Adventures at the DC DMV
The DC DMV has to be the most bureaucratic institution that ever exists. The make you jump through hoops that are quite frankly unnecessary and then they try to tell you that they are doing you a big favor.So, yesterday, I spent my time trying to get my plates taken care of. This is the log of my adventure.
7:10 am– Leave my house to get to catch the 7:15 bus to Georgetown
7:20 am– Get on bus
8:00 am– Get off bus about 4 blocks from my final destination
8:10 am– Arrive at DMV, which opens at 8:15
8:20 am– DMV *actually* opens
8:35 am– Get to start of first line, where they tell you what longer line. Told I don’t have what I need, and that I need to get it before I get in the longer line. Even though it’s 2 lines of text that I can fill out right there, I was told to leave the DMV and fill it out outside, and come back. To convert your Driver’s Lisence from another state, you need to have a birth certificate (which I happen to have), a social security card (which I lost- and had to get replacement documentation from the SSA), and valid proof that you live in DC, which I don’t have—and I had a forgery of a lease. If you didn’t live in DC why would you go through all this trouble? Seriously.
8:45 am– Get back to front of line where I finally get a line number. Officially begin to wait.
9:30 am– My number is called, and I get my paper work to get my Driver’s License. Get sent to second line to get my picture taken
9:45 am– Get picture taken. Wait for card to be processed.
10:15 am– Get my car (Background: My friends live in the same building as the DMV, the allowed me to use their reserved, gated parking space while I dealt with this ordeal – I would have never been able to do this without them – a big THANK YOU!) and drive to the emissions testing station. Miss my exit because they changed the way the exit is labeled—My directions have the street, while the exit is now marked “Nationals Stadium.” Get lost in Anacostia (for you St. Louis People, think East St. Louis).
10:45 am– Arrive at Testing Station
11:15 am– Start getting my vehicle tested
11:30 am– get told my car doesn’t pass because of something extremely subjective that I can fix myself—I need to get a new gas cap. I ask where, around there, I can get a gas cap, and get sent back to Anacostia.
12:00 noon– Find the AutoZone in Anacostia. Probably the only white person in miles. I was defiantly the only person driving a Volvo.
12:30 pm– Arrive back at emission testing station, where I get in line behind a taxicab (you don’t have a choice on what line you go in). Taxicabs have much more extensive inspections, so I waiting an extra long
time. I get to watch someone who has their car actually catch on fire at the emissions station (the driver got burned bad enough to have to call the ambulance). Word to the wise: If flames are coming out of your engine, you automatically don’t pass inspection.
1:00 pm– Leave to go back to the DMV in Georgetown, since I have *free* parking there.
1:15 pm– Grab a slice in the food court on the way back to the DMV in the back of the mall.
1:20 pm– Get my second line number for the day, and begin to wait to get my plates.
2:20 pm– Finally get to the front of the line, and get all paperwork in to re-title my car and get my parking pass (you need to get one by neighborhood here—even if all you have is street parking). Yes, I paid more for the 2 year permit. Hell if I am doing this every year…
2:30 pm– Decide that I should probably get in as many hours of work as I can since I took the day off without pay. Take the bus to work (leaving my car in Georgetown).
6:30 pm– leave work. Run a few errands, and then pick up my car. I had to put on the new plates and sticker—including removing the Missouri stickers, as DC Law clearly states that you cannot have emission stickers from other states on your car. I think my oil change sticker may be pushing the law.
9:00 pm– Come home and eat nachos for dinner. Open birthday presents in the mail (including one that apparently was sitting in the neighbors box for weeks – Thanks for the Umbrella! And the Cupcake!—ok it’s the thought that counts on the cupcake…)
posted on 5/15/2008 8:06:48 PM 2 comments
Submitted by
Melissa
at 5/16/2008 12:49:36 AM- I also had my emissions tested today, but it wasn't such an ordeal. Though I had to wait in a tiny (TINY!) room with a window and a chair.
(you're welcome)
I had an eerily similar experience, but here in good ol' St. Louis! It happened at the "main" license center, I believe on either Gravois or Kingshighway in the city (don't remember exactly where it was...I think it's gone now). All I had to do, though, was renew my plates.
I had my renewal stuff, went into the office and waited...and waited. There was like 20 lines, but only one with someone actually working at it. There was perhaps 40 people milling around behind the counter, but no one that could apparently simply renew plates.
When my turn finally came, the lady said I needed some other document. Something I've never needed before. Laws change all the time, though, so I didn't question it and went on a quest to get the required paper work. Returned to the license office, waited, finally got to the counter and was told about yet another document I needed to secure. Damn. I was smart, though, this time I asked if there was ANYTHING else I needed. She said, yes, and described something else. I had to go to either South County or Clayton for this, so I headed to South County, got the paperwork. By this time, I was in danger of not getting back to the license office in the City by the time they closed, so I went to one closer to where I was in South County.
I proudly produced the original paperwork, plus proudly produced all the new stuff I previously didn't know about.
The license clerks response?
"What's all this for? You don't need ANY of that!"
It's a good thing the license office was closed in the City when I drove back by.