A fussy little gripe by a crotchety old man

GRRRR !
I just attempted to renew my driver license on-line as offered in a letter I received a short time ago from the Washington State Department of Licensing. The heading says "Our Birthday Gift to You: Online Renewal". The front page states ' 5 easy steps at your convenience'. But after you have filled in all of the blanks and click "continue", a red light comes on and says (not literally) you must be between the ages of 24 and 65 to be eligible to renew online. Well how-de-do ! I didn't realize I was in an unwelcome age group. Let me see, I think my first driver license was about 1951, but I couldn't renew online then either.
THEN, I drove out to the new location of the Dept. of Licensing in the Safeway's shopping center at Smoky Point, drove up and down the row of shops three times, went back to Safeways and asked directions, started walking and didn't spot it, asked at a State Liquor Store where they said 'further down', started walking again and finally spotted a little sign "Driver Licensing" in the cross beams of the roof overhang. There it was, plain as day, right in front of anyone who happened to be walking under it, right through a door to the State Aeronautical Division. Well after 45 minutes waiting for my number to be called (at least nobody said 'your number's up' ) I got to the counter and gave the nice lady my $25.00 then had my picture taken. I was loathe to say anything because of the sign prominently displayed on the wall saying it is against the law to intimidate or threaten an employee. Smile and be nice, no matter how hard you must try.
Silly old me, why should I expect our State Government to put up signs showing where their offices are, after all, if we are late getting permits and licenses and stuff they will add a late fee and make a couple bucks more in the process. Oh, I wonder if any of the letters and e-mail I sent to my District Legislators, Director of the Dept. of Licensing and the Governor will elicit any response. I doubt it, I'm just a crotchety old man in the wrong age group.

That is crazy! Why would they have age limits on renewing online ?!? It is good to express your complaints with the letters and email. Maybe that will get them thinking, and hopely you will get a response.

I loved that story because it is so true!!! My favorite line is "Well how-de-do"!!! I've felt that way MANY times! LOL

balvenie,
OMgosh, I have been there so many times! Just the other day I had to call our insurance company...and that's all I really have to say isn't it? The normal, average person doesn't understand all of that insurance hoopla language...or at least I don't. I got a hold of Mr. Pitt...seriously, that was his name. That should have given me a clue as to how the conversation would go, but I chose to let my thoughts go the way of Brad Pitt instead. Mr. Pitt asked me a question, I wasn't sure I understood it correctly so I told him that, so he continued to repeat the question. Like I was hard of hearing.

A while later I had to call back again to a different dept. I was glad that I knew I wouldn't end up talking with Mr. Pitt again. So, I listened to the recordings, said no when it asked, pressed #1, then #2. Then entered my insurance group #. The recording then told me it was transferring me to a different phone number...the number I had dialed to begin with. So, I went through the process again, thinking that maybe I had messed something up. Nope. The recording was set up so that I would just continue this loop over and over and over to the end of eternity. Doesn't anyone check this stuff?

So, I ended up having to wait on hold (again) for what seemed like forever to talk to Mr. Pitt's dept. (again) just so they could transfer me to the dept. I wanted...and so I could wait on hold (again).

It was a lovely phone call. Finally I got a hold of a real person who was very nice and helpful...and didn't expect the average person to understand and know everything that is and isn't covered by insurance.

Just craziness.

You'd think they'd at least have decent music playing for the 45 minutes you're on hold, but, nope, they can't even do that. Sheesh.

Heatherjoy, isn't that the case so often. Press 1 and it gets you something else to try to listen to and push another number to get someone who seems to think you are nuts because you just wanted to talk to a real person. And their taste in music stinks. Is it getting to the p[point where we are simply slaves to machines, and employees have lost the ability to deal directly with us ? I hope not, but the future doesn't look that encouraging. I hope you got the Insurance question solved.

LOL! Isn't it surprising when you call somewhere and a real person answers the phone? It's like OMgosh, I didn't expect that and now I don't remember what I called for! I'm sure that someday they'll have another option just for the music...press 1 for classical, 2 for soft rock, 3 for jazz. I actually wouldn't mind that.

I'd much rather they let people over the age of 65 renew online than in person...if you have enough sense and where withal to figure out the online process your a heck of a lot more in tune than most 40 year olds. Heck I have an engineer DH who forever screws up ordering stuff cause he "can't figure out the #$(% website".

It took awhile, quite awhile, before I would order anything online. Now its OK, so far. Sometimes its better to try to "figure out" all the stuff you have to do to order online than to go to a store where the don't seem to be able to make change unless the cash register tells them what to give back. And ask a 'public employee' for something that deviates from their comfort zone, you know, that list of Policies that they use to cover their a'hem's. Of course there are a few that spoil the barrel, most people are conscientious and thoughtful, aren't they ?

OH balvenie, its not your *fault*, but they have to prove to themselves that you're *fit* to drive. Did they give you an eye test? It's *big brother* again.

He will continually tell you its for your own good. I like to point out that *I've been off pablum for a long time, thank you*! Try it, the looks are priceless☺

Lora☺

Talking about messing up orders online...here's one y'all will like...

Christmas '06 I decide to order a magazine subscription for two friends, one for James and one for Veronica...same magazine. I ended up ordering one for Veronica and one for me. How the heck did I do that? So, I went back in and tried to fix it. Then I had one for Veronica, one for James and one for me. Now what the heck? I'm afraid to try to fix it again, figuring I'd end up with one for Veronica, one for James and two for myself. I didn't want the magazine at all. I call them to have them fix the problem. Well, it ends up that Veronica gets her magazine. James gets his magazine, but it's being sent to him under the name JaNes. They did cancel the subscription that would have come to me...but who on earth has the name JaNes? No one could figure out that typo? ...and it wasn't my typo, LOL!

In the long run this didn't bother me too, too badly...but only because the name of the magazine was "Reminisce" and is a mag all about the good ole days...including ads for 40 Mule Team Borax, and Coca-Cola ads that look like Norman Rockwell paintings. Now, if I'd have been ordering something else it probably would have bothered me more.

As long as Veronica and JaNes had a good Christmas, right? Sheesh.

I have one like that too. I had told my Mom I wanted a sub. to a mag. when I was first married. I didnt know she had ordered it. So when I started getting 2 of them I knew something was wrong. I tried to cancel the one I ordered, thinking it would be easier than trying to cancel *hers*. I went 'round and 'round with those people for weeks. I wanted a refund, they didnt understand the problem. I dont remember if I got it resolved or not. That was way before cyber-space, but being on the phone didnt help at all. It was close to 30 years ago.

Lora☺