I went to the DMV today to renew my driver's license.  This has been a most difficult thing to do, as my license expired while I was in South Africa.  Normally, you can renew your license by mail, but I was requested to renew my license "in person" due to a "change of address."  Not so easy to do when the change of address involves moving overseas!  I tried to get a South African driver's license, I tried to get an international driver's license, I tried everything, but to no avail.    SO...  since I'm back in my home town for a few weeks, I made an appointment to renew my license "in person." 
The DMV is a funny place.  If you think South African queues are long, you should try waiting in line at the DMV... There is a digital sign just inside the building:
Estimated wait time at reception desk:  13 minutes
Estimated wait time without an appointment:  1 hour, 58 minutes
Estimated wait time with an appointment:  22 minutes
True to their word, I (who had an appointment) waited about 20 minutes.  Fortunately, renewing it was a breeze and I am a happily licensed driver once again.  Score one for American bureaucracy, even with the long wait.
 
 
No comments:
Post a Comment