Gus goes to the DMV

[eamarquardt]

From: Eric Marquardt

To: undisclosed recipients:

Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2013 10:43 AM

Subject: Gus goes to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and is offered arrest, handcuffs, and jail for his trouble!!!!!!!!!

Yesterday started off poorly. 0430 and pain off the scale. By 0800 I'd taken what I normally take in a full day and the pain was still ramping up. Had I not had an appointment and something that needed immediate attention I would have deferred and not kept my appointment at the DMV.

So I had three issues.

#1) #1 son got a delinquent notice on his registration. The registration comes to my house and I open all DMV mail so I'm pretty confident that we never received it. Resolution: I have to get HIM to fill out a "statement of fact" that the original request was not received even though we have the same address. They can't accept MY word that it didn't arrive at MY address. So, I'll get him to sign the blank forms, mail em to me, and I'll fill them out and DMV will waive the $90 late fee (per the DISTRICT MANAGER that I spoke to yesterday afternoon).

#2) #2 son has moved to Colorado so I had completed a "notice of change of address" and wanted to drop it off. The form has lines to list vehicles that have also been moved out of state and will no longer be registered in California. The registration renewal says DO NOT IGNORE as they will hunt you down and sic the Franchise Tax Board on you and get their money.

So when I tried to turn in the form the clerk said to ignore it and it would all just go away. Yeah, right. Later the top manager of the office (they have several layers of managers) said that the RIGHT thing to do is to send the California DMV a copy of the Colorado registration along with the change of address form so there is no confusion. So, three different answers to the same question. What do you expect as you are dealing with the DMV!!!! Even the California Highway patrolman that was called to "deal with me" (more on that in a moment) remarked "Well they are the DMV, what do you expect!" Apparently HE has experienced their "less than superior service".

#3) The urgent issue. #2 son is applying to USMC Officer's Candidate School and needs an official copy of his California DMV record. So, I researched it, we downloaded the appropriate form, and mailed it to Sacramento along with a check for $5.00. So, the Sacramento DMV's response was a letter telling him that when he pays the $5 he'll get his report. WTF??? We have the cancelled check!!!!!!! WTF??? So, I share this with the clerk and after consulting with "the manager" they give me a phone number in Sacramento to call. I asked SPECIFICALLY if if a person would answer and was told YES. WRONG!!!!!!! Not being "entirely convinced" that I was being "helped" I elected to set up shop at a chair and counter immediately adjacent to the "helpful" clerk and call the phone number. Due to the noisy environment, my hearing loss in my left ear (brain surgeon damaged the nerve), and the fact that I was now stressed and stress causes the pain and other symptoms of my nerve disorder to increase (including a roaring sound in my ears), I had to use the speakerphone function of my phone to hear the recorded announcements. Apparently the floor manager got tired (after my being unable to get past the voice prompts after 15 minutes) of listening to the recordings (just as I had become tired of em) and came over and told me to get off the speakerphone. I replied I'd be happy to IF someone at the DMV would stand up,own up, take responsibility for THEIR eff up (but I phrased it differently), and resolve the problem for me. When my ears are flooded with noise (real or created by my brain) I do raise my voice just as we all do when we're in a noisy environment. So I'm sure I was a bit LOUDER than required but it was a result of the situation. I did not use any profanities, call anyone names, or belittle them I just made it CLEAR that I wanted some REAL HELP from someone at the DMV. Yeah, right! So the manger's response was to threaten me with his calling the California Highway Patrol and having me ejected from the office. FINE. So the nice officer shows up about 15 minutes later and "invites" me outside for a "chat". My response: EFF YOU! However, I was clever enough to phrase it just a bit differently. I explained that I was disabled, in pain he couldn't begin to imagine, that I wasn't entirely convinced that we needed to "chat" outside and that I was more than willing to "chat" where we were in front of many witnesses. He then threatened me with shackles, arrest, and JAIL. My response: "Fine, go for it" and I held out my hands for him to shackle me! Apparently he had second thoughts and decided we'd "chat" inside. So, I explained the situation, showed him my documentation, and made it clear, again, I just wanted someone at the DMV to HELP. What a concept!!!!!! DMV people to HELP!!!!!!! So, he trotted off and got the manager above the floor manager (that several employees had told me didn't exist). I explained the situation again, provided her with my "proof", and she agreed to "look into it".

