And I Thought California's DMV Was Slow. . . . .

Well, I got my driver's license yesterday.  Still pretty grumpy about that.

I tried to get it over lunch but the guy said there was a 3 hour wait, so I picked up the forms I needed and came back after work (he said that their slowest time is right before they close at 5).  I showed up at 4:20 PM and still had to wait over an hour.  I was pretty upset by that.  At that point they should have paid me or waived their stupid licensing fee.

At least the lady at the counter was nice.  When she saw my old license she mentioned she was going to California for the holidays and remarked how much she was looking forward to it.

They confiscate your old driver's license and give you a piece of paper that says they have it now.  Kind of depressing.  I don't know why they don't just hole-punch and return it like other states do.

So.  I guess in two weeks I'll receive it in the mail, although with my luck it will get lost or whatever.  I've been having kind of spotty service with the USPS here, although the mail carrier seems nice whenever I see him.

The Car, The Dog, and The Law

I am not having a good track record with the po-lice today.

First of all I get pulled over for speeding on my way to my 2nd work site today.  OK, yes, I was speeding, but so was pretty much everyone else.  Going the speed limit on that road would force you to be going at least 10-15 mph slower than the flow of traffic.  At least he wasn't a huge jerk about my not having a TX driver's license yet, and didn't cite me for that.  He did give me a citation for the speeding though, which I suspect is going to cost me.

Secondly, I was taking a walk with the dog this afternoon, when some dude wearing civilