Jami Goes to the DMV

I'd have to say, in all honesty, that the DMV seems to have gotten a rather bad rap. In most of my experiences with them, it's been rather simple and the waits reasonable. I've even had 3 of 4 fairly decent photos. Can't really complain. The time had come to get a new license, so I gathered my "photo card", old license, instructions on going for the photo and a book and headed to my local DMV office. There were a couple people having issues, but they seemed to fall into two categories: 1. People who refuse to read any instructions and then get mad when they don't know what's going on and 2. The basically stupid. Entering I read the sign on a machine that says (honestly) "READ THIS FIRST". It had two flashing green buttons, one for people getting pictures taken, one for everything else. I pressed button number one and received a little ticket that said "051 - estimated wait time: 0 minutes". The LED signs above the open lines indicated that they were currently serving 46, so I believe their estimates may be a little off. Anyway. . .there were two waiting areas, one with a very large sign reading "PHOTO CARD WAITING AREA" the other "EXAMS AND RENEWALS WAITING AREA" Since I had a photo card and the Read This First Machine (hereafter "RTF Machine") suggested that I choose the Photo Card area, I choose a seat in the middle, at least two seats on each side between me and strangers and cracked the book. One man ahead of me was having this conversation with his much-to-be-pitied public servant: DMV worker: Read the questions on this screen and answer the question using this keypad. Confused Man: What? DMV: See the question on the screen? CM: Yes. DMV: Choose the number on this keypad to answer. CM: WHAT????? DMV: Do you want to be an organ donor? CM: I'm not. DMV: Do you want to be? CM: Yes. DMV: Then press one. CM: WHAT? DMV: See, you press this button (she presses one). Now do the rest of the questions. CM: I, uh, I don't know what you mean. DMV: It wants to know if you're a registered voter. CM: Yes. DMV: (she gives up explaining and presses the button for him).Do you wish to change your party affiliation, phone number or registered voting area? CM: I'm Democrat. DMV: I don't need to know that sir, do you want to change? CM: NO. Democrat. This went on, much to my amusement, for the next several questions. Another woman walks in, walks right by the RTF machine and looks around. She asks someone for help, is directed to the RTF machine and reads it - out loud. She chooses the second button, which we know because she announced it, then sits directly underneath the Photo Card Waiting Area sign, which is wrong, but we all ignore her. As the numbers are being called, she checks her tag frequently (she must have been a little worried, since we were in the upper forties and the numbers for her section were in the 600's and when they call her number she stands up, honest to goodness and yells "WHERE ARE THESE NUMBERS COMING FROM??" A nice man directs her to the correct section. I only hope she did not get a license. Outside, a woman in a large SUV took her test. Parked in a space with the tester behind the car, she looked nervous and chewed her lip. He says "Put on your right turn signal" Immediately the left one came one. "RIGHT turn signal" Left again. The tester holds his right arm out, waving it slightly "Your right signal, right turn signal." Left again. He sighed. I kept walking. Going to the DMV must be a dream compared to working there.