Start Early …

BRACE YOURSELF!  THIS IS A RANT …

On the second of July, I will have my 86^th birthday.  On that same day, my driver’s license will expire.  Thanks to excellent advice from HM Keith, I started early to get the license renewed.  Months ago, an elderly friend of his had forgotten to renew his license at the appointed time and, as I understand, still does not have a valid license.  I won’t explain the problems he has had; suffice it to say that it has been a nightmare!

 So, “Start early,” Keith advised.  I figured that about two months would be a good “start-early” date.  The instructions for renewing one’s license at my age are specific.  Even at my age, we are allowed to renew licenses on-line.  Of course, there are specifics that we must provide, the most notable being providing certification by a vision care expert that I can see well enough to drive.

 I made an appointment with my optometrist, Dr. Najjar, and printed the form to take for is signature.  There were questions on it to be completed.  You know:  name, address, current license number.  So, before printing the form, I filled in the blanks in places where I thought I knew the answers.  During the visual examination, Dr. Najjar said that I had made a mistake with one of the answers.  I told him that it would probably be okay if he just crossed out the wrong answer, filled in the correct one, and wrote his initials.  That is what we do with checks, you know.  Just make the correction, initial the correction, and send it on its way.

  So, now, it is about a month and a half before my license is due to expire.

 As I said, my state allows people of my age to renew a license on-line by providing a scan of the vision report form and including it with the on-line renewal form.  I gave my credit card numbers to pay the fee and forwarded everything to the DMV.  Last week, I received an e-mail from the DMV stating:  “Thank you for submitting a request for a Colorado credential [read – driver’s license] on-line.  We are unable to approve your request because …  Your DR2402 indicates that restrictions must be added to your current credential.  These changes are required and cannot be completed during the on-line renewal process.  Please make an appointment to apply in person at myDMV.colorado.gov.  Please submit another request with all required documents at mydmv.colorado.gov or make an appointment to bring all required documents to a Driver License office and apply in person.  If you have any questions. blah, blah. blah …  Sincerely, Driver License Administration.”  (I’m supposed to make an appointment to apply in person … but, I may “submit another request with all required documents at mydmv.colorado.gov …”  Do I really have a choice?

 I called Daughter #1 who began the process of finding a place for an appointment.  In all of our metropolitan area, she found one appointment – ONE! – available from the hundreds that had been available; she quickly made an appointment for us for Wednesday.  On the appointed day, she and I arrived early to the location – I find that old people like to get places early.  There were also specific instruction delivered by text to my phone.  Thus:  “When you arrive, reply ‘check in’  You will get a text when ready!”

 So, at 9:30 am, I replied:  “check in.”  My appointment was for 9:50 am.  I received another text:  “Thanks for being early to your appointment, but you are a little too early!  Please try again at the time of your appointment.”  TOO EARLY!  So, at 9:46 am, I sent another text of “Check in.”  And, waited.  And, waited.  And, waited – no text from them.  At some time after 10:00 am, we entered the office and talked with the gate keeper – an apparently nice older man.  He said that they had sent two texts that said come in.  I showed him my phone – no such texts existed.  He passed us through into the waiting area.  (By the way, the two text messages showed up in on my phone after I had returned home.)

 At that point, I remembered that I had not brought the required two mailed documents showing my address to prove that I actually live where I’ve said I live.  But, I had my mail-in ballot in the car, so Daughter #1 went to get it.  I also realized that I had another document in my folder with the address.  Okay, I thought, this should be okay.  Probably the reason I had to come in was because I no longer drive at night and that must be the reason I had to report to the office.  Before Daughter #1 returned with my mail-in ballot, I was called to the person at window #6 – AR155.  That was me.

 When I learned that the real reason I had to come in was because, on the form completed by my vision care expert, the cross out that was needed because I had tried to help, was not allowed.  “No, even though he had initialed the correction, it was not allowed.”   Now, I’m angry.  Really angry.  And, I could feel my temperature rising, as well as my voice.   It also did not help that the clerk was behind a glass wall, and I could not hear what she was saying clearly.  Daughter #1 kept saying to me,  “This is not helping.”  “You’re too loud.” 

 To be honest, the clerk seemed to be making a sincere effort effort to help the situation.  She asked if we could get the document to Dr. Najjar, today.  The answer from his office was, “No, he’s not in the office, today. But he will be here tomorrow (Thursday) by 12:30 PM.”   So, an appointment to get a new document signed was made.

 Meanwhile, we continued to discuss the situation with the clerk.   We talked about the next open appointment – she said she could get me in on July 17!  I reiterated that my license expires on July 2.  So, I asked, “Is there a grace period?”

 Clerk:  “No.  You could not drive without a license.”

 Me:  “That is unacceptable.  I must be able to drive.  I have a very busy life.”  Can you hear my voice rising, again?  Here, again, Daughter #1 intervened.  (“She has to follow her rules.”)  She also told our server that not having a license is not acceptable, as well as the fact that come Monday, I will be in the hospital for surgery.  (At that point, I knew that the letter I will be writing to our state’s governor about the stupidity of this situation will be even more forceful.)

 At some point, I remember saying that a check can be written for a zillion dollars, and if an error is made, the writer of the check makes a correction and initials the correction.  AND, the check will clear the bank!

 We told the clerk that we would have the correct document in our hands by 3 pm on Thursday.  Apparently, the clerk knew she was dealing with a crazy situation (read: angry and, possibly crazy old lady) that is not acceptable.  She set an appointment for us on Friday morning at 8:30 am.  We told her that we will be there.  And, she told us to just come into the office – no texting required.

 Today, Thursday, Dr. Najjar rewrote the document and signed it.  “If you have any trouble,” he said.  “Tell them to give me a call.”  I put the document in my folder for safe keeping.  Tomorrow, at 8:30 am, we will be back at that DMV office.  Time will tell what happens in the morning. 

 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Friday, June 7, at 10 am.

 Rejoice With Me!!!

 I have my license.  Well, it is only a piece of paper with a picture of me as it will appear on the new license, as well as a new expiration date of July 7, 2024.  Does this mean there is a guarantee that the license will arrive by mail to my home before the expiration date?

 So, the day is Friday, June 7.  Daughter #1 and I entered the DMV office without texting.  That’s what we were told to do.  The gatekeeper had my name on his list and sent us to the appropriate station where we met with yet another server.  And, I must say, not as friendly as the first young person on Wednesday, the 5^th of June.  But, she was efficient, dealt with all of the paperwork, and sent me to have my image taken in front of the white screen.  I have white hair that fades into the white screen used for photographs.  I look rather like a ghost.  But, we always expect driver license photographs to be terrible; this one certainly follows form!  My old, expiring license now has a hole in it.  That apparently tells the world that it is no longer valid.  On the piece of paper, I am cautioned that if I want to get on an airplane, I still need to show my old license – the one with the hole.  I’m not getting on an airplane.

 I was never asked for those mailed documents showing that I live where I say I live.

 On returning home, I went to my e-mail and found one of those requests that the visit be evaluated – good, bad, or indifferent.  I gave the situation the lowest rating possible and explained that it was definitely not the staff doing the work who deserved that rating.  Rather, it is the process.  “Stupid, assinine …”  But you don’t need to know the rest.

I’ve learned a lesson here.  Next time that I must renew my license, I will start months and months before the expiration date.  And, thank you Keith for your smart advice!  And, thanks to Daughter #1 for all of your help.  I couldn’t have done it without you!

 Be Safe and Be Well
The Cranky Crone
Thoughtful comments are appreciated.