to just relax and go with the flow. You’re an optimist, think of all the things you can do while waiting in line, for example;

  • The perfect time to do your morning stretches.
  • People watching - you’ll see just about anything.
  • Most are glued to their Smartphones.
  • The older crowd have actually brought a hardcover book to read.
  • And others are having Starbucks delivered to them while in line.
  • Here’s a revelation, try starting a conversation with someone next to you in line.
  • Quickly the parking lots fills up.

When you finally round the corner of the building and can see the entrance, you notice people being ushered in, past the line, that actually did make an appointment - so you sigh and just wait.

Now you’ve finally made it to the front entrance, you smile and greet the guard.

“How are you today?” He looks up, quite surprised that someone is not yelling at him about something and says,

“Doing just fine, how are you sir?’

Interesting, I’ll bet this guy is a former Marine. Wow, someone who is willing to actually have a conversation.

“Yes Sir, served in Vietnam, three kids, retired, and you sir? Any children? . . .”

Then you swallow hard, looking in the front door you see what looks like the lines at Disneyland. Stations with dividers labeled A - B - C - D, etc. The guard says, “Please go to line G.”

Ok, at least I’m in the door. And just inside the door there’s a magazine rack that’s filled with the California Drivers Handbook 2017. FREE! This ought to be interesting, haven’t read one of these in years. When you look around, of course, no one else has even picked one up. Now I see why California drivers are so bad, read about rules of the road? What knucklehead would want to do that?

So, finally, you're called to the front counter - Alright! I’ll just hand them my completed document, sign a few things, pay for my license and be on my merry way. Couldn’t be more wrong, “Here’s your number, the clerk says, have a seat wherever you like and listen for them to call this number.”

Ok, this seat looks good, now what?

Cool, what a perfect opportunity to clean out your wallet.
Or let’s catch up on California rules of the road.

Wow, no wonder driving in California is so crazy. According to Brian P. Kelly, Secretary, California Transportation Agency, “We share the road with over 26 million licensed drivers in California.”

Yes, you will have plenty of time to read the entire Drivers Handbook. And I encourage everyone to do just that, it’s good for a laugh. I guess people don’t make common sense a common practice after all.

Mercifully, the morning finally came to a close, “Now serving G040 at Window 14.” A quick eye exam, a photo, signed a couple of documents, payed for a new license, and the clerk said, “Thank you, look for your license in a couple weeks in the mail.”

Alright - I’m outa here! 

So, my reading friend just how long do you think all this took? Go ahead take a guess. I “Double-Dog” dare you.

One hour and forty minutes. Yes, I was quite surprised too!

So, today’s lesson, when you receive that notice to renew your license in the mail, don’t procrastinate, make an appointment. You’ll be glad you did.

 26 Million licensed drivers in California. Unbelievable!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular of All Time

Sunflowers, French Steel, and the Yellow Jersey

Watching Le Tour de France this year, I found myself transported back to August 1983 as the Peloton in Stage 10, Bastille Day, flowed through the French countryside like a brightly colored ribbon. I was in my twenties, visiting family in the Charente-Maritime region of France, completely obsessed with bicycle racing—and convinced I was much stronger than I was. My connection to cycling—and to France—runs deep. I was born in France, and my very first real road bike, at age fifteen, was a Mercier . To me, it wasn’t just a bicycle; it was a work of art made from beautiful French steel. I rode that bike for miles, through high school, into college, and until the day someone decided they needed it more than I did. I hope they at least appreciated the craftsmanship. Its untimely disappearance led me to a Schwinn Voyageur, and later, when I started racing around Illinois, to a Raleigh Competition . But during that summer of ’83, while staying with my Uncle Jean Paul in Lagord, just north of L...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Yellow Legal Pad

In this episode, the Art of Refiring July 1st is staring me in the face, less than two weeks away. For years, retirement seemed like something that happened to other people. Suddenly, it's on my calendar. I've been thinking a lot about the dreaded "R-word" lately. Not because I'm worried about having enough to do. Quite the opposite. What fascinates me is this strange paradox: Why does retirement make so many of us nervous, while having a job—even one that regularly drives us crazy—somehow feels comforting? Let's be honest. Most of us spend years complaining about meetings that should have been emails, reply-all disasters, impossible deadlines, and that one coworker who insists on microwaving leftover fish in the breakroom. Yet when the idea of walking away finally arrives, we hesitate. I think I've figured out why. A career isn't just a job. It's a highly structured coping mechanism. For forty-plus years, somebody else has basically decided what I...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Big Rip and the First Tee

The telescope (Celestron) sits quietly under its cover, temporarily blinded by Southern California's annual meteorological hostage situation – June Gloom. Somewhere above that thick gray ceiling, photons that began their journey before humans appeared are streaming across the cosmos, only to be intercepted by a marine layer that seems to have veto power over astronomy. Instead of observing the universe, I find myself imagining – The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) by physicist Katie Mack. According to modern cosmology, the universe may eventually end in a Big Rip, a Big Crunch, Heat Death, Vacuum Decay, or some other catastrophe that sounds suspiciously like a rejected heavy-metal album title. Astrophysicists spend their careers calmly discussing the possibility that reality itself could suddenly cease to exist because a quantum field had a bad day. It's a remarkable way to start a Saturday morning. One moment you're contemplating the ultimate fate of spacetime...
Post a Comment
Read more

Rediscovering the Magic of Summer . . .

Summer mornings, especially on a holiday weekend, have a special magic. The air is cool, the world quiet, and the day full of possibilities. This July 4th weekend, Lori and I decided to capture a bit of that magic by beating the holiday traffic with an early morning bicycle ride. We went through our usual pre-flight checklist: Stretched out the morning stiffness. Filled the water bottles. Strapped on the helmets. Checked the tires. Three tires passed inspection. The fourth had apparently declared independence. The rear tire on my e-bike was flatter than a Kansas highway. “Well, it looks like we’re not riding today,” Lori said, with the calm acceptance of someone who had already mentally promoted coffee to the day’s main event. “Why not?” I replied. “I’ll ride my old bike.” She gave me that look —the one that safely translates as, "Are you sure about this? " “Absolutely,” I said. “Why not?” I dragged the bike stand out and surveyed my options. One glance at the aggressive gear...
Post a Comment
Read more