The CA Department of Motor Vehicles

More like the CA Department of Motor VICTIMS....uh.  How NICE the DMV is back in good ole Newnan, GA!!  And dare I say that the DMV in Manhattan was better than this hole of a place in Glendale, CA??!!!  Why, YES!

Here in CA, the DMV has a notorious reputation for being A-W-F-U-L.  Great.  Just what I wanted to hear when I had an appointment (yes, an appointment) to change my driver's license, car registration, and tags.  Since there are so many people, you have the option of making an appointment online for up to three items; the DMV will select a day and time for you to show up and name which office with which you should grace your presence.  I had also heard that it can take a minimum of two weeks to book said appointment.  Knowing this, and knowing that I was signing a lease on March 27th claiming CA residency, (and being the planner that I am), I made an appointment on March 22nd.  The DMV granted me April 8th at 2:10pm. Told you....two weeks.

For the poor souls who choose not to make appointment, the lines begins at the door at 7am - by 7:15am the line is already wrapping the building - the office opens at 8am.  I know this first hand because the Homestead Suites I stayed in was next door to this lovely DMV office and I witnessed this event every morning.  Get an appointment!

April 8th:  I'm told at work that parking is horrendous and I should leave a few minutes early to find a spot.  Okay; leave work at 1:20.  Miraculously find a parking spot and approach the DMV door at 1:30 with appointment confirmation in hand.  So far, so good!  I head to the front of the line ahead of all the people without appointments to see where to go; no sign.  Great.  After a couple of minutes of angry stares I finally find the appointment sign - a hand written sign on a piece of computer paper inside a clear page protector that reads:  Appointments window #3.

I hand over my confirmation and am given a driver's license application and number.  As I finish the application and take a minute to look around there are TONS of people inside - TONS.  To give you an idea, this is no 5 window situation like the DMV in Newnan.  Oh no - there are 30 windows in a cubicle land!  Imagine 30 windows each helping someone, times the other million people inside, times the 80 degrees outside with no air inside - smelly, gross, I already wanted a shower.

My number is called within 10 minutes and I head to window 21.  A very nice Armenian women is helping me; unfortunately, she decides to vent her day to me, her DMV neighbor, and the DMV security.  (Yes, security for all the nut jobs that come to the CA DMVs).  Apparently some 80 year old woman failed her eye exam and started raising cane, yadda, yadda, yadda - I was very nice and agreeing whole heartedly with the women because, she is the DMV.  The whole time she's yapping, all I am thinking is, "FILL OUT MY PAPERWORK!!!"  After 15 minutes, of what should have taken 5, I'm told to stand in line to take my written exam.  However, since I listened to this lady vent, she told me to come back to her after the list of things I have to do and she will either help me or move me to a quicker line; okay - somewhat "comforting."

I take the exam - which is not computerized and am told to stand in another line to wait for my test to be graded.  Seriously -and the state wonders why the DMV is so slow???  Well, reason #245 for you.  The four people in front of me fail and the lady tells me I pass with flying colors - of course :)  Those people don't need to be driving anyways!  Driver's license:  check!

Next:  Registration and Title.  If your car is from out of state, you must have it inspected by a DMV employee.  I'm told to drive my car around front (leave my parking spot, mind you) and park in Lane 3 for inspection.  As I pull in, I see that Lanes 1 & 2 are full of cars - packed!  Upon closer inspection, these lanes are full of the 15 year olds nervously awaiting their driving tests.  Great.  Every 5 minutes or so a car would pull out from Lane 1 and the DMV employee would put a cone on the next car to go.  After 15 minutes I thought, "They don't care or think I'm 15 and I'll get the cone on my car next."

Finally, a guy came over, inspected the engine, interior, verified the VIN # and told me to go park then go back inside.  Okay, breathe - must find parking!  Luckily, again, I found some parking a block away on a residential street.

I go back to my trustee lady at window 21 to find she's on her break.  Seriously!  She sees me and tells me that her friend at window 12 will be coming off of her break and will help me so I can be on my way.  I thank her and move to window 12.  I wait a few minutes until she returns; upon first glance I know this is NOT going to be a pleasant experience.  Exhibit A:  said lady is "goth lady."  Black hair, black shirt, black pants, black nail polish, bleeding heart tattoo on upper arm, red lipstick with pierced lip.  Exhibit B:  me in a Ralph Lauren button down polo shirt.  Yep, I was terrified.  Through the       eye-rolls and paperwork, somehow, I was finally done with the DMV - 2.5 hours and $155 later - I was on my way back to my little Focus.

I changed my plates - bye bye GA - right there in the street and headed home exhausted and feeling just nasty.  It's so weird seeing California on the Focus - I've already walked passed my own car....

That's my parking spot - I feel like my Grandma Juanita who parks extremely close to the wall in her carport!  Makes me smile everyday :)

GA no more :(

You can't see in the picture but they punched a hole in my GA license.  I have a piece of paper from CA until the real license comes in the mail....at least the hole wasn't over my picture!