The Saga of the Permit

When you have a 16-year-old in the house who’s been practicing her back-road driving skills for three years, it is only a matter of time before her mother decides that all those hours she has spent coaching should be rewarded.  Paul got the ball rolling, registered Megan for Driver’s Ed class, and last Saturday she completed the classroom portion of the instruction.  Then, bright and early Monday morning, we showed up at the MVD, all happy and excited to be getting her permit…. only to find out after 20 minutes in line that the computers were down, and we were all being sent packing.

Not to be discouraged, we left the house even earlier today, and showed up in time to be very close to the front of the line.  It was a gorgeous Phoenix fall morning, and our enjoyment of the fresh air was only slightly marred by the fact that seemingly everyone in line was taking the opportunity to get their breakfast-cigarette smoked before they had to go into the building.  Right before the doors were going to open, a very efficient and bilingual MVD concierge came out a side door and began handing out forms on clip-boards for anyone who was there for a driver’s license or ID card.  Naturally, as we were only there for a permit, I graciously declined the offer.  How silly I was, for when we  reached the counter I discovered the permit application is the same form.  Had I known, I could have printed it out at home and had it completed before we ever left the house.  We were feeling fine, nonetheless, when in just 3 minutes Megan was called up to the photo desk, and got her picture taken; and soon after, we were sitting at a window showing forms of ID and whatnot, when it was brought to my attention that my dear daughter needed to put her social security number on the form.

((Insert dramatic sigh of frustration here.))

I do not carry my children’s SS numbers around with me – I suppose I should, but I never have needed to.  This took me completely by surprise.  So we had to haul ourselves all the way home, and Megan had to scrounge through the safe to find her card and her birth certificate (wasn’t sure they’d need it, but at that point it was better to be safe than sorry), finish filling out the form, and then haul ourselves back. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out why there were so few people coming to the MVD today — not only on our first trip, but even after we left and came back, though I expected to fight through teeming mobs, there was barely a trickle of traffic coming through the doors, and lots of empty seating in the waiting area.  Thus we had only a short wait again, took care of business at the window, and then Megan went off into the little room with the computers to take her permit test.

Now, in her defense, I will say that Megan answered 100% of the questions that had been covered in her driver’s ed class correctly.  The only problem was, about 40% of the test was matter that had NOT been covered.  I was exceedingly disgusted about that, believe me.  Paul was similarly displeased.  When Laurent took the class, it was an all day affair – 8 hours on a Saturday – plus 6 hours of behind the wheel with an instructor.  They have cut the classroom time in half, and it would seem that they have just arbitrarily cut out half the content as well.  She will have to just study the little manual and try again, likely not until Thursday, since our Wednesdays are booked.

So that is where we are in this saga.  Lord willing and Megan studies hard, she will have that permit in her happy little hands by mid-morning on Thursday.  🙂