Most of you have heard bits and snatches of my ordeal of trying to get a CA driver's license since moving here in June. It's a long story...starting with them not accepting my Colorado marriage license because, "we don't take those and you know it's not really a valid marriage license anyway" (huh??!). I went through all their hoops and waited the 6 weeks for the license and then another 2 weeks for a letter they said was coming and never received either. After another phone call, they gave me the number for the fraud investigation office - by now I was thrououghly irratated and wondering what this next step would entail. After my appt. with the fraud office and another trip later back to the DMV with my social security card, they were finally convinced I was married and they could take the hold off my license application. I should be a CA license holder in the next 4-6 weeks. This idenification was earned with 5 trips to the DMV and at least as many calls to their offices.
Lessons learned?
1) always write down names of everybody you deal with (in the event you don't receive what you came for)
2) pack more snacks - just in case you have to wait forever in line or end up at the social security office waiting another hour.
3) take you husband with you to these kind of appts. as much as possible since he's the more assertive and insistent one!
4) make sure to hold the door open as you take your toddler to the bathroom because you don't want to miss your number being called after waiting 45 minutes.
I hear ya! I went to the one at the mall yesterday to get plates for Kieran and realized they were holding the plates downtown, went downtown and waited my 45 minutes for my number and found out they won't give them to me, only to him. The only plus side is grandma was with us and had Caeden sleeping in the car most of the time, otherwise I would have been even more frustrated! Still don't have plates either!
ReplyDeleteI was irritated with the OH DMV too, when I had to make 3 tips to get our plates. One time they turned me away for one thing; I corrected it the 2nd time, at which point they pointed out another problem, and then the 3rd time everything was ok, til they told me to go to the room next door and stand in the world's slowest line because in OH you have to have your car's title converted to an OH title! And oh by the way, pay a nice fee for that, and when you're done, go back and stand in the original line. Then Jesse was late to class. It brings back too-recent memories of my trip to the doctor today and waiting 45 min to be seen by the "real" doctor after the resident saw AJ, and then 45 more min to get immunizations! Maybe civilian docs will be better? Too bad we're stuck with DMV's, though :)
ReplyDeleteErin I hear ya. There is nothing worse then CA DMV that is for sure!
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