Only at the DMV

[Adam's Apple]

Maybe we should all send this article--with the second to last paragraph circled in red--to our governors and state DMVs to give them a clue.

If the Registry Really Wants Our Love...
By Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe
February 11, 2007

The Registry calls the Cambridge office a "License Express," and claims that two-thirds of people who use it complete their business in less than 10 minutes. Nearly everyone -- 98.5 percent, says Ann Collins, the state's Registrar of Motor Vehicles -- gets out within 40 minutes. Apparently last Tuesday was reserved for the other 1.5 percent. My license wasn't renewed until 6:25 -- an hour and 15 minutes after I arrived. That gave me plenty of time to cool my heels and read the Valentine's Day notes on the wall: "Angel." "Kiss Me." "Sweetheart."

It gave me time to notice other things, too. Like the fact that there were three service counters, but only one clerk. Or the fact that anyone planning to pay in cash was out of luck; US currency may be "legal tender for all debts, public and private," but a notice at License Express announces: "No cash accepted." Of the more than 120 establishments in the Galleria, how many others do you suppose refuse to accept paper money? My guess would be zero. How many others ever keep customers waiting more than an hour to be served? I'd guess zero again.

for full article:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ed.../02/11/if_the_registry_really_wants_our_love/

 

[Annie]

Maybe we should all send this article--with the second to last paragraph circled in red--to our governors and state DMVs to give them a clue.

If the Registry Really Wants Our Love...
By Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe
February 11, 2007

The Registry calls the Cambridge office a "License Express," and claims that two-thirds of people who use it complete their business in less than 10 minutes. Nearly everyone -- 98.5 percent, says Ann Collins, the state's Registrar of Motor Vehicles -- gets out within 40 minutes. Apparently last Tuesday was reserved for the other 1.5 percent. My license wasn't renewed until 6:25 -- an hour and 15 minutes after I arrived. That gave me plenty of time to cool my heels and read the Valentine's Day notes on the wall: "Angel." "Kiss Me." "Sweetheart."

It gave me time to notice other things, too. Like the fact that there were three service counters, but only one clerk. Or the fact that anyone planning to pay in cash was out of luck; US currency may be "legal tender for all debts, public and private," but a notice at License Express announces: "No cash accepted." Of the more than 120 establishments in the Galleria, how many others do you suppose refuse to accept paper money? My guess would be zero. How many others ever keep customers waiting more than an hour to be served? I'd guess zero again.

for full article:
http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ed.../02/11/if_the_registry_really_wants_our_love/

Arggg, I still need my new license, about a month late. Oh they aren't open on Mondays or after noon on Sat. I won't even speak to the service.

 

[trobinett]

When I lived on the left coast(California)I hated to go to the DMV, just because of the WASTED time, and the non-caring attitude of the staff.

I've lived in Arkansas for 10 years now, and the DMV here is 10-20 minutes tops, and cheap besides.

 

[Kagom]

The DMV here has very perky people working there. It's kinda frightening. And it was the first DMV I've been to where the service desks all had a person to them (except one or two).

 

[Adam's Apple]

Our DMV is more like what Jacoby wrote about. I could identify with everything he said. Our state definitely needs to follow the example of some of those progressive states Jacoby wrote about.

 

[Roopull]

The DMV here in Georgia, despite years of attempted reforms, is still a shining example of governmental incompetence.

The tag office, however, is wonderful.