It took her over an hour. She got passed from one department to another. What a "shocker". Finally, after well over an hour, she got to the right people and they committed to research it, and if they were convinced that we had, in fact, paid the fee (remember I had the cancelled check and provided it to them) THEN they'd send out the report to Eric in Colorado. They seemed a bit surprised that I agreed that they should sent the report to Eric in Colorado in spite of the simple fact that that is what we'd requested them to send it the first place. Go figure!!!!

I then "pinned the manager to the mat".

I pointed out that it took her over an hour to get to the right people. That she was an experienced DMV employee/manager. She had access to all of the well kept secrets of the DMV (phone numbers of real people versus voice prompt systems), and was at a considerable advantage over me as I am a mere "civilian". I then asked her how long she thought it might have taken me to get to the right folks. Her reply: "A bit longer". BS. I then "suggested" that it would have taken me DAYS. All was quiet for a moment.

I then pointed out that I had gotten three different answers to the question of how to handle my son's change of address. The written instructions on the registration renewal, the clerk's answer (to ignore it), and her answer that we needed to send a copy of the new Colorado registration to California DMV along with her warning that if we didn't respond the Franchise Tax Board would seek us out and exact their due!!!!!! So, I asked: "Which is the correct answer". All was, again, quiet for a moment.

I then pointed out that even the Highway patrol officer (who had hung around for this entire time to ensure I was behaving) remarked: "Well this is the DMV! What do you expect!". The officer, judging from his facial expression, wasn't entirely appreciative of my repeating his remark!!!!!!!

I then remarked that "it wasn't my intent to be a a pain in the posterior it only appears that way". We shook hands and parted on, more or less, friendly terms although I firmly believe they were wishing me ill will.

So, having experienced the "attitude" of the "floor manager" during a previous visit to the DMV and knowing where the higher ups hang out, I called the higher ups. They were out of the office but I shared my experience with Marcus in the district office (who was kind enough to be party to the resolution of my earlier difficulties with the "floor manager"). A couple hours later I got a call from the higher up and he found my version/explanations of the incident to make far more sense than what he was being told by his subordinates. What a surprise. I kinda think that his subordinates were trying to cover their asses and not telling the "entire truth". Go figure. So, he's gonna look into it a bit more and call me back.

He did agree to waive the $90 late fee and when I have the paperwork he will personally make an appt for me and ensure that it is handled properly. What I'd really like is an "attitude adjustment" at the DMV so the "not so higher ups" adopt the "we're here to serve" attitude of the "higer ups". I doubt that that will happen.
I'm not quite done with them yet.

Next I'm gonna provide the CHP Officer's boss with a few of my thoughts. Overall he was pretty reasonable but I didn't really need to be threatened with shackles, arrest, and jail right off the bat before even being asked what the problem was.

Onwards.

Cheers,

Gus

I had a nice chat with a CHP Sgt. yesterday about the officer that responded. The officer, aside from immediately threatening me with shackles, arrest, and jail was pretty reasonable. What I noted is that he seemed to be very familiar with the routine at the DMV office leading me to believe he's called there not infrequently to deal with people, like me, that are fed up with how the DMV treats us. I told the Sgt. that the CHP ought to push back and tell the DMV to clean up their act so our CHP officers are out doing their job rather than babysitting the DMV. He seemed to understand, ha.

