DMV line out the door
Posted on June 30th, 2007 By scott at 10:44 am (All, Two legs)
In Michigan, your license stickers are up for renewal on your birthday (Hint: mine is 7/3 and there’s a PayPal button in the Tip Jar page :->). My possible jury duty stint — 6 weeks — begins Monday. I wanted to get this over in case my panel was called.
The Barry County Michigan DMV office has never been crowded. Until Friday. They were out the door and lining the hallway. All I can say is I’m glad I brought a book.
I grabbed my ticket from its dispenser. I was behind 25 people.
Let me interrupt the narrative with this — there are no public bathrooms in the building. I know this because just about every door has that message. If you know me, you know that makes me flinch a bit. Diabetics like me do two things all day long: drink a lot and piss even more.
I settle in and read and people gaze. A lot of teenagers. Really, a lot of teenage girls. Happy teenage girls with their families. I can’t imagine why. They are stuck in a Russian style bread line on a lovely day in a building with no public restroom access.
I return to my book.
The teenagers are every where. I mean aren’t they old enough to just hang at home, get tans, update their MySpace page, and play with their Wii? There are whole families here on a Friday afternoon. Bizarre.
I’m behind 15 more people when I leave the building in search of a public restroom. Found a grocery store down the road.
Ok, back in line. 10 more to go.
One of the DMV guys is walking around with a form pad. I overhear him have a conversation with a dad. He mentions that four high schools had finished their driving programs that day.
Doah!!!! Happy teenagers with their parents at the DMV are there for only one reason — getting their license to drive away from their parents and siblings.
Dena said,
June 30, 2007 at 1:25 pm
So you finally found out why teenage girls look happy waiting in line - getting the driver’s license! You do realize that teenage girls do not need a public restroom nearly as often as the rest of us do. Someday it will be their turn.
scott said,
June 30, 2007 at 1:50 pm
It is a sad story of how poor an observer I am. I’d like to blame it on a good book, but so far it ain’t all that good.
It’s hard for me to understand how people can walk into a public place and not immediately ascertain bathroom availability.
Robinson said,
June 30, 2007 at 11:20 pm
Because some of us can hold it FOREVER.
Kiley said,
July 1, 2007 at 9:39 am
How long until Madel is among the happy girls?
laura said,
July 1, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Well, I think she and her father are planning on driver’s ed. this summer and then she’ll be good to go next June. I’d rather wait until she’s 30.
Dena said,
July 1, 2007 at 9:59 pm
How do the ad words work? Kind of interesting.
Rebecca said,
July 2, 2007 at 11:26 am
I’ve been letting Alex drive a little - he moves the car for me, sometimes I let him take over when we get close to home - as in on our road. It’s half a mile of pure heaven for him.
He’ll be 15 and taking driver’s ed next summer. I can’t believe it.
There’s a strange sense of relief, as it’s one less child to have to drive somewhere - but then there’s the fear that comes with it.
Mom said,
August 21, 2007 at 2:22 pm
Do you mean to say that Michigan hasn’t gone to on line renewals? I only go to the DMV in AZ if I have to take a test