I got my license several years ago in Massachusetts, but it expired while I was in China, and now that I’m home in New Jersey, I’d like to drive legally. Today I spent a couple hours on the phone with various DMV employees trying to make that happen.
My license is both expired and out-of-state, which isn’t exactly the ideal state of things, so I didn’t expect the first person who picked up the phone at the Department of Motor Vehicles to know what I needed. But after speaking to several people who had no idea what I’d need to do and weren’t particularly inclined to find out, I started to wonder if everyone else times their international travel with their license expiration. The phone recording told me several times that they are experiencing heavy call volume, aren’t any of those folks calling about an expired license? Is it one of those things that everyone else gets right, and only I do wrong?
It was looking more and more like the only way to find out what I’d need to do was to gather all the paperwork I might need, and go down to the DMV in person, where I couldn’t be put on hold. I called my dad.
“Dad? Are you busy?”
“I’m keeping my congregation from throwing each other to the lions right now,” (Note: This is not exactly word-for-word what he said. I think he said something less about lions and more about being in a meeting) “Do you need something?”
“Can you take me to the DMV tomorrow* to get my license renewed? And stand around in lines all day to see unhelpful people?”
“Ok. I’ll even wear my clerical collar, maybe we won’t get anyone really nasty.”
I knew being the pastor’s daughter was eventually going to work out for me!
*Before we left, though, I found out that I need to have my driving records mailed from Massachusetts, which is a bit of a pain but at least it’s an answer. And then I need to present my records, my 6 forms of ID and my self at the DMV, so I’m still scheduled for a day waiting in line.
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