Licensing Up

When I drove into the parking lot, it was full. This was not a good sign, but eventually, a space opened up, and I went into the DMV for my 10:00 A.M. license renewal appointment.  Back in Massachusetts, we all avoided the DMV like the plague. A trip there inevitably ended up in frustration and anger no matter what the mission. Long lines, unpleasant service, and a lack of order were normative.

California is different, and I have to applaud the DMV. There are orderly systems in place, and the agency moves a lot of people through different processes in a relatively efficient manner. The problem is there are too many people getting served.

A large number of customers create problems. First, I couldn't hear the clerks due to the constant background buzz of people talking. This wasn't a big problem until I went to take my written test. A lady next to me brought her mother and her baby in her booth. The baby was screeching. Concentration was impossible. I had to ask her to leave. Then an employee was chatting with a number of people near me, and once again it was impossible to concentrate.

After I took the test a moody security guard didn't correct me when I got in the wrong end of a line. This wasn't a big deal, but by now I was stressed. Within this context, all the clerical staff was pleasant and helpful even though they were servicing endless lines of people.

 Most people taking the written test seemed stressed, understandably so. No one wants to fail, and most of us don't take tests anymore. Some people were talking nonstop, and others were quiet, lost in their thoughts. I must say I was relieved to maneuver my Subaru out of the parking lot onto Genesee Ave. later that morning.