Quiet Declarations

Five years ago, it took two separate trips of three hours each to the DMV to get my VA driver’s license, and this year I was determined not to let them get the best of me.  I blocked two hours off work during an off-peak afternoon at an off-peak time of the month.  I arranged to have a car available to borrow.  I checked online and saw that wait times were low.  I brought six forms of identification and four proofs of residency.  My visit lasted about 25 seconds and went something like this:

Security guard who opened the door for me: “What are you here for?”
Me: “Driver’s license renewal.”
Guard: “Not gonna happen.  Come back tomorrow.”
Me: “Why not?”
Guard: “Computer system is down.  Come back tomorrow.”
Me: “Do you think there’s any chance they’ll get it back online?”
Guard: “Hell no, it’s been down since 8:30 this morning!”
Me: “Don’t you think it would have been helpful to post that somewhere so–”
Guard [cutting me off]: “Come back tomorrow.  Maybe you’ll have better luck then.” [starts a new conversation with another guard]

I’ve blocked off Wednesday morning for my second visit, and had to reschedule a dental appointment to find that time in my calendar.  This time, I’ll probably have to rent a zipcar or take a bus to get there.  And if it doesn’t work out, I’ll have a cool 48 hours left (counting my birthday) to renew before my license expires and I’m subject to retaking the driving exam or some other nonsense.

:(