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the government just stole my car
2021-Oct-28, Thursday 10:12 amMy driver license is expiring, so I was heading out this morning to get a new one.
My car is gone. I look down the street, and they have signs up saying they will be sweeping leaves and to move. They famously put these signs up with less than the required 24 hours warning, but it wouldn't have mattered. We're still in covid restrictions, and I haven't been out of my house since Monday evening. I wouldn't have known.
So... do I pay too much money to rescue my falling-apart rust bucket, or is this the end of driving for me? And how do I get to the not-in-walking-distance office to get my license renewal? I don't have any garage or shed storage, or I would just go and immediately buy one of these bikes (or these!).
I'm in a very bad mood today.
Edit: 2021 October 28 Thursday 1:15pm - and now my govt ID renewal is on hold
I took the bus to the nearest DMV office. I'm just getting a plain old license renewal, not the super special new kind that will soon be necessary.
They can't process my renewal. The state of South Carolina has some kind of hold on my driver license. I've never even been to South Carolina. My office gave me a printout with a phone number to call. Recording, no hold queue, no call back offer, just "Please hang up and try again later." The printout has a Minnesota number to call if the above doesn't work. I waited in the office for 20 minutes on hold and never got a person.
I finally ended the call and rode the bus back home, where I had my phone charger. I waited at the bus stop with several of these signs up. Immediately next to them is this memorial, which I pass weekly when I drive home from work on Mondays.
<
I disapprove of human civilization. I'm in a very bad mood today, as I begin my journey repeatedly calling another USA state about their interference in my ID renewal process. Welcome to Amurrika, where we can't have nice things.
Edit: 2021 October 28 Thursday 2:30pm - SSN snafu may be cleared soon
My calls to the South Carolina office didn't get through to anyone. I was able (after 45 minutes on hold) to reach the Minnesota department. They checked on the hold and agreed that the Social Security Number causing this snafu was not mine. She has marked to clear my record, so I can get a renewal. I have no idea how long that will take, but she took my phone number and will let me know whenever that happens. Now back to the original distress of figuring out how to live without a car on short notice, or go pay the excessive fine for the tow.
Edit: 2021 October 29 Friday 10:15am - my car is back
Even though it was less than 24 hours since they towed (barely, 10:30am to 9:50am), they still charged me an extra $18 overnight fee. In addition, the city charged me $45 for violating "Parked where temporary no park signs", plus a $2.34 "Convenience fee" for paying online. I paid them off, for a grand total of $203.34 for this fiasco. And I still don't have my new driver license, which is what yesterday was supposed to be about.
My car is gone. I look down the street, and they have signs up saying they will be sweeping leaves and to move. They famously put these signs up with less than the required 24 hours warning, but it wouldn't have mattered. We're still in covid restrictions, and I haven't been out of my house since Monday evening. I wouldn't have known.
So... do I pay too much money to rescue my falling-apart rust bucket, or is this the end of driving for me? And how do I get to the not-in-walking-distance office to get my license renewal? I don't have any garage or shed storage, or I would just go and immediately buy one of these bikes (or these!).
I'm in a very bad mood today.
Edit: 2021 October 28 Thursday 1:15pm - and now my govt ID renewal is on hold
I took the bus to the nearest DMV office. I'm just getting a plain old license renewal, not the super special new kind that will soon be necessary.They can't process my renewal. The state of South Carolina has some kind of hold on my driver license. I've never even been to South Carolina. My office gave me a printout with a phone number to call. Recording, no hold queue, no call back offer, just "Please hang up and try again later." The printout has a Minnesota number to call if the above doesn't work. I waited in the office for 20 minutes on hold and never got a person.
I finally ended the call and rode the bus back home, where I had my phone charger. I waited at the bus stop with several of these signs up. Immediately next to them is this memorial, which I pass weekly when I drive home from work on Mondays.
<
I disapprove of human civilization. I'm in a very bad mood today, as I begin my journey repeatedly calling another USA state about their interference in my ID renewal process. Welcome to Amurrika, where we can't have nice things.
Edit: 2021 October 28 Thursday 2:30pm - SSN snafu may be cleared soon
My calls to the South Carolina office didn't get through to anyone. I was able (after 45 minutes on hold) to reach the Minnesota department. They checked on the hold and agreed that the Social Security Number causing this snafu was not mine. She has marked to clear my record, so I can get a renewal. I have no idea how long that will take, but she took my phone number and will let me know whenever that happens. Now back to the original distress of figuring out how to live without a car on short notice, or go pay the excessive fine for the tow.
Edit: 2021 October 29 Friday 10:15am - my car is back
Even though it was less than 24 hours since they towed (barely, 10:30am to 9:50am), they still charged me an extra $18 overnight fee. In addition, the city charged me $45 for violating "Parked where temporary no park signs", plus a $2.34 "Convenience fee" for paying online. I paid them off, for a grand total of $203.34 for this fiasco. And I still don't have my new driver license, which is what yesterday was supposed to be about.