The Horror of... the DMV!

[Aberinkula]

[COLOR="Navy"]Ah the DMV. For those of you who are lucky enough not to know what the DMV is; the DMV is the Department of Motor Vehicles. In other words if you have to do stuff for your car you just might go here. Now I'm not old enough to drive, and I don't trust myself driving yet. But I'm sure some of you guys have been to the DMV. Now hundreds of people have to go to the DMV. And it's becoming more of a tragedy, by the sounds of it. I've heard it smells like old people, I've heard it's boring.

Now I want to know, is it really boring? Just tell us about your trip to the DMV. And if you have any tips for getting through this place, feel free to tell us them.[/COLOR]

[DeathKnight]

[color=crimson]Not too bad, I've been out the door in less than forty minutes before. Just depends on the size of your city, the time of day, the day of the week and your luck.

My worst was actually going right when it opened, the line was out the door and it took an hour and a half. Just the luck of the draw, the other times have been in the middle of days and not been as bad for some reason. I guess everyone trying to beat the crowd makes a crowd.

Do your research, make sure you have everything you need because every time I go there some idiot goes all the way through the line just to have the person at the desk inform them that they are missing something and cannot do what they wish until they have it. Wastes the time driving there, standing in line and driving back.

Suckage.[/color]

[SunfallE]

[COLOR="goldenrod"]It depends on which time I went as to whether or not it's a horror. lol The first time for my basic license it wasn't too bad. Naturally my mom took me since I couldn't drive myself.

What was more grueling was getting my CDL. Several months of going to school five days a week all day long like a job, working with instructors who taught me how to drive a semi as well as teaching me everything I needed to know for the exams. The course cost $3000 to take. Though most trucking companies will pay for that as an incentive to get you to work for them.

There are also (6) additional written examinations covering endorsements such as combination vehicles, double/triple trailers, air brakes, passengers, hazardous materials, tankers, etc. You only have to pass the endorsement examinations that apply to your driving requirements. You will also be given a Driving Skills examination, which includes some instructor grading you as you drive though the city on a predetermined route known only to him/her, the major portion of which, involves pre-trip, en-route, and post-trip inspections and basic control skills.

So it takes quite a bit to get that Commercial Driver's License. The only endorsement I never got was for passenger since I don't drive buses or school buses. That and I didn't want to fork out an additional $150 for the class since the truck company who paid for my training didn't cover that. You don't need the passenger endorsement for a Semi.

Oh and the worst part? Naturally I took the course during the winter. So I froze all the time. Except for when I was in that classroom in the DMV taking those tests.

Any other trip for whatever reason has never been that big of a deal. Most of what you need to do can be done online. Though I do have to get my bi-annual exam in a few months if I want to keep that CDL. Though you go to a doctor's office for that, not the DMV.

Oh and if you're wondering, Most of this stuff is all done at the same building, registration you name it. It's all in one huge building here where I live instead of separated like other areas are. Heh[/COLOR]

[Horendithas]

[COLOR="Indigo"][quote name='SunfallE'][COLOR="goldenrod"]Oh and if you're wondering, Most of this stuff is all done at the same building, registration you name it. It's all in one huge building here where I live instead of separated like other areas are. Heh[/COLOR][/QUOTE]You must be talking about the one that's by the tech college then. The few times I've needed to do anything I've gone there since it's right by the light rail system and I don't have a car. Which often begs the question of why I even bother when I have nothing to drive.

Still other than to keep my license current I never have a reason to go to the DMV since I don't have a car and won't be getting one any time soon. Right now it would just be an unnecessary expense when the light rail system gets me everywhere I need to go. So I just can't see wasting my money on it. I'm sure that will change in a few years when I finish school though. [/COLOR]

[Panda]

Ah, the joys of the DMV. :animeangr

For me it's always the same thing. I am going in there to renew my license. I usually head in there in the middle of the week sometime in the early afternoon. This way I miss the working class lunch crowd and after school teenage crowd. It's pretty quite around that time. I get my number from the little paper number dispenser. Usually it's something in the 70's. The "now serving" sign will read something in the 20's. I take a seat and wait....

After the one and only person who seems to be working finally calls my number I head to the counter, give them my old license, tell them everything is exactly the same, take the eye test, pay them money, stand on the stupid line for my picture that will make me look like I just got out of a bar room brawl, then wait for the new license.

I am very fortunate that I live in a small town so I don't have to deal with the uber-long lines seen in larger cities. But even so the shortest wait I've had there was 45 minutes.

Also, I am not sure if it is the same everywhere but people don't seem to talk there. It's library quite. Perhaps it's because there is the testing area near by, but everyone seem so somber. Perhaps just being there makes people emo, who knows.

[Allamorph]

[quote name='Panda']Also, I am not sure if it is the same everywhere but people don't seem to talk there.[/quote]
[FONT=Arial]I think it's more because we're all afraid to laugh, or even make a noise. Those DMV employees always seem to be really PO'd about [I]something[/I].

