License Tab Woes
I got a ticket today! No, not a speeding ticket. (I always get out of those.) No, not a parking ticket. (I’ve learned my lesson about those at work.) It was a ticket for having expired tabs! Doh! Except wait! I mailed my check for those over a month ago! In fact! Yes! It was August 24th to be exact. What’s the date today? October 17th? And I still haven’t received my tabs????!!! Something is rotten in the state of Minnesota.
A quick check of the great state of Minnesota’s Driver & Vehicle Services website (Ha! What a crock!) reveals that their website still has the security flaws reported months ago (April to be exact), and most online services are not available. You can, however, check the status of your renewed license tabs. A search of my info brings forth this handy, helpful tidbit of information:
Step 1 Registration information sent to update 08/26/2005
Step 2 MV Record Updated & Stickers/Plates Processed and Ready to Mail–Pending
Please allow 7 to 14 days for delivery.
After 14 days you may contact 651-296-6911 (TTY: 651-282-6555) for delivery status of your renewal.
This is entirely not acceptable. “Processed and Ready to Mail–Pending” since August? I don’t think so. They have my money. My check has cleared. So where are my tabs????
So I did what any normal citizen would do. I called the number…which proceeded to be BUSY UNTIL 5:00. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I finally worked my way through the creepy “talk to me” automaton to get a number for the license bureau in downtown St. Paul. Called there, explained myself a little. After some consternation, the un-nice lady said to just come down there, and they would straighten it out. She didn’t give me enough time to ask whether or not “straightening things out” would include clearing up the now $98 ticket I have, thanks to the state of Minnesota’s ineptness. Gah.
So they open at 9:00 a.m. I plan to be there at 8:45 a.m. Am I little upset about this? Yeah, you could say that. Wish me luck!
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From my experience, I can say that getting tickets taken care of is a piece of cake. It seems that anyone willing to take the time to stop in and explain their case gets it waved away. Certainly, if you print out that webpage and take it in, they should have no problem “disappearing” the ticket.
Your story illustrates why I always go directly to the DMV for my tabs. You’re guaranteed to get them that way!
It took me six weeks to get my driver’s license, even though they said it would be two to three weeks.
I tried calling that same number when my voter registration was questioned (I was still carrying my old license along with the yellow piece of paper), and it was busy then, too!
Crikey.