California DL
I was so nervous today. I had to get a lot done - fill out all my paperwork for school and “employment” as a graduate student, get my new license, sign up for a bank account, and go to the post office. The hardest, and longest thing during the day was the driver’s license.
California is good in the sense that people need to retake the test when you renew your license - keeps you on your toes with driving laws. But some things out here completely baffle me. We got everything set with the registration and the car yesterday. I thought for sure they would ask me for the proof of insurance, and the smog inspection paperwork. Of course they didn’t. I also thought for sure they would give me the “you have 10 days to get the car inspected” speech, which also didn’t happened. Confused as we left the DMV, Kris and I stopped a person in the parking lot to ask about it. Apparently as long as your car isn’t spewing smog all over the place, it’s cool to drive. Don’t worry if your brakes are failing, your lights are all out, or if you are driving on bald tires - it’s all cool with the state of California. I think you might get stopped by the police, and they deal with it, but I’m just so surprised you don’t have to go get checked out every year or so (like in all the other states I’ve dealt with) just to make sure you’re not going to kill yourself with something stupid wrong in your car. And they could combine it with the smog test - after all, that’s what they do in BOTH NJ and MA.
In any case, the license thing took FOR-EV-AR at the DMV today. The process is confusing too. In NJ, you take the test, then the eye test if you pass, and then pay and take your picture. Here it was all backwards. You pay (so if you fail you have to pay again?) and take the eye test. Then wait in line again, give a thumbprint, signature, and they take your picture (blinding you in the process). They give you the test, and make you sign it. Then, and only then, are you allowed to take it.
I had to deal with a screaming baby and a 3-yo that was running around while the mother(?) took her test. Blinded from the camera, I couldn’t even read the questions or answers for a few minutes. The test was hard. The NJ test was just common sense, but here there’s strange questions on the test like “when is it ok to park in the bike lane.” Or about the white curb, which is for unloading people, and mail trucks or some such nonsense. In any case, I did pass the test. But only after waiting in line yet again, for like half an hour for someone to grade the damn thing. And then for your instant gratification - you get to sign a flimsy piece of paper that now becomes your driver’s license. Thanks, now I have no photo ID until November. Sweet. I just hope if I go out I don’t get carded.
I feel bad Kris decided to both not get his license the same day, and come with me. He was waiting in line with me for SO LONG and will have to do it again when he gets his license.