I nearly forgot to mention that I was at the DMV a couple of months ago. The "manager" that called the CHP on me, when I was there last time, REFUSED to agree to do all five of the transactions I needed done. He would only agree to do three of em during my visit and expected me to return some other time to complete the last two. Apparently he feels he's entitled to do only three transactions/customer/day. I think he's forgotten who pays his salary.

I'm not done with the "managers" yet.

More to follow.

Gus

[S. Heisley]

Oh, my goodness, Gus! The minute I read the title of your post and knew who the author was, I was certain that this would be a good read and you didn't disappoint!

Patience is difficult to summons, at the DMV. I find it much easier to be patient when I am sitting in an easy chair at home and either being passed around to various people while on the phone and/or looking things up on the Internet. Government goofs, red tape, and BS aren't easy to tolerate; but, I suspect these will always be unavoidable factors, to some degree.

[bdosborn]

Due to some poor planning on my part I recently had to go down at the last minute and renew my drivers license in person rather than on-line. It took 4 hours in line to get it. They have a police officer on-site to deal with the taxpaying citizens. About a person an hour would melt down and just loose it, screaming at the less than helpful clerks. The police would then escort them out. It was an eye opening look into the workings of our local government.

So it's not just in California that you have to deal with those kinds of issues. It's too bad we as a country do such a bad job voting.

Bruce

[eamarquardt]

Due to some poor planning on my part I recently had to go down at the last minute and renew my drivers license in person rather than on-line. It took 4 hours in line to get it. They have a police officer on-site to deal with the taxpaying citizens. About a person an hour would melt down and just loose it, screaming at the less than helpful clerks. The police would then escort them out. It was an eye opening look into the workings of our local government.

So it's not just in California that you have to deal with those kinds of issues. It's too bad we as a country do such a bad job voting.

Bruce

I certainly didn't vote for any of the people at the DMV!!

Cheers,

Gus

[CarlLaFong]

I firmly believe that Civil Service should be abolished. Having spent the last 10 of my working years with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and 18 months with L.A Co. Health Services, I was witness to some of the most unbelievable situations and people imaginable. Rampant waste of public funds with no accountability, massive incompetence at a dangerous level. Cronyism, nepotism, thievery, retaliation, lies, butt kissing, it just went on and on and on, every day. New and stupid edicts and fiats, coming from managers and directors who had no business sitting in the plush offices provided for them.
I say, phase it all out and privatize most civil service operations. UPS, FedEx, DHL are all turning a profit for their shareholders, yet the Post Office has been bleeding red ink forever. Same with the DMV, museums, county hospitals, etc., etc. Clean them out, allow current employees to continue until retirement or prison, which half of them deserve and bring in people who are qualified and can be fired when they screw up. I could tell you stories that you would accuse me of making them up because they are so fantastically absurd.
After 50 years of dealing with the California DMV, I must say that, overall, I find them easy to deal with. I have had a few, minor, issues involving clerks who didn't know their butts from their elbows.
Wanna talk about unfunded pensions?????

[bdosborn]

I certainly didn't vote for any of the people at the DMV!!

No, but you voted on who their boss would be, as I did here.

Bruce

[CarlLaFong]

I voted on who their boss SHOULD have been, not that it would have mattered.
Civil servants (isn't that the biggest oxymoron of all???) have more power than their bosses. I heard a guy, in our shop, tell the supervisor, "The harder you push me, the slower I go."
That should be on the L.A. County flag and letterhead.

[Woodbutcher]

Gus, good for you. It's a shame it takes so much effort to push some paper around. The problem is that they will not ever change, they do not have to. The DMV and most government agencies are not accountable to the citizens that pay them. After you left I imagine most of those that witnessed your transaction blamed you for the whole mess.

[Shadow Catcher]

I truly sympathize. I have to say that the process where we are in NW Ohio has never been a problem.

