Journal JVert's Journal: words cannot describe my hate for the DMV. 2
Words cannot describe my hate for the DMV. But I can explain why I hate them so.
My wife and I had the unfortionate task of going to the DMV, Ammy (my wife) told me about this new number system at the local DMV center. So we went down early on a saturday morning, arriving at 7:00. You start with one line, tell the person what you want to do they make sure you have all your paper work ready and assign you a number. Then you wait the neccessary hours for your number to be called. They called the numbers out throgh speakers in the building and outside. The inside of the building was filled with chairs, but each of those chairs were filled with people, so we decided to wait outside. At this point I should mention that we were not alone and had our 3 month old child with us. The first 45 minutes I spent trying to talk my wife into going home and letting her deal with it on a weekday. But eventually I gave in and we relaxed spending time with the baby out on the grass. As the day moved on it started getting warm in the last hour so we packed up and went to sit in the car with the air on. The baby was also becoming a fuss as babys do so my wife fed the baby while I stood outside the front door of the building listening to the numbers calling off. There were a few others standing out in front of the door just getting some fresh air, one of them was smoking. Once our number was 4 calls away I went over to collect my wife and baby to enter the building. Looking back now I renember hearing a click comming fron the door just before I went back to the car. When the 3 of us got back to the front door it was locked and there was a security guard standing on the other side with his back to us. We knocked on the door and the others standing outside started to get nervous. When we realized that it was 11:00 and they had locked the door because they were closed, we tried to get the security guards attention showing him that we all had tickets. Things were getting tense but I could not belive that we were really going to be shut out. We moved to the side of the building where people we being let out and caught the door just as it was closing on us. Just as I saw that our number was next on the screen are brutish woman from behind the counter came rushing over from across the room telling us they were closed and we had to leave. We explained to her that we have been waiting outside all morning and our ticket was just about to be called. This just made her shout louder that we had to leave, and thats when it struck us. They were serious about screwing us. Before we came in through the side one of the other men standing out front was saying that he just got his number and the clerk told him to fill out his form in his car. She set him up. They have speakers setup outside the building. The security guard locked the door without a peep to the people waiting outside (5 of us without my wife and child). They set us up, they plotted, they deceived, it was all a setup. We stormed out of the building slamming the door behind us, there are times when you are angry enough to get violent and I knew trying to explain out situation would make me feel better but I couldn't even shout back I was so enraged, I was so angry I knew once I started shouting back at her I wouldn't want to stop at that. And frankly I felt that would be out of character of a new father. On our walk to the car we were speechless. I was picturing in my mind what I would have done if I held my ground and refused to leave. I wanted to shove the security guard as he came over to wave me off, and knock him to the ground when he approached me a second time. I wanted to rush to that ogres face behind the counter shouting deep and loud enough to knock her back. But I just got in the car and backed out of the parking space, I looked out the window trying to see if there were any cameras that would spot me if I were to hurdle bricks into the windsheilds of all the workers cars. A brick in the windsheild would be so perfect, it would be a loud heavy message right on their lap saying "I dont appreciate the way you treated me". And best of all if they drove home that day it would be illegal. But no worker there would ever show up before any real citizens hoping to avoid the lines. I wish I could renember that womans face so that some day I could at least follow her and steal her license plates once every month. Even for a DMV clerk it would become a hassle. But we went home in shock. That was over a month ago but every once in a while, I lay awake at night thinking of that horrible day.
Which reminds me I need to join AAA. Same calibur of workers just shorter lines.
I believe these people know they have pointless jobs. Granted drivers testing and smog certification are good things. But alot of the time its just pointless papers and money changing hands. Whether they admit it to themselvs or not, most of them hate their jobs, they take it out on every human being that makes them work. They dont blame their employers who sign their paychecks they blame the people on the other side of the counter. After all... driving is a privlage not a right.
The real problem... (Score:2)
The one I use had such a system for the past several years. Normally it worked pretty well, rather than having EVERYONE stand in one big long line they also divided the activities up so that short transactions, like renewing your tags could move independently from long transactions like getting a drivers license. Brilliant.
However after some recent cutbacks in staff due to state budget cuts things changed. While