In honor of these differences I'm launching a new "write when something strikes me" type post. I call it Palm Tree on the Prairie. I'll play the part of the palm tree. (God knows I have the hair). Because if things were the same everywhere it would be really boring. I now present...
My Midwest trip to renew my driver's license.
First off let me say I can't believe we've been here eight years, but it's true. This was my first license renewal where I had to go into the DMV. The first four year renewal they sent me the application in the mail and after I'd returned it I got an extension. Simple. I dreaded this one though, with memories of Pasadena license renewals dancing in my head. The lines were horrendous, the employees not the nicest, even the parking was a pain in the tail. Eventually they instituted a system where you made appointments ahead of time, but you still had to wait around for what seemed like forever. It could (and often did) take hours to get your license.
I'm sure part of my problem is my past memories of the place, starting with the three -yes three - times it took me to pass my driving test the first time. The first time I barely failed. The second time I took the test in my mom's car at dusk. Not being as familiar with her car, I thought I turned on the headlights, but instead hit the parking lights. The examiner let me get as far as the exit from the DMV parking lot before he pulled me over and failed me. I will never forget what he said next. "Young lady," he drawled, "doncha know you need your lights on to drive in California after dark? There's a law. Has been for forty years."
So I'm scarred. Never mind that in all the time I've been driving I've only had one ticket and no (knock wood) accidents. I drive like the little old lady from Pasadena would if she'd failed her driving test twice. Very carefully.
I dreaded renewing my license so much, as a matter of fact, that I missed the cut-off date on my birthday. When I finally did head out to do it I fully expected to get slapped around a little bit for being late. Practicing what I preach to my kids ("Suck it up and do it") I pulled into the parking lot.
I parked and went in. Then I stood in line, turned in my written test, had my eyes examined, got my picture taken, paid my fees and got my temporary license until my real one came in the mail. No one yelled. They thanked me for coming in. I climbed back in my car and headed home.
Total time elapsed from parking to pulling out of lot - six minutes. And it's the only decent driver's license picture I've ever had.
And the first round goes to...The Midwest. By a landslide.
15 comments:
Totally different system over here, correspondent, and one that would take forever if we had to go through all that. British bureaucracy must be among the worst in the world!
That is incredible. Six minutes. Now I have beaurocracy envy. And that's a first, I'm telling you.
As flowerpot say it's totally different here - you can drive until you're 300 years old and all you have to do is fill in a form - which is lucky because it would take 6 years not 6 minutes to do all that here!
You are so right. I remember the horror of city DMV visits. The hours. The trying to find parking. I'd usually drive way out of my way to find a smaller one with easier access as it usually ended up faster in the long run, even with an extra hour driving. Now I just pop into the back of the hardware store down the road and smile for the camera (which I need to do, come to think of it before next Thursday).
Cheers to the Midwest, ubiquitous jello salads not withstanding.
While I'm on the other side of the Mississippi, I'm still in the Midwest. It takes about 20 minutes here if go to the right office and at the right time of day. On the other hand, my sister lives in L.A. and just hearing talk about the cost of her license plates makes me hurt. I'm voting Heartland too.
Wow.
We don't have to renew our licences really.
Once you've got one, you've got one.
Funny really because I've changed so much since I passed my test 10 years ago.
It took me 4 times to pass by the way.
I eneded up seeing the doctor and he gave me valium for my test day.
It just levelled my nerves a bit and I passed with ease.
I'm not sure if they'd do that now though??
flowerpot - it's hard to imagine that British bureaucracy can be much worse than it is in the US. It is just awful here.
omega mum - I know. I felt like I had won the lottery. I'm sure it will never happen again.
akelamalu - so you only have to get your first license and then you're done forever? That's the final straw. Now I know I'm moving there.
diana - yeah, I'm still not on the jello salad wagon. Don't really want to be to tell the truth. But I just love the way these things work here.
Does your license renewal mean you have a birthday coming up??
pixel pi - isn't it funny to compare the way it works in different areas? Not to mention the costs. Yikes!
Glad you stopped back by!
jo - four times, eh? and I'll bet you're a good driver too. I just froze up on that stupid test and couldn't even function. Valium, you say?? That's a million dollar idea!
I'm not a fan of the DMV in any state, although here in Georgia it was better than most. Alabama was bad, but South Carolina was the worst by far.
I passed on the first try, but I think that had more to do with the fact that it was two days after a bad snowstorm, and my tester only took me around the block, and had me parallel park in front of the DMV office.
Code word: nouclt. I am soooo not even going there.
Rub it in.
as you know, i live in no. cali...if i lived in s.f. i'm sure i would've been waiting in a horrendous line to get a new driver's license as well. but i lived in the tri-valley of east bay, and maybe spent 15 mins doing the whole written test shebangy, too. i, too, had to take my driving test 3 times...i don't even remember how i failed the first two times, and barely passed the 3rd time w a 70 lmao i got my first ticket when i was 29 and have had about 4 more in the 11 yrs after that. i know i may get some yelling at, but women really are bad drivers...i know this because i USED to be a very bad driver. give me an inch to make a lane change, i took it, and just drove like a freakin maniac. once i had a car accident, that wasn't my fault of course, i became a MUCH better 'defensive' driver lol
jen - I remember reading on your blog about your drivers license problems. They just live to torment, don't they?
my two cents - I have one word for you - ZUMA.
ciara - I really do feel better knowing it isn't just me who had so much trouble passing. We're better people because of it. Right???
Hmm, I think a little refresher of what the Little Old Lady from Pasadena drives like (whether she failed her tests or not)....
"And everybody's saying that there's nobody meaner
Than the little old lady from Pasadena
She drives real fast and she drives real hard
She's the terror of Colorado Boulevard"
Willowtree has something there. As I recall your first trip after passing was to Bungaloo Books on Colorado Blvd.
willowtree - sure she was mean AND a terror. she'd been in line at the DMV too long.
altaglow - and I didn't run over anyone either.
Willowtree, Colorado Boulevard is wonderful, it is spans Pasadena from east to west, but believe me, if you want to get from one end of town to the other, about the LAST street you would take is Colorado, it is slow as molasses, but full of fun places to stop in and spend some time.
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