SURRATT: An appointment shouldn’t be required for a driver’s license – The Vicksburg Article

SURRATT: An appointment shouldn’t be required for a driver’s license – The Vicksburg Article

SURRATT: An appointment shouldn’t be essential for a driver’s license

Released 4:00 am Friday, December 2, 2022

On Monday morning, I went to satisfy a responsibility I do every single four several years — renewing my driver’s license.

I drove to the driver’s license office environment, walked within and was greeted by a wonderful girl sitting down at the rear of a plastic protect who inquired about my purpose.

“I’ve occur to renew my driver’s license,” I explained to her.

Her response caught me by shock: “Do you have an appointment?”

An appointment?

An appointment to see my health care provider, I can have an understanding of. An appointment to see my dentist, I can recognize. But an appointment to get a new driver’s license? To do some thing that will get 15 minutes at the most, in which you plunk down $25 and get a poor mugshot?

It appears a little bit elitist.

I instructed the lady I did not have an appointment. She wrote down my name and cell cellphone quantity and advised me to go sit in my motor vehicle, “And I’ll phone you.”

Sit in the car waiting around to decide up my daughter from function? Yes. Sit in my vehicle whilst my spouse operates into the grocery store? Yes. Sit in my vehicle like some exiled boy or girl who misbehaved? No. Alternatively, I stood outside the setting up with a few good ladies to move the time until finally about an hour afterwards, when I received the phone to return to the interior sanctum — essentially, additional of a gap in the wall, which built me know we need to have to do far better by the DPS personnel and the community.

Permit me be apparent, I am not criticizing the workers in the business office. They are pretty good they were cordial to the consumers and quite experienced.

But the notion of getting to make an appointment with a person for one thing as basic as a driver’s license just seems a little bit strange. I did not have to make an appointment when I renewed my license four yrs in the past, but I could be mistaken memory lapses are not unusual in 1 of my highly developed age.

But given that there had been a four-year span concerning license renewals, I questioned if the state Department of Public Basic safety experienced improved its policies and now essential appointments to get a driver’s license, so I contacted DPS. A single of their spokespersons advised me appointments are not necessary, but the receptionist at the driver’s license place of work will check with the buyer if they have an appointment so they’ll know in which to location them in the line. Buyers with appointments are offered a quantity to maintain the “system” in the correct buy.

But with discussions of prolonged traces and driver’s license offices occupying closets like the place of work in this article, it would appear to be time for the powers that be at DPS to re-consider its units, like putting in an categorical lane for individuals who want to renew their driver’s license, because that course of action usually usually takes this sort of small time, and shell out some dollars using the services of much more personnel and finding properties with satisfactory space for personnel and consumers.

There’s an outdated joke, “I’m from the authorities I’m listed here to assist you.”

It is time DPS commenced helping its personnel and the general public.

 

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana Point out College with a diploma in typical experiments. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Publish staff members since 2011 and covers town govt. He and his spouse go to St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

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