Part I: PROLOGUE
Ah, yes. This is a match you have all been waiting for, right?
We will start off with a sign that is posted in all Connecticut DMV offices.
Why do you suppose the DMV would feel the need to post a sign like this? I had the opportunity to gain a little first-hand insight into that last week. It ain't a pretty picture. You have been warned!
;)
PROLOGUE
I know I sure do have a few DMV stories over the years..... and here is a new chapter!
Problems with the DMV are nothing new, of course. Ancient Pompei, to give just one example, had strict regulations on the axle length of Pompeian carts and wagons. There were actually stone barriers set up in the streets which prevented the passage of any wheeled vehicle with an unapproved axle length. The reason for this was economic: a merchant bringing his goods by wheeled cart to the gates of Pompei could not enter the city, but he must first off-load his goods into a Pompei-approved cart for entrance to the streets of Pompei. This effectively kept 'foreign' merchants from competing with the merchants of Pompeii. Those street barriers can still be seen today in Pompei.
One of my earliest memories of my Dad was going with him to the New London branch of the CT DMV when I was about 8 years old......
(You need to know that my Dad ran a business that dealt with the public on a daily basis. He ran a Sunoco Service Station. He was a friendly, gregarious type, full of funny stories and jokes, which he frequently shared with his customers. It was a full serve station, before that term had even been coined. We did every windshield, checked the oil, water and battery for every customer. And service with a smile. He was open 24/7 365 days.... So I can tell you where I was every holiday from the time I was about 15 until well after college! Anyway, the bottom line to the success of the enterprise was unfailingly friendly full service.... Give folks another reason to come back, in addition to the competitive price. The exact opposite of the business model in place at the Department of Motor Vehicles!)
..... So back to my story of my dad and the DMV. Just before we went inside the DMV office, my dad stopped and took me aside. He said, in a quite serious tone, "Tom before we go in, there is one thing I want you to know". I anticipated the usual parental admonishment to be on my best behavior, but he caught me completely off-guard when he said, "The Department of Motor Vehicles is the one place I NEVER come out of with a smile on my face." !!! I didn't really understand it then...... but ... I sure do now! :)
That was in the late 1950's, mind you! Some things never change.
And here we are, approximately 55 years later, and I can personally attest to the truth of his statement, based on the events of Thursday, June 20, 2013.
Stay tuned for "Baurspotting vs. DMV Part II: Curses, Foiled Again!" Soon to come!
Here is the complete 5 part series:
The whole sordid story is really too long to post completely in here, so here it is broken up into digestible segments.
Enjoy!
Baurspotting vs. DMV: A Tragedy In Four Parts. OK Maybe Five.
Baurspotting: Baurspotting vs. DMV: A Tragedy In Four Parts. OK Maybe Five.
Baurspotting vs. DMV Part II: Curses, Foiled Again!
Baurspotting: Baurspotting vs. DMV Part II: Curses, Foiled Again!
Baurspotting vs. DMV III: Old Age and Cunning Triumph Over Bureaucracy and Red Tape!
Baurspotting: Baurspotting vs. DMV III: Old Age and Cunning Triumph Over Bureaucracy and Red Tape!
Baurspotting vs. DMV Part IV: The Empire Strikes Back!
Baurspotting: Baurspotting vs. DMV Part IV: The Empire Strikes Back!
Baurspotting vs. DMV Part V: Yes, Virginia, There IS a Santa Claus
Baurspotting: Baurspotting vs. DMV Part V: Yes, Virginia, There IS a Santa Claus
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