As a society, we may not agree on a lot of things – but I think the one thing we can all agree on is the inefficiencies and frustrations of the DMV. In fact it’s so commonly known that its even represented in cartoons such as Zootopia (who can forget the sloths at the DMV). And although Hallie thought the scene in Zootopia was funny, she couldn’t truly appreciate it…until today.
Hallie made her first visit to the DMV to get her driver’s permit. She has been counting down the days until she was 15 years and 6 months and today was the day.
We walked in and noticed it wasn’t overly crowded. Always a good sign. So she pulled a number. Since she was getting a permit, they allowed her to do her eye test and take her picture while we waited for our number to pop up on the screen to direct us to a certain window.
We sat down in our seats and compared our ticket number to those displayed on the screen. We were just 6 people down in line. Also a good sign. But the funny thing about the DMV is 6 people seems like a short line, but in sloth world, 6 people can take FOR. EV. ER.
Our hour wait went relatively fast. We found ourselves at a window where we needed to go through a four step process: Pull up her account based on the completed application and see that she passed her test. Scan birth certificate and add it to her online account. Submit payment. Print temporary permit.
In the business world, this can be accomplished quickly. But in sloth world, this process can drag on – And it was quite possibly the most painful 25 minutes. The guy helping us would look at her application and start typing into the computer (to pull up her account) and then he’d get distracted by someone walking by his desk and he’d talk for a minute. Then he’d look back at the application to find her social security and then start typing again. Before he had anything pulled up he was talking to someone else. Then the phone rang and he chatted for a while. Asked for the birth certificate and put it on the counter. Someone else walks by and he’s asking her about her family members and they’re having a grand ol’ time catching up. He finally scans the birth certificate and then the lady he was just catching up with walks back to his desk and they proceed to finish their conversation. He asks for my credit card. And then answers another phone call.
Hallie is looking at me in disbelief. As if to say “Is this really happening right now?” Meanwhile, all the lines next to us seem to be running smoothly and multiple people come and go and we’re just staring at my card on the counter as he’s laughing with a co-worker at the next window. I’m laughing because Hallie’s finally realizing why the scene in Zootopia is so funny and everyone seems to relate to it. (For those that don’t have little kids and need a little giggle)
Experiencing the DMV is part of growing up – a rite of passage!
So is driving!
