DMV/BMV - What A Joke

Apparently, I am superstitious. I've wanted to rant about the Ohio BMV (make no mistake, it is the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, NOT the Department of Motor Vehicles) for days...but since I was driving illegally, I decided I better hold off.

Clearly, I must think that the highway patrol and fine law enforcement officers of this fair state are going to surf through cyberspace, come across my ramblings, and then search out my unregistered automobile. Yeah. Like that is likely. The only law enforcement officer who MAY come across my diatribe is the one who lives in my house. And, since A) he's too busy working and B) he doesn't actually read this blog and C) he's partially to blame for my lawlessness, the likelihood of that happening is really quite non-existent.

Nevertheless, now that I am legal again (and happily cruising 5-10 miles over the speed-limit), I will voice my frustration.

Our car registrations expired on Greg's birthday - April 29th. Granted, they send the renewal forms in advance. And, if I could have found them in the piles of paperwork on my kitchen counter, this headache might have been avoided. But, the date came and went...and we didn't renew our registrations 

Of course, Greg doesn't seem to feel the same sense of urgency about these matters. Although I could be wrong, I think it has something to do with that silver badge he carries in his wallet. (in reality, he's been working nonstop - perhaps averaging 4-5 hours of sleep at night - so I will cut him some slack). 

Anyway, the day after his birthday, Greg tried to register the cars. But, they informed him that both vehicles were due for an e-check. That was on Wednesday. Greg worked all day Thursday and Friday -- so Saturday, during our 1 hour break between soccer games, in the pouring rain, we ventured to the e-check station. 

If you've never done this...you should try it. This is a fun experience. You have to unload all passengers from the car, open the gas cap and wait while your car is subjected to a battery of tests. Our poor car has never been the same since our accident last year (due mostly to the fact that we needed the insurance money for groceries - -rather than a new bumper). It failed the test. Something to do with no pressurization on the gas cap.

Thankfully, Napa Auto parts was around the corner, we bought a new gas cap and returned to the e-check station. Greg took Cannon and proceeded to the BMV - -for fear of being late to the soccer game.

Upon arriving at the BMV, the girls and I were happy to discover we could stand in the express line. Quickly, I handed her the e-check paper and my debit card. Unfortunately, I was told that I could not register the car because I did not have power of attorney papers for Greg...nor do they accept debit cards - CASH OR CHECK ONLY.

I calmly explained that I simply wanted to pay for the registration -- that I normally send in a check, or pay online. I also informed her that Greg had been there 15 minutes previously, registering the other car. The woman was not impressed with my plea. She simply looked at me and said, "Robert (Greg's first name) must return himself, or you must bring power of attorney papers back. NEXT." *#$%*%#!@@...

So, because it was Greg's long week - -I drove around paranoid all week long. (His long week entails working from 6am-6pm and you can bet the BMV doesn't keep those kind of hours!) I prefer to be on the right side of the law. I would make a terrible criminal as I feel entirely too guilty!

Finally, on Thursday, I attempted to take matters into my own hands and tried to register online. I got Greg's license information and proceeded -- without any complications whatsoever. I stopped just short of clicking the "PAY" button because Greg had said he would try to stop by there on his way to working on our rental properties. It's a good thing I stopped, because he had been able to get to the BMV. 

Go figure. Online, they didn't need the e-check. They would have taken my credit card information. In fact, they would have even let me pay TWICE...since Greg had already paid. But...in person, they would only allow Greg to do it, with the e-check verification, and with cash.

How do these people justify their existence? And with gas nearing $4 a gallon - -do I really need to spend all of my time driving back and forth to the BMV?

C'mon.