DMV - A WOMAN'S HEADACHE

I've noticed that over the last month or so I've been crazy emotional.... go figure, after all a lot has changed and happened. It's not like it happens ALL the time, though it does happen at strange times - not all strange times, but at times when I'd normally be able to hold myself together, get through whatever it is, and then be angry and mad and whatever.....

So... today.... off to go get my license, finally. This has been an interesting ordeal anyway - as in they want you to have an appointment but then the system for setting up appointments was down. On top of that, everything you need to know is, well, normal... unless you live somewhere where there is no such thing as a "light rail vehicle" for which the question (on a "practice test") didn't even have an answer listed in the book. I do hope common sense will provide the right answer should I get questions like that.

Anyway... a woman.... well, lets just say there's strong discrimination... I mean really.... okay, okay, let me back up....

I called to find out if the marriage certificate we had would be accepted... it had, after all, been on the wall in a frame since we got married. It was the one handed to us with the original signatures when we were married. It was the same one used to get my name changed with social security. Anyway, it did not have a raised seal - thus the reason for my call. I was assured by the person I was talking to that although they prefer the raised seal, it would not be necessary because my name had been changed with SS and I had my card and that was who they did the check with. I would not let her off the phone until I had this verified 5 times.

Okay... no big deal... I set up an appointment (the soonest is two weeks away) and think I'm okay. Bob had just walked in and apparently in this "small town" (that's all relative, right?) you don't have to wait for long periods of time... in fact, you don't take a number, just a row of seats. So I went in today thinking I'd get my license and take care of registering the van.

WRONG!!!!!!!!

Nope, apparently because they cannot verify that I was married (no raised seal on the document - and we never have had one with a raised seal) I am "possibly not who I claim to be" - never mind that I have both my new and old SS card and that can be verified (something they are suppose to do anyway), as well as several credit cards, and (more importantly) my old out-of-state license (which has a special marking so they can tell it's authentic). All these with my current name, which I've had for about 8 1/2 years! Nope, apparently no one else is smart enough to verify a person's identity except for the DMV of the state we're currently in. (At least that's the way it came across). And I was told that they needed the certified copy of the marriage certificate because it verifies a name change - WRONG - it simply states that my husband (his full name) and myself (my full maiden name, not my new name) were married!!!!!! The only official change - that would be recorded - for my name is with SS!

So, regardless of what I was told - and they lady didn't want to hear about that - I was not allowed to get my license. Fine. The only problem... I need one to register the van (which is in both names, not just Bob's) and that has to been done within 10 days of Bob having received his license.... well, let's just say the "certified copy of our marriage certificate" will take longer than that for me to receive.

Oh - but there's good news!!!!!! She'd be happy to go ahead and register the van using my ME license...... hummmmmmmmmm.... okay, I'm not going to argue.. but seriously, what the heck! My ME license proves I'm who I am to register the van, but not to take a test and get a driver's license in this state!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!? SERIOUSLY, WHO MAKES THESE RULES!?!?!?!?!?

Anyway - so there I am, frustrated at the situation and I immediately feel my eyes trying to whell up! What's wrong with me???? As I'm trying hard to pull myself together and deal with the rest of the issue.

So... marriage license..... it would have cost me $40 to go through the state we were married in, but I looked again directly at the town and cut the cost in half. So $20 instead... that's better.. the kicker.... no one takes a credit card any more so I have to mail them a check before they can turn around and mail it back.... let's say at least two week.

Guess, for all the emotional and irritating headache it was a good thing to walk in today... otherwise I would have gone in for an appointment and not been able to go through and it would have been a month from now instead of two weeks. As it is, I'm hoping the mail hasn't started to slow down (as it often does from now through Christmas)!

WHY DID WE MOVE AGAIN!?!?!?!?!?!? (I know, we weren't thinking about the DMV)