Some Blog Site

Our DMV system was much improved a couple years back when they added online check-in. I learned about it when I went in for something and I could enter my cell phone number and they texted me updates, such as my wait time of 2.5 hours. So I went back to work until my wait time was about 20 minutes and then I headed back in. Worked great.

But even better was the shortcut I found. Then time I went in, I wanted to get there when they opened. I did, but so did a few dozen other people. I knew from my precious visit that I could send a text to get in line, so I did. But I learned that the online line didn’t open until the office did. So I couldn’t get in line early like I thought I could.

But here’s the shortcut: the online check-in opened at the same time as the doors. So even though I was 30th in line or so, I ended up being second in line because the people in the physical line can’t check in as fast as online.

It was great. We would all file through the doors and they called my number just as I was walking in. Literally no wait. I was in my car driving out of there in less than 10 minutes after they opened, and I didn’t have to stand outside for half an hour to be first in line.

The next couple of trips to the DMV were like that: get there a couple minutes before they opened, stand happily in line because I knew it didn’t matter where I was standing really, and then check in right at 9:00, file into the office and get called up right away.

I would be in the car heading back to work before 9:10, which is awesome for a system that had been leaving me to sit in a hard plastic chair for two hours awaiting my turn.

Then this last time I got in line just before they opened. I was about 50th in line, but I didn’t worry. The doors opened at 9:00 and I checked in online only to be informed that “this branch is appointment only”.

Well that threw a wrench into my plans. Now I had to wait in line with the common folk.

So I waited, and I heard someone else ask the line-directing lady about checking in online, to which she answered that online check-in now starts 30 minutes after the doors open.

Rats.

They’re onto my scheme.

So the line-directing lady sent most of us into another line and some other people she sent to sit in a waiting area. Our line actually went relatively quickly. I though about checking in online right at 9:30 to skip ahead a few spots, but I was next in line at 9:30 anyway so I didn’t do that.

I suppose I can’t complain. The new way is more fair. I’ll just have to get in line a little earlier.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.