The ten minutes I spent at the DMV
Sep. 27th, 2006 08:47 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
taylweaverBack in the summer, I went into the DMV to get a new license - I do, after all, live in a different state now. My first license, I got the day I passed my driving test, but this time, they told me they had to mail it.
At which point I left the country, short one photo ID. (They made me hand in the old license - oh well.)
When I returned a month later, I found an envelope from the DMV, as expected - but it did not contain a license.
Turns out they had messed up my picture. And I needed to go back in to get a new one taken. And the DMV closes at four.
I generally finish work at 3:30 - too late to get to the DMV on time. But every so often, I have meetings in that general neighborhood (or at least a neighborhood closer than the one I work in).
Two weeks ago, I went from the meeting to the subway, and from the subway to the DMV, and would have arrived around 3:55 - only I walked right past it without seeing it! The place needs much clearer signage. By the time I realized my mistake, they were just locking the doors. I was five minutes too late. I consoled myself by going shopping at H+M and Old Navy - both in the area. (And I actually bought stuff too.)
Today, I had another meeting. And this time, I was at the DMV around 3:40. Miraculously, I think I walked back out around 3:50.
The DMV had messed up, in typical DMV fashion - but they have now corrected the error in a very un-DMV and rather efficient fashion. I got to skip every line in the place! It was a rather pleasant surprise.
And I got to see the photo this time. I think I told the woman that it looked "utterly horrid." Or something like that. She said most people feel that way about their license photos. We both handled it with good humor, I think. But at least now I am forewarned - I don't have to wait two weeks to see how bad my photo came out.
And then, even though I did not really need to console myself, I was in the neighborhood, so I went shopping...
At which point I left the country, short one photo ID. (They made me hand in the old license - oh well.)
When I returned a month later, I found an envelope from the DMV, as expected - but it did not contain a license.
Turns out they had messed up my picture. And I needed to go back in to get a new one taken. And the DMV closes at four.
I generally finish work at 3:30 - too late to get to the DMV on time. But every so often, I have meetings in that general neighborhood (or at least a neighborhood closer than the one I work in).
Two weeks ago, I went from the meeting to the subway, and from the subway to the DMV, and would have arrived around 3:55 - only I walked right past it without seeing it! The place needs much clearer signage. By the time I realized my mistake, they were just locking the doors. I was five minutes too late. I consoled myself by going shopping at H+M and Old Navy - both in the area. (And I actually bought stuff too.)
Today, I had another meeting. And this time, I was at the DMV around 3:40. Miraculously, I think I walked back out around 3:50.
The DMV had messed up, in typical DMV fashion - but they have now corrected the error in a very un-DMV and rather efficient fashion. I got to skip every line in the place! It was a rather pleasant surprise.
And I got to see the photo this time. I think I told the woman that it looked "utterly horrid." Or something like that. She said most people feel that way about their license photos. We both handled it with good humor, I think. But at least now I am forewarned - I don't have to wait two weeks to see how bad my photo came out.
And then, even though I did not really need to console myself, I was in the neighborhood, so I went shopping...
