Departments of Motor Vehicles everywhere are justly derided for terrible service: inefficient, sloooow, impersonal, and often surly. Disney’s “Zootopia” scored a classic scene (above) in which a DMV was shown to be staffed entirely by sloths. I have a busy day today on both the compensated and pro bono ethics fronts, and dreaded what I was sure to encounter this morning as I had to renew my driver’s license in person, because for various reasons I was not eligible for the on-line renewal process.
Believe it or not, my DMV appointment was at 9:30 am, and I walked out of the office with my temporary license at 9:46. In that 16 minutes, I moved through the check-in line in a trice. My number was called before I left the check-in desk. The cheerful and attentive DMV staffer at my assigned window administered my vision test, took my photo, directed me through the forms I had to fill out and sign, and arranged my payment with dispatch. Not only have I never interacted with the DMV in such a pleasant and streamlined fashion, I don’t think I’ve interacted with any government service, including a post office, so easily in my entire life.
OK, she was wearing a mask. I confess, I find that annoying, especially since it was a paper mask, which we all know (don’t we?) is virtually useless. She was young, so I doubt that she was immunocompromised. She was also Asian, however, and I know Asians are especially fond of masking up; she was, of course, female in Northern Virginia, so odds are that the mask was a statement, “I am a Democrat, I support Dr. Fauci and Wuhan fearmongering, and I am therefor a good non-Republican who all of you other woke saints can count me as one of you. Gooble Gorble.” I also could barely hear her through the mask and the thick glass at the window, and while the rest of her face suggested that she was returning my smiles, I couldn’t be sure.
But I digress.
The Alexandria DMV has vastly improved its processes and service, as well as its staff training and supervision. It didn’t have to, after all. We have no choice but to accept the service the give us.
There is hope.
