Only took 7 hours

Well mark it as official, I live in New York.
Mila, with her new tags.

But how did it get to this?

I’m not talking about Helen’s job, et al, but rather what did I'd have to go through to get those lovely NY plates on Mila.

For starters I had gone onto the NY-DMV web page, last year, to see what all rigmarole I’d have to go through to get my license, title and plates transferred. The web page talked about a “point system” where you needed 6 points worth of documentation in order to get things done. They also gave examples. One example was a US Passport, SS card and your out of state license. Check.

So off to the nearest DMV, (7 miles away in Peekskill) where I wait just over 2 hours in 3 different lines only to find out that since my US Passport does not have my middle initial in it the supervisor is not willing to accept it as a valid ID. I ask to speak to the supervisor and am directed to window number 6. There I am greeted with, “Well hello Mr. Chad Joseph”. That is a name only my parents have the right to use, and only when I’m doing something bad, this women, whom I have never met, using my middle name in the familiar has me hot from the word go.

This supervisor is a textbook show and tell of how to treat someone with drenching condensation. From looking over the top of her glasses at me, to her tone of voice, to her shit eating little grin, to her use of my name in the familiar to her comment that she doesn’t understand how I could have thought the missing initial would be okay I was shaking with rage when I left the DMV. As we go back and forth, “get the Social Security Administration to take the J off your car” or “Have the State Department ad a J to your Passport” I get well if you had your birth certificate it’d be okay. Okay. So I go off fuming (she adds a nice “thank you” as I walk away) and head home.

After running a few other errands I am back at the DMV with my birth certificate. I wait in line like a good little plebe and afterwards and informed that while my papers are now in order a birth certificate is 0 points, leaving me 3 points shy of the 6 needed. I am handed a paper showing the point value of every imaginable form of ID and sent on my slightly less than merry way.

This time when I come back I bring everything, from Helen’s UK birth certificate, her UK Passport, mortgage documents, cell phone bills, everything. Everything that has one of our names and our new NY address.

In order to reach the points total I have to use my Ohio drivers license, my original Social Security card (which as the ubiquitous “not to be used for identification” on it), a health insurance card, a credit card, my Ohio AAA card, a bank statement and an utility bill. W T F

Now I pay $175 for a NY drivers license and two years registration for Mila. But do I get a new DL? No. I get a little print out and am told my real license should arrive in 2-3 weeks. ?!? What takes Ohio $50 and 10 minutes takes NY over 3 times as much money and 3,024 times as long. Well at least we pay more taxes for less service.

Wait a minute…

Now comes the emission test. Mila is set for a test this Wednesday. I have 10 days to get her done. Watch this space to see how that goes.