I HATE the California DMV

California DMV

Ok so here it is. I have a truck to register, to add to the High Speed Magazine motorpool. It’s a truck that’s going to be getting wrapped with the company logo, website and of course feature the Five High Speed Divas for 2010!

Of course we’re not talking about a brand new truck or anything in fact this one is about 14 years old and I pretty much inherited it when my brother Joe passed away in January. But that isn’t the reason you’re reading this.

The reason you’re reading this is to find out why I would HATE the DMV! Well if you’ve never gotten a license or had to register a car in the state of California I wouldn’t expect you to actually know or understand. The California DMV SUCKS!!!

Really what useful purpose does the DMV actually serve? In Cali the DMV is closed THREE Friday’s out of the month and only open on the LAST Friday of the month, and they also aren’t open on Saturdays anymore either. On CERTAIN days they’re open from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. On most other days from 9:00am – 5:pm which makes it very difficult for those who work a Monday thru Friday 8 – 5 to get in and get shit done.

Even with an appointment you have to take time off work and wait at the DMV for at least an hour but average FOUR hours to finally be seen. What’s the point of making the appointment. As someone who gets $15.00 an hour to do whatever it is they do that’s up to $60.00 they’ve lost.

Now once you get to the DMV the people that are being PAID to be there act as if they’re bothered by you! WTF? Really? It’s your JOB bitches. You should be smiling because you HAVE a job in this economy.

I digress however. So I find out that the truck is going to cost me $198.00 to transfer title and register. WTF? It’s FOURTEEN years old. Of course I told them the truck was valued at around $500.00 which SHOULD put the registration fees at around $60 – $80 since California penalizes you for having a small pick up truck. But $80.00 max with the transfer fees etc.

Nooooo almost $200.00 just for the REGISTRATION! WTF? And here I thought that extortion was ILLEGAL! I guess it’s only illegal when anyone but the government is doing it!

I get that the state is in economic distress, but then so is the entire freaking country!

Additionally the state of California requires an emissions inspection program, currently referred to as the “Smog Check” program. All because they weren’t in compliance with the 1970 Clean air bill, and began implimenting this in 1982. But if the vehicle has already passed then wouldn’t it be pretty worthless to make someone do it continuously. And does sale of a vehicle which has already passed emissions testing make a difference in it’s emissions standards?

I guess the bottom line of my rant is that how does the DMV get away with charging DOUBLE for registration fees yet provide LESS service? I don’t think that people would so much mind paying a little more if they actually felt as if they were getting something beneficial out of it.

Our roads aren’t any better than they were 20 years ago, Highway Patrol are about some of the most useless of any state I’ve ever been in. I’ve has WA.S.P (Washington State Patrol) officers actually pull over and take me to get gas when my DeLorean ran out because unknown to me the fuel gauge was broken. So the whole Ponch & Jon CHiP’s era must be dead and gone.

Oh and here is ANOTHER kick in the groin. California ALSO has a D.U.I. tax! REALLY? WTF is that about? So is it clear yet by I HATE the DMV?

Where do you weigh in? Your comments are greatly welcome!