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CJD
Yoda
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Both a sad and happy day today. The twins turned 16 and got their drivers licenses this afternoon. They were 12 when we had fun taking pictures with the Triumph, and they both learned to drive a stick with it this last year. That's the happy news. The sad news is that I had been saving My wife's old VW and my ancient Range Rover for them to drive, so when those cars came out of the shed, the TR3 got stored indefinitely. Real bummer, but we don't have the room at the house for it anymore. It'll go from getting driven every day to only once a month to keep it from deteriorating.
Although the loss of the Triumph for a while is bad, I'm really writing to convey how bad the state of Texas has gotten for teen drivers. Nearly traumatic!
I got my license at age 15, and it was a non-issue. The only concern in the 1970's was getting a job to pay the $140 per year for my insurance. Adding 2 kids to the policy today will now cost $300 per month.
Gulp!
But, it gets worse. Since my wife is disabled, and I work out of town a couple weeks a month, we tried to get the twins their "hardship" licenses at age 15-1/2 last summer. Note that the driving age in Texas has gone from 15 in the '70's to age 16 today. Sat in line at the DMV for 5 hours to find that the license would only be good for school and back, and they would revoke my wife's license if the twins got theirs. Say what?!? Give up a full license for some half @$$ hybrid license. No thanks....day of my life wasted.
Skip forward to last Friday.
My biggest fear at the DMV is getting there, waiting 4 hours in line only to find we're missing one form that kicks us back out, only to start over in line when we found the missing document. It's not an unreasonable fear, as it has happened to me several times over the years! So, On Friday I started compiling all the unending documents for 2 kids. For our older kids (I have trained 4 of my own and 2 nieces), at age 16 they showed up, took a written test, and the driving test was always waved. As I worked, I noted that the wording about waving the driving test has changed...very ambiguous now. So I call the DMV. 15 minutes of phone tree and 2 hours of elevator music later, I get through.
I find that, now, the driving road test is mandatory. "No Problem!, says I, "schedule us in for Tuesday". The response??? "Uh, hold the phone, Chuck, we are currently making reservations for May."
WTF???!!!! MAY!!!!
Well. That one phone call sent my life between Friday and today into a frenzy. I spent all day Friday and Monday trying to find a location in Texas, simply to schedule a driving exam for 2 kids. At least 20 hours on the phone later, I had called every DMV office within 300 miles to try to schedule tests, to absolute and utter no avail! Most of the numbers re-direct you right back to Austin to the main phone tree, but that is not obvious until after an hour or so on hold to talk to someone...anyone.
It, miraculously came together, somehow. We had to get the kids out of school at noon and drive 1-1/2 hours past Dallas to a school that was both certified, able, and willing to do last minute road tests...at $100 apiece (Heck, I would give road tests for $100 apiece!). The twins had to watch a 2 hour mandatory drunk driving video, in the car enroute...because the video website was down for 4 days and they couldn't do it until today. Thank God for data plans! We arrived just in time to get the twins tested before the school closed for the day. Now, I mean no offense to any of you from Chicago, but I do need to point out that some parts of Dallas make the South Side look like Beverly Hills. This school is in one of those areas (I'm sure that's how we were able to schedule last minute!) Paperwork, money, 2 quick road tests, more paperwork, more money....and we back track to downtown Fort Worth (2 hours in rush hour) to the DMV for processing. As we walked into the DMV, they slammed and locked the door behind us, as it was closing time. Had to block the door with my foot to keep security from locking us out. Even then, we sat for 1 hour....only to find....we were waiting in the wrong line!
Fortunately, and very out of character for a government worker, who normally seem to enjoy seeing grave human suffering, the receptionist switched our que...even giving us credit for our 1 hour sitting. (I think it was only due to the fact I was turning pale and on the verge of a major cardiac event...which would have undoubtably generated massive paperwork for her at closing time).
In the end.
Well after dark.
The twins are finally licensed drivers.
Hooyah!
For the first time in 4 days I will sleep well tonight...so long as I can force myself not to think about how badly this could have gone if one or both had failed the parallel parking.
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