Charlie's Life

My driver’s license is about to expire on my birthday and I need to get a new one, so I took some time while I ate lunch to look up the process for getting a replacement in DC. So begins another exercise in patience-trying interaction with government bureaucracy.

The first problem is that I have contested some parking tickets that were issued to me and, of course, the government has yet to respond. The problem is that in order to get a new license I can’t having outstanding debts to the local government – contested or otherwise. This is bull. I shouldn’t be held responsible for the government’s delay in responding to my protestations of infractions I believe I shouldn’t have been punished with in the first place. Yes, delinquents should have to pay their fines before being allowed license to continue driving on our roads, but come on, it’s been over two weeks since I sent in the letters and there is no response back.

Next, the driver’s license fees is $44. This is just ridiculous. I’m moving in a few months anyway, and will simply have to do this all over again. Also, I’m trying to save money for a wedding, law school, and additional housing. $44 seems excessive.

Lastly, I have to provide more identification to get a driver’s license than I did to meet President Bush on the White House lawn, travel around the world, and apply for law school – combined.

So far, I will need to bring the following things that I have:

Current driver’s license, social security card, birth certificate, apartment lease, and utility bill.

AND I will need to bring the following things I don’t have and have no idea how to obtain:

Two other original means of confirming my Social Security Number and another form of identification that has my name, DOB, and an expiration date.

Who has TWO other means of confirming their SSN? And what could possibly have all three of my name, DOB, and an expiration date on it (they recommend a military ID or government ID, but then note on another page that the Patriot Act doesn’t allow for SSN’s to appear on government IDs anymore)? How do people ever qualify for this?

This whole thing is entirely ridiculous. Having a driver’s license is not a right, but it also shouldn’t be nearly impossible to obtain. Regulating who has the ability to drive is a good thing and contributes to public safety. But, making the bar so high that someone with a nearly perfect driving record, no criminal record, is a US citizen, and in fact ALREADY HAS ONE, can’t get a replacement is…well, typical of our government, but is still wrong.

And now our president wants these same people to be in charge of our health care system…depressing.