For some reason, my license photos always make me look like I'm either insane or stoned.[/FONT]

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[color=#9933ff][font=lucida calligraphy] Oh yes, the DMV... you'd think that since one of the ones in my city is located inside a mall they'd give you those little buzzers like they do in over-crowded resturaunts. Fat chance of that happening.

My advice for a visit to the DMV bring a book maybe some magazines and a snack. Try to pawn your toddler off on your parents before getting there, believe me it makes everything a lot less hectice. Also if you're living in central Texas trying to get your name hyphenated on your driver's liscence and the woman tries to tell you she can't do it because then your middle name will just be an initial tell her that it's too bad, but that's how you want it.

Yeah the name thing is one of my DMV stories. It's not too interesting because that's really all that happened. Okay let me rephrase that.. that's not all that happened, this woman went on for twenty minutes about why I should just stick with my married name on my license so I could fit my middle name (Elizabeth) on there. I don't know why it bothered her more than it bothered me. But I will say that the picture on my Texas Driver's license was one of my best ever.

And about the DL pictures, I think that the DMV should give you some test shots in different poses and let you choose which one you like better because after all you will be displaying this picture to complete strangers whenever you want to drink in public or are arrested.[/color][/font]

[Sara]

[color=#db2007]Bring a book.

My local DMV doesn't have people stand in line—they've got a "take a number" system, where you pull a number at the door, and go sit down. There are lighted screens which change to tell you which (apparently random) numbers are being served at which desks. When your number turns up, you walk up to the appropriate desk and do whatever needs to be done.

It's not bad unless you end up next to a crying child.[/color]

[Nerdsy]

[color=deeppink]I've never had a problem with the DMV. I'm always in and out in 15 minutes, except for (ironically) the time it was closed and I had to deal with this automated thing in the lobby.

I don't know why everyone's always complaining.[/color]

[Sara]

[quote name='Nerdsy'][color=deeppink]I've never had a problem with the DMV. I'm always in and out in 15 minutes, except for (ironically) the time it was closed and I had to deal with this automated thing in the lobby.

I don't know why everyone's always complaining.[/color][/QUOTE][color=#db2007]Yeah, but as far as I can tell, your town consists of ten people... =p

Generally, people dislike going to the DMV for a few reasons. [list][*]It's something they're required, by law, to do. It's not voluntary, and it's not something they're looking forward to. It's a chore.
[*]If you have to go there, it usually involves your paying money.
[*]It also frequently involves having your picture taken by the least flattering cameras known to mankind.
[*]In many cases, it involves a reasonable wait?between fifteen and forty-five minutes?standing in line or in uncomfortable chairs.
[*]For many parents, the only opportunity to do anything is [i]with their small child or children[/i] who invariably hate waiting.
[*]For everyone else, their day has just been gifted with a long wait in the same room as some very unhappy (read: whining, fighting, and screaming) children.[/list]
Those are a lot of reasons to dislike going there. Add to those: [list][*]Even if you're in a good mood (and unaffected by all of the above points), the twenty-to-eighty other people there are probably not.
[*]The DMV employees, who have to deal forty hours a week with people who are upset by all of the above are almost universally hated [i]and pretty sick of the whole situation[/i]. At best, they'll be terse. At worst, they'll be condescending or outrightly rude.[/list]I don't think it's any big surprise that people dread the experience, haha.[/color]

[pooperson]

[COLOR="DeepSkyBlue"][SIZE="1"]Where I live, it all depends on which [B]B[/B]MV you go to. The one where I live in Fishers is always insane. It takes a half hour to get to the front desk, plus another half hour waiting, plus the time it takes to do whatever you're going to do. Then there's the computers constantly breaking down.
However, for a drive that's only about 5 minutes longer, you can go to the Fortville BMV and be in and out in about 10 minutes. The only difference is that Fishers' BMV doesn't make you parallel park for your drivers test... Fortville's does, and that's why I failed the first time. :)[/SIZE][/COLOR]

[Nerdsy]

[quote name='Sara'][color=#db2007]Yeah, but as far as I can tell, your town consists of ten people... =p[/color][/QUOTE]

[color=deeppink]Twenty, last time we had a head count.[/color]

[Allamorph]

[quote name='ChibiHorsewoman][color=#9933ff][font=lucida calligraphy]...because after all you will be displaying this picture to complete strangers whenever you want to drink in public or are arrested.[/color'][/font][/quote]
[FONT=Arial]I don't want to be drunk in public.

I want to be drunk in a bar.[/FONT]

[Darren]

Hah, well lucky me.

The DMV is a 25 minute drive from my town. And even then, it's so small and rarely used, it's just a small office with maybe one or two people there. When I went to get my liscense, the guy actually had to push all the other people out of the building while we went to take the test.

I'm sure it was annoying to the other people, but since I had an appointment, it was okay...

I don't know if you normally require an appointment, but my DMV is so small, that's how they do it in order to keep everything organized.

