I had to go to the DMV to renew my 18-years-old pre-Real-ID drivers license. In theory if you have an appointment you should breeze right through, while droves of people without appointments — I counted well over 200 — wait and wait. But when I got there they inexplicably gave me a ticket for the non-appointment line. After 45 minutes, I asked why, given that I had an appointment, it was taking so long, and someone explained that I had the wrong ticket, and directed me to someone else who then gave me an “A” ticket instead of a “B” ticket. Some 15 minutes later, I was at the head of the line.
And that is the point at which the entire DMV computer system decided to take a vacation. Apparently this happens with some regularity. Somehow, however, I doubt that Governor Voldermort is going to invest in better computers for the DMV.
All in all, it took me three hours door-to-door, and it felt like eight.
On the way out, I passed two different storefronts in the (ugly and depressing) Mall of the Americas that were being used as voting locations for today’s Miami-Dade Mayor election. I sent my first ever phone Tweet, complete with a photo of all the exciting lunch-time voting action! The scene was pretty much identical in both storefronts, by the way.
congrats on the first phone tweet. not much bang for the county’s $18 million or so, huh. why didn’t our civic hero, ol’ norm, fund the recall election?
15 minutes from the time I walked in the door to the time I walked out at a Triple A office in Pembroke Pines…..also pre-Real ID renewal.
Too bad you missed that post. Hey, but what’s a couple hours.
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Mall of the Americas DMV off of flagler. Get there early (before 10 AM) and you’ll be out of there in 30 minutes. There’s like 30 people handling your stuff there. No appointment. Best DMV ever.
That is the one I went to. I had a 10:45 appointment. I got there early.
Most of the counters were not staffed. There were two people handling the appointment line, and at least four empty stations on that side. There were maybe four or five people handling the non-appointment group, and at least as many empty stations there. I sure hope it’s not the best ever, but I suppose it could be.