Today was the first day in a while when I haven't been at work during a weekday.  I took the opportunity get some long-procrastinated tasks done:  take my car to a tire shop to get a slow leak fixed, and get my NC drivers license.  I've been meaning to get the license for a while, but after reading the DMV website, I realized that I was missing some of the 1400 documents I needed.  So I called home, and had my sister bring my social security card and a copy of the insurance policy down.  So today I gathered all necessary stuff up (my license, passport, social security card, proof of address, proof of insurance, etc, etc etc) and rolled on down to the DMV. 

I start pulling out all my stuff, and the lady comments on how prepared I am!  Yes, I think.  That's what 20 years of education gets me... the ability to be prepared to get a drivers license.  So I pull everything out, and much to our chagrin, we realize that the insurance form I brought was NOT the one with my name on it.  Crap.  So the lady tells me I can go get it after I take the test, no worries.  Phew.

I went and did the little vision test, registered to vote, took the written test, passed (phew), and went back to pay.  At that point I realized you needed cash or check to pay.  Crap.  I didn't have either.  So I decided to run home, get my check book and the insurance form.  So home I go, jiggety jig. 

Crazy driver #1: When I'm waiting to turn left into my apartment complex. the car in front of me decided not to wait for the arrow to turn green, and he turns while it's still red.  Not only does he do that, but he turns onto the WRONG side of the median, successfully driving directly into traffic, that incidentally just got a green life.  Dumb.

Moving on, I get home, grad my check book, and start looking for the RIGHT insurance form.  I looked through all my files, on my desk, in my desk, and couldn't find it.  I started looking through the trash trying to find it.  Finally, I gave up.  I went back to my car to head BACK to the DMV, and checked my purse one last time to make sure it wasn't there.  Much to my disappointment, the form I needed was on the back of the one I'd shown her.  Whoops. 

So I headed back to the DMV with my insurance paper and check book in tow. 

Crazy driver #2:  I was waiting to turn left into the DMV, and there was someone turning left out of it.  They turned, but didn't find it necessary to make it to the other side of the median, and started driving the WRONG way down a 4 lane highway.  What is wrong with people today?!?!  He made a hasty u-turn to avoid becoming road-squish, and went the other direction. 

So, I checked back in, waiting again for my number to be called, went back to the desk, handed her the insurance info, and got out my checkbook to pay.  "Is that an out of state bank?"  the lady asked.  Yes.  Yes it is.  Well, they don't take out of state checks.  WTF??  I wanted to ask what it mattered, since all the money IN the account came from her tax dollars... but I didn't.  Instead, I went BACK to my car, got in, and drove to the nearest ATM.  Which happened to be across a number of busy intersections that were packed and took forever to get through.  Then I got to an ATM and waited behind a lady who may have never seen one before... she didn't quite know how to work the thing.  17 minutes later, I headed back towards the DMV, cash in tow.

Crazy drivers #3-10.:   Maybe my LEAST favorite thing in the world of driving is when people with a green turning arrow keep going through the arrow when it turns yellow, and red, just because the people ahead of them got to go and they were in line.  Then, the people who get the green light have to wait for the illegally red-arrow running people move.  When the light turns yellow, you have to stop.  Even if you don't want to.  Sorry.

So, anyway, I went BACK to the DMV for the third time, paid with cash, had my picture taken, and successfully got my NC drivers license. 

Moral of the story:  If the NCDMV spent as much time making sure drivers knew what yellow and red lights and medians meant as they did making sure my bank account is from NC, there would be less accidents. 

Drive safely,
Kari