[jeff0520]

You don't have to move to Canada. Just move to Alabama. It's WAY easier here. For example, if you ignore your Drivers Lisence or License Plate renewal, You simply don't have a valid plate or license any more. If you don't get caught driving on expired license, or tags, you will never hear another thing about it. There are no tax goons to worry about that sort of thing. If you didn't renew, they assume you just don't want to drive.
We had a car that broke down, and I didn't feel like messing with it, so we put it in the back yard under a tarp, and there it sat for two years with expired tags. I finally got motivated and fixed it, and the Alabama DMV just asked for proof of valid insurance, and then asked me if I wanted new tags, or if I'd like to save $20.00 and just put current stickers on the two years expired ones

[eamarquardt]

You don't have to move to Canada. Just move to Alabama. It's WAY easier here. For example, if you ignore your Drivers Lisence or License Plate renewal, You simply don't have a valid plate or license any more. If you don't get caught driving on expired license, or tags, you will never hear another thing about it. There are no tax goons to worry about that sort of thing. If you didn't renew, they assume you just don't want to drive.
We had a car that broke down, and I didn't feel like messing with it, so we put it in the back yard under a tarp, and there it sat for two years with expired tags. I finally got motivated and fixed it, and the Alabama DMV just asked for proof of valid insurance, and then asked me if I wanted new tags, or if I'd like to save $20.00 and just put current stickers on the two years expired ones

Oh, no. Here in the People's Republic of California you have to pay a fee to register you vehicle "Planned Non Operation", or PNO. You gotta pay even if you don't want to drive it!

They get money no matter what you do!

Cheers,

Gus

[TJinPgh]

For the most part it's the same here. Although, we do have the issue that the local police can legally confiscate your vehicle here in PA if it sits too long on your property without a current registration sticker. I've had a couple of cars tagged for that over the years when they were parked for a while waiting to repair.

I had a car parked at a friend's house for a couple of months... license plate not even visible from the street. They were out of town for about a month to care for a parent. When they came back, the car was gone. Presumably towed and auctioned off (or scrapped).

I had a car where I live now not even visible from the street, kept under carport that was enclosed on the street side. The police needed to literally come onto the property to even see it. I went to the station and told them the car was not an "eyesore" as it wasn't even visible from the street and that it was there because I wanted to restore it. They did waive that one.

Guess you can decide which is worse.

[GerryS]

Land of the free! The home of the brave!


My arse.

I am so afraid of what this country has become. Not only are there seemingly endless layers of bureaucrats to contend with, bit you now are forced to do things that you have a religious, moral objection to.

I'd say move here to Indiana....our BMV is pretty easy to work with....but that's only a temporary solution, I'm sure it will swing back to the awful way it was here in the 70-80-90s eventually.

[Catherine+twins]

by CarlLaFong » Sat Apr 13, 2013 1:53 pm

I firmly believe that Civil Service should be abolished. Having spent the last 10 of my working years with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and 18 months with L.A Co. Health Services, I was witness to some of the most unbelievable situations and people imaginable. Rampant waste of public funds with no accountability, massive incompetence at a dangerous level. Cronyism, nepotism, thievery, retaliation, lies, butt kissing, it just went on and on and on, every day. New and stupid edicts and fiats, coming from managers and directors who had no business sitting in the plush offices provided for them.

Hah! Here in New Mexico we have partially privatized the MVD (yes, just to be different we change it around to Motor Vehicle Department). MVD Express is a bona fida commercial business trying to do the MVD one better. Okay, yes, I have heard some say it is faster, but as far as I can tell it is because if you have any complications at all they just send you away. Yup, if they can't take care of your registration in 2 minutes, they won't even try. Go to a regular MVD office and take a number.

That said, in the government-run MVD office I went to last, I only waited in line for 20 minutes and had my trailer registered in another 20 minutes. Not bad at all. I had taken the whole afternoon off, planning for a battle.


Catherine

[sagebrush]

I admire your restraint Gus. If it were me dealing with the dummies, I would have won a one-way trip to Pelican Bay!

Will