Where can I get one of these? by ice.bluess

I would probably have been in and out in thirty minutes, except, oh wait come back, I’ll need that license.  Thanks.  It’s suspended.

What?

Apparently, some miscommunication occurred between the now City of Milton, formerly City of Alpharetta, about the massive fine I paid them.  The DDS, formerly DMV has record of the violation, not the payment.  Therefore, I’ve been driving around on a suspended license.

So, I call directory assistance, get the wrong number, call back and finally get the City of Milton.  (Which means I now have to call Verizon to get my bill corrected.  Ugh.)  They say, oh yes, you paid it.  They were quite put out that I wanted them to fax that information to the DDS, as they have it in their records that it had already been reported.

That would be great, except I was standing in the DDS unable to renew my license.  The woman grudgingly agreed to fax the receipt over.

Meanwhile, proof of my payment and reinstated license – apparently, three days between payment being made and entering the computer – was found at DDS, but not where it was supposed to be.  And another thirty minutes and I’m out the door with a new, hideous drivers license photo good for ten years.

I think I provided the morning DDS entertainment.  Because some bumbling housewife with a suspended license is different than a teenager failing their behind the wheel driving exams.

Note to self:  keep all receipts of paid fines for future reference, and bring them with you if you ever go to DDS.

Come home and see note from SIL to effect that bench warrants are standard for unpaid fines and extradition is based on mileage – so, extradition from Georgia for a traffic violation would be ridiculous, extradition from New York would be, well, easy cheap and close.  Right.  After morning DDS experience, I should probably clear that up.

Search online, have no idea where I got ticket, and am not entirely sure what year.  All of the counties keep their records separate.  Call SIL.  Call DMV type agency in New Jersey, who informs me that they would have issued the warrant to Georgia, who would have in turn notified me.

Okay, so good.  But… ticket will still be on the books somewhere in New Jersey and anything related to it, just not at the DMV.  The lady telling me had that bored bureaucrat voice, like she wondered what kind of dumbass would be calling her a decade after a ticket to inquire about it.

Trust me lady, I’ll stay out New Jersey if at all possible.

Oh, and State of New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission is what it’s called.  And it is voice mail Hell.

I didn’t have this much trouble getting a passport.

Related posts:

• Expired Drivers License
• Stupid Human Tricks

DMV hell round 2 by rnair

I think the other two most exhausting events would have to be explaining the words go away to my ex or trying to get a small child into a car in a finite period of time – fed, dressed, clean, brushed, pottied.

So, I’m going to this wedding in October.  And I’m excited about the wedding, excited for my friend.  But also, I now have this catalyst to get all of these things done for me and my life that have been on the back burner because I’ve been doing other things.

Today, I ordered a new cell phone.  I’ve been putting it off.  I thought I’d switch carriers.  But that didn’t turn out to be the best deal.  So, same carrier, new phone.

Tomorrow, the dreaded DMV.

And then there is, flying over New Jersey.  I got a ticket in New Jersey circa 1999.  A traffic violation.  Possibly two.  I don’t actually remember.  It was that long ago.  I don’t think I paid it.  And I don’t know what town I was in.  So, rapid text messaging today, with SIL, who helpfully, works in law enforcement… how can I find out?

I  apparently need to know what town, and call and ask.  And I have no idea.  She says don’t worry, they might cuff you and hold you a while but not extradite you for a traffic violation.  And possibly there could be a bench warrant.

In a sick way, I find this very amusing.  Of course, it’s only amusing, because I’m at my laptop, not in a police cruiser cuffed in New Jersey because  a storm forced my plane down in Newark and my idiot self couldn’t get across the border to New York without running into the law.

Good grief, I watch too much tv.  I’ve never been arrested.  I got a ticket.  And see, I’m not even going to New Jersey.  Note to self:  turn off your imagination and slowly back away from the computer.

I also discovered today that my passport expired this summer, which I really dislike.  I don’t actually need it for any reason.  But I like the idea of being able to leave the country at any time.  It makes me feel better.

Related posts:

• Suspended License