[Petie]

[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]Fifteen to forty-five minutes would have been a blessing. The day I went to get my license turned into a seven hour ordeal for me. It started off waiting around forty minutes in line to take the driving test. Following the test, there was a good hour's wait to get the forms I had to fill out. From there, I got sent to some other room which consisted of waiting twenty minutes at a time for each of four or five stations (in very random order).[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]After that, I caught the only break of the entire day. We were sent to the back of another line to do the identity check thing and this line went back out the door. Well someone was just arriving for their shift and pulled us to his station as we were walking to the back of the line so this part didn't take long.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]After that, I got a number (something like forty-five if I remember correctly). So, I sit and wait for two hours to get into the room to get in line to take my picture. However, at this time, every DMV computer state wide decided to go down so there was two hours of waiting where nothing got done at all bringing the total to four just to get in another line.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]After finally getting into the room to get in line for the picture, it was another forty minutes before actually getting my picture taken and to top it all off, they spelled the name of my street wrong.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]My numbers may not add up to seven hours because I'm likely forgetting things but the trip did total seven hours in all. Bear in mind though that I live in a very densely populated area right outside NYC though.[/COLOR][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana][COLOR=blue]So that's my story. If it's any consolation, your experience likely won't be this bad.[/COLOR][/FONT]

[Fyxe]

[size=1]Our DMV is like a tiny room with two chairs in the town courthouse. There is always two employees working, and never anyone for them to assist. Yet, even when they have someone walk in, they pretend you aren't there. They keep staring at you from their desk, but don't come over to see what you want, haha.
So, you basically have to wait twenty minutes before they'll talk to you, because they have to [i]feel like it[/i] first.

Next time I have to go there, to get my intermediate license, I'm very tempted to do this for the picture:

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v177/ShadowFox71/fahjsgclaire.jpg[/IMG]

Something like that.[/size]

[liamc2]

[FONT="Trebuchet MS"][SIZE="1"]The line wait is something you have to deal with as the Transport Departments of the world generally seem to be the port of call for everything. Fortunately our DMV's here in Australia have started using a new number system so that people who are only in to pick up a license are queued seperately from people that need to register their motor vehicle.

That's not to say that it goes faster, but it cuts the time down depending on what you're going to do. The upside of going in recently to pay my car registration was that, while I was in line for over an hour, I did get a nice amount of study done thanks to the lecture notes and audio files I brought with me.

Watching people trying to cut the line is hilarious also. I mean, you print out a number/letter combo and you have to hand it over at the counter that flashes your number. Simply marching up and demanding to be served does not work, especially when the person that was supposed to be served is standing right behind you. Thanks for the entertainment though.

Generally I find myself attracting children [most of the time because I'm so tall I guess I become some sort of rallying point], and then end up striking a conversation up with the parent/owner of said child. I've found that the easiest way to deal with unhappy children is either:

A) Distract/entertain them

Or

B) Bring along a set of "stealth" headphones [The SonyEricsson W800i has a lovely set] that block out all other sound and let you enjoy music at an appropriate level without irritating those around you.

As for photos, I love them because both license photos of mine have me looking slightly sleazy owing to extremely wet hair from rainstorms I had to run through.

Though [b]Fyxe[/b] has me thinking I may show up in costume for the next one. Not sure how well that would go down...[Is it possible to have a photo with a non-prescription eyepatch? Possibly not..]

What was my point? Right, a good sense of humour and a little compassion will get you a long long way.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Rachmaninoff]

I'd like to say it's a horror, but in my case it's not. For one thing the place I go to is huge. It's designed to handle a large flow of people and the system works well enough that it's rare to wait more than fifteen minutes. Even when you get that rush of people who waited till the very last day of the month to go take care of renewals for their car.

Part of what helps is we have a number system so from the get go you're given a number based on the type of help you need and there's over twenty people there at any given time manning the windows. So once you've gotten your number you just take a seat and wait your turn. So far everyone I know has always been in and out in fifteen minutes. And that includes the time spent at the said window when your turn comes up.

[Your Mother]

That's weird. I was just comtemplating going to the DMV this fall to get a Michigan driver's license. Thing is, I don't have a permanent address in Michigan (I live in a dorm, since I'm a college student.) and live overseas.
Would having a dorm address be enough to get a license? And how many months would I have to wait?

[ChibiHorsewoman]

[quote name='Your Mother']That's weird. I was just comtemplating going to the DMV this fall to get a Michigan driver's license. Thing is, I don't have a permanent address in Michigan (I live in a dorm, since I'm a college student.) and live overseas.
Would having a dorm address be enough to get a license? And how many months would I have to wait?[/QUOTE]

[color=#9933ff][font=lucida calligraphy]I'd advise getting an MI state license just in case you're pulled over and the cops want some kind of ID. Even if you're not technically a resident of the state you're living in it's a good idea to have one of yuour current adress so you can avoid being ticketed for something stupid.

It shouldn't take more than a few weeks- they give you an interim licnense between that time- and having a dorm address is enough. Because think of it this way, a lot of military personnel live in barracks instead of off or on post housing and a lot of single ones like to get new vehicles with their paychecks. But you have to have a license of the state you live in to get a car. So if a barracks address is adaquate then so is a dorm address. But just a little FYI you have to surrender your current license because you're not allowed to have a license (or other State ID) in more than one state.

I hope this helped[/color][/font]