A Very Bad day
I acquired a observed within the mail the opposite week from the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles. I've had my present day driver's license for ten years and it changed into time for me to move in and get a brand new photograph taken.
In Florida, we have the option to make an appointment with the DMV to get such things as this sorted. It's a pretty incredible concept simply and it's continually labored without a hitch for me. Until these days that is.
I had an appointment set for this morning on the begin of a pretty full day. I figured I'd get my picture taken, get a brand new license and be on my manner in fifteen minutes. What's that pronouncing approximately the first-class laid plans once more?
I arrived 5 minutes before my appointment and walked into the DMV. I checked in on the the front desk and offered the fellow at the back of said table with my antique license, my passport and a copy of an electric powered bill. On the DMV's website, there may be a listing of about forty sorts of documents a Floridian can use to prove to the DMV that she or he's a Florida driver, a US citizen, and a resident at the address the DMV has on record. I figured I had it blanketed. Mr. Customer Service at the the front table wasn't having although. Buried on that internet site somewhere is the requirement that I present my Social Security card further to the rest of the office work they "need." I by no means carry my Social Security card. Ever. Since you can not get a US Passport with a Social Security card, I figured ownership of a passport might suggest that I did in reality have a Social Security card and become in reality a US citizen.
The front table people on the DMV have to visit the TSA for their education, because this guy changed into an absolute ass approximately my now not having my "office work in order." After quite a few strident point making on my component, he relented. "Just this once," he growled. I then were given to face in line.
As quickly as I assumed my location in line, all six of he DMV counter those who were running this morning jumped up and held a huddle. Five of them walked far from their stations to move do pressing DMV commercial enterprise and that they left one man in the back of to address a meeting crowd of Floridians in need of pressing DMV enterprise.
Since I had an appointment, I was allowed to go to the top of the road. As I stood there, I observed that there were signs and symptoms all around the counters asking me to donate a dollar to some thing referred to as "Families First." My blood strain commenced to rise. Under the brand for Families First was their tag line, "Making families stronger!" If you do not know, Families First is a political lobbying organization masquerading as a social carrier corporation in Florida. They have robust ties to James Dobson's Focus at the Family and their mandate to "Make households stronger" consists of packages to disenfranchise homosexual people. Now if disenfranchising gay human beings is your component, hurray for you. Believe and do anything you need. So lengthy as it's on your time and with your money, talk yourself blue inside the face I don't care. However, whilst the state where I pay taxes lets in this or any political organization to solicit donations to a captive audience in a nation facility, that country has crossed a line. It's ridiculous, it's enraging and it is WRONG.
Florida's a peculiar place. Fornication and sanctimony duke it out for first place inside the list of maximum desired activities. Where else in the US can you stop and get a lap dance on your manner to a power via mega-church? Where else can you could you visit a two-for-one happy hour at eight inside the morning? And where else can you're making a donation to a rabidly anti-gay political enterprise while getting your license renewed? Ridiculous.
Anyhow, as I stood there fuming, the clock ticked on. 20 mins... Half-hour... Forty mins... There changed into nonetheless only one man at the back of the counter and at forty minutes he called my call. I composed myself as I walked over to his desk. "This man isn't liable for the DMV and being suggest to him isn't the manner to get him to hurry this up," I turned into telling myself.
I exceeded him my license and he sat there, searching at me. "Why are you here?" he asked. "I'm right here to get a brand new license," I told him. "Why do you need a brand new license? Did you lose you antique one?" he asked me. Now thoughts you, he was retaining my license as he requested me if I'd misplaced mine. Idiot. All of my composure went out the window. I yelled about there being nobody running, I yelled approximately already being there for forty minutes, I yelled about his not knowing I changed into there in reaction to a notice from the company in which he works. I yelled and he were given protective. I knew that is what would appear if I misplaced my cool and I nevertheless misplaced my cool. I don't know who I changed into more angry with at that point, him or me.
Anyhow, listening to the ruckus I changed into inflicting became enough to attract a couple DMVers from the area offstage wherein they have been engaged in pressing DMV enterprise. A female took her area on the cubicle subsequent to the man I became managing. She wasn't certainly doing whatever although, so I assumed she changed into a few sort of an observer despatched there to hold an eye on matters.
My guy entered my name into his computer and told me I needed to take a driver's test. "What?! Why is this the first I'm hearing this?! A driver's test? I haven't taken a driver's test since I was 16-years-old! A driver's test?! I have never had so much as a speeding ticket, why on earth do I need to take a driver's test?!" He couldn't tell me why, but my file had been flagged and sure enough, I needed to re-take my driver's test.
This was developing increasingly more absurd and I calmed myself down again and apologized for my outburst. I became telling my guy that I did not recognize why I needed to re-take a motive force's test and he confident me that he did not understand either. I asked him why the DMV hadn't sent me a word telling me this and he simply shrugged.
Just then, the observer poked her head over the divider and opined, "Sometimes, our beyond catches up with us." I flipped out anew.
"What beyond? Who are you speakme about?! I do not have a beyond! I've in no way had a lot as a dashing price tag!" Blah blah blah.
By now I became an hour into this and I calmed myself back off. "Just take their damn check" I instructed myself, "take the test and get out of right here."
So I did. I took and handed the Florida motive force's examination. No one I talked to had any concept why I turned into being required to re-take this take a look at to begin with, but the pc stated I had to, so by gum, I needed to.
What an absolute waste of half an afternoon. "Sometimes, out beyond catches up with us." Indeed.
I still need to understand what is on my riding record and that statistics lives in Tallahassee. Why do I suppose that that is going to any other ordeal to get to the bottom of this?