By Dyer Whitt
Staff Writer
The ability to drive a car serves as an escape, adventure and privilege for most teenagers. However, the process in which one obtains a drivers license is a bit less enjoyable.
For most teenagers, their 16th birthday marks the day they can solely and legally drive an automobile. Unbeknownst to them, this also marks the day of their first encounter with the Department of Motor Vehicles or DMV.
According to the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, “The Department of Transportation budget is 50 percent less than what it was in 1965.”
This statistic alone can be used to explain the treacherous conditions in most DMV offices.
Firstly, it appears they appoint one front desk employee who is in charge of managing every single person that walks through the door. This person, usually bearing a snarky attitude is the most unhelpful person in the whole building. They never actually know what forms you need for your specific goal and either rudely dismiss you or refer you to their outdated website.
The problem with this scenario is that if someone forgets a form needed for their objective, the front desk manager will have to sit there and explain why they need it, how they can get it, and if worse comes to worse contain a confrontation that is provoked by a customer not getting their way.
If you come bearing the right information and make it past the front desk troll, then you are really in for the ride of your life, or let’s just say the sit of your life.
You will then be given a number; this number is in fact your one fate, as you wait in the most uncomfortable setting of your life. While waiting for your number to be called by the monotone speaker you will discover that your back becomes stiff in the agonizingly painful chairs they have.
In addition to the scoliosis inflicting chairs, you can forget about a stable temperature. Without a doubt the DMV is either frigidly cold or swelteringly warm. Be prepared by bringing layered attire unless you want to be miserable during your wait game.
By far the most irritable part of your trip to the DMV will be the wait. Regardless of what you hear from friends, family or the department employees themselves, you will have to wait for at least two to three hours.
Don’t mind anyone who tells you to, “get there early,” or to wait for a certain time or day of the month.
Be prepared to waste a good amount of your day if you plan on going to the DMV. If you have the mindset that renewing your license should be a quick errand, then forget about it. It will take the majority of the day whether you get there early or not.
The government needs to do something about the service at the DMV and with that I propose we have more funding for these types of departments.
This will help civilians not to pull their hair out every time they visit the DMV and also make employees more susceptible to doing their job correctly.
In addition to funding, people just straight up need to be prepared. Have your money, ID, social security card or whatever the authorities want ready.
Do not wait until you are up to bat to warm up your swing; be courteous to others in line and even that incredibly annoyed front desk worker because, whether we like it or not, they are the dictator of that department and have total rule.
Unfortunately the DMV is a must for all drivers, but one thing is for sure, bring a book, iPod, phone or anything to make the wait more bearable. Trust me, you will thank me later.
