Aaaaaaaaaa Part 3

[fbhjr]

My old license plate was not “shiny” enough to pass inspection. It’s been on my last 3 cars since I got it in April of 1991. It’s been dented ever since my first Saturn was totaled in a rear end collision in 1997. Those dents have never been a problem until now.
But, the registry is trying to get people to move to front and back plates. My old style was back only, so anything that “reduces the visibility of the letters” is bad. And, mine did have a big dent in it where that Lincoln Continental slammed into it 12 years ago and that was an excuse to get me to change to the new style.
I drove my wife in so I wouldn’t have to walk the 7 miles each way. I’m very glad of that as it turned out...

The registry opens at 9. I got there at 9:04 and realized there was going to be a problem. Not only were there no parking places in the lot, but the line of people waiting was already out the door and half way across the parking lot.

So, I drove out of the lot, through the construction on three sides of the registry and parked in the lot of Ping’s Garden a Chinese restaurant nearby where we eat once in a while. I walked back over to the registry.
I was happy to see the line was no longer across the parking lot, only across the lobby and to the door.
A woman from the RMV was walking up the line asking people why they were there. I told her and she came back in a bit with my number in line.
(The RMV, like a deli, hands out numbers for people waiting.)

I was given the number A140 that said the estimated wait was 29 minutes.
They have a 6 letter code that says why you were there. The “A” people are there for new plates. The numbers start with 100, so that meant I was the 40th person waiting for plates.
A look up at the number being called showed A103.

I waited. By the estimated 29 minutes they were up to A115. (And B216, C307, D401, F504 & G612 Don’t know why they don’t use E. Maybe to avoid confusion with F?)
I waited.

At 10:16, an hour after I got my number, I was called up to window 13. I’m not normally someone who worries about the number 13. Maybe I should start.

“Hi, I had my car inspected yesterday and they told me I needed to get a new plate because my old one was too damaged,” I said.
I pushed the paperwork I had been given across to her.
“OK, give me the old plate and I’ll give you the new ones,” she said.
“The garage didn’t give me the old plate,” I said. “They told me you would give me a temporary exemption on my old plate and mail me my new ones.”
“That’s not how we do it,” she said. “I need the old plate. Just go out into the parking lot and get it off of your car.”
“I didn’t bring that car,” I said.
“Why not?” She asked.
“Because it has a ‘fail’ sticker on it because I’m told the plate is dented,” I said. “I left it in Shrewsbury rather that drive it that way.”
“You can drive it with a ‘fail’ sticker,” she said.
“But, it’s a ticket if I get caught doing that, right?”
“Well, yes,” she said. “But, only if you get pulled over.”
“I just sat here for more than double the time I was told to expect,” I said. “Isn’t there anything you can do to help me?”
“No, sir,” she said, looking at her computer. “I need the plate.”
“I see,” I said.
She looked up and saw the expression on my face.
“You won’t have to wait in line again, sir,” she said. “You can come right back to my window and I’ll take you right away.”
“You’ll give me something saying that’s OK before I leave, right?”
“Of course!”
She wrote “This man does not have to wait!” her name and the date on my old registration.

I walked back over to Ping’s. I drove back out to Shrewsbury. I went into the mechanic’s office.
“Hi Frank,” he said. “Give me the new plates and we’ll have you our of here right away.”
“They wouldn’t give them to me,” I said. “They require the old plates.”
“Did you ask them about the exemption?”
“I waited more than an hour to have them say they no longer do it that way,” I explained. “Can I get the plate off of my car.”
“I’ll get it for you,” the head mechanic said, walking out to my car.

I drove back through the traffic and construction again. Still no parking spaces. Once more at Ping’s.

I went in and the woman who gives out numbers came up to me.
“I was told I wouldn’t have to wait,” I said, showing her the note on my registration.
“Oh, of course!” she said. “Go right back to her window!”

I went over to window 13. The woman behind the counter was in a long discussion with the woman on my side about what sort of “bus” plate should be on her bus.
I waited.
20 minutes went by.
I watched as the woman’s supervisor came up and said something to her.
“I can’t go to lunch!” woman 13 said. “I’ve GOT to help that man out there.”
She tried to hide she was pointing at me.
The supervisor said something else.
“Because he’s been here since 9 and I already sent him away once,” woman 13 said.
The supervisor looked at me.
I smiled.
Window 14 opened up with the supervisor at it.
She had my new plate and registration for me in less than a minute.
As I left, the bus woman was still arguing about plates.
I walked back to Ping’s and drove to the garage.

As I walked into the garage there was a woman I didn’t know behind the counter.
“Can I help you?” she asked.
“Yes, my car was here for inspection, needed a lot of work and new plates,” I said. “I’m here with the new plates.”
“It’s that guy they sent away from the registry,” the head mechanic said coming out from the back. “He waited all morning to get the plates.”
“Here they are,” I said, holding them up.
“We’ll get them on and get your inspection sticker,” the mechanic said. “You just go and relax or something while we do it.”
“I was going to go home and have some lunch,” I said.
“That sounds great,” the mechanic said. “You don’t worry about anything. Give us an hour or so and we’ll have everything done for you.”
I don’t think I’ve ever had a mechanic be that nice to me.
I’m not sure what it says when they take pity on you like that.

But, my car should be ready soon.
Then I’ll just have to do the shopping, go get my wife from work, bring her home, cook dinner and pay off the $1400 in repairs my car required.
Aaaaaaaaaa!