California DMV story...
I’ve been meaning to get my RealID for a while. I also lost my handicap placard (just got a new knee after the dogs hit me from behind and dislocated it) so I figured I may as well get that replaced.
I dutifully filled out all the forms, checked the DMV website for waiting time - 0 minutes for an appt, 30 minutes for no Appt. The RealID paperwork stated that if you have all the forms filled out, you just have to go straight to the appt. line. I get there and there’s a line with ~25 people outside. No instructions/information. I asked someone if this was the line for no appts she said “this is the line”. A DMV person came out and when I asked about going to the appt line she said, “we’re not doing appts because of COVID everyone has to wait in the same line.” Does this make any sense? Wouldn’t appts ensure spacing etc rather than a frikkin’ cattle call in the heat/smoke? Wouldn’t putting a banner up on the DMV website explaining the new process? Wouldn’t it make sense to take the expected waiting times off the website temporarily? They have a big banner announcing how you can make appts, could they put up some useful information?
I waited in the 91 deg heat/humidity and smoke (this was in the Bay Area during the fires). Finally get in the lobby after 50 minutes. They have a “special” person to help check you in and wite your number on a piece of paper…he asked what I was there for, I told him I was there to get my RealID and my handicap placard replaced and he froze and said “we’re only allowed to process one transaction at a time, you can get back in line after you finish the first one” WTF!?!?! Are you kidding me?!?!?!?!
So I go to my socially distanced chair to wait patiently. After ~25 minutes, I was noticing that a whole bunch of people who were behind me in line outside kept getting called up to the windows. I went to find my special friend to see if my number was somehow overlooked. He said “those people were waiting a long time. You don’t work here but we really keep track of all you people and your waiting.” No point in arguing…finally get called to window. I told the gal I was there for my RealID and to get my placard replaced. She froze and then said “We’re only allowed to process one transaction at a time. A lot of people are waiting so we don’t want to make them wait longer by doing 2 transactions for one person.” WTF???
The DMV is always mobbed, on this day it looked to me like there was 1/3 the amount of people who would normally be held captive in the god forsaken waiting room. So, it’s more efficient to have people go through the line twice to get their business done?!?!? I asked what I should do to get the placard replaced. She just shrugged her shoulders. I asked if I should mail it in. She said “yes, or you can just drop it off in the express box over there.” I almost dropped the form in until I realized there’s probably a fee so if I put it in without one, it would get tossed in the circular file without any notification to me...I paid my $37 fee with a 2.8% transaction fee tacked onto it…..
Also, not a hand sanitizer, wipe or spray bottle in sight….not like real businesses who have minions wiping everything down and keeping everything clean.
Later my husband told me that they only have 1 window that can process RealIDs…..WTF?!?!?! It took 2+ hrs…what an ordeal. With Covid, every frikkin’ business in America has tried to figure out how to cope and pivot to the new normal to stay in business, not the DMV, they’ve actually figured out a way to make the process even more plodding and miserable than before. They even closed the offices the previous to “conserve energy”…..nice gig if you don’t mind selling your soul to massive, mind-numbing, soul-sucking inefficiency…absolutely zero incentive to become more efficient.
My guess is that this is exacly how the post office is run. Watch out America for those California values…..my slogan is “Mobs or Jobs, your choice”
California is burning down, as usual. Don’t worry, glamorous Gavin said it’s unacceptable for the power to get turned off when it’s too hot or too windy or not windy enough and he’s going to look into it. Nuke the Dems!
Why are you still n California?
They don’t call the California DMV the “Department of Mental Vegetables” for nothing!
Decades ago I lived in CA and had to deal with the legendary DMV.
But—I will never forget the two hours stuck in the DMV line next to the hottest women I had ever seen in my life....
Sometimes lemons turn into lemonade. :-)
The CA DMV is a good example of bureaucratic leftist hell.
Last time I had to go to a CA DMV in the LA area, I thought I had walked into a Mexican bull fight arena. It was unreal. I think I was the only person who spoke English. After about 1.4 hours of standing there like a dummy, they called my #, number 1302. At the window the woman who could barely speak English snarled at me like I had just murdered her children. Then things went down hill from there. The entire experience was horrific. I recall walking back to my vehicle mumbling over and over, I gunna get the eff out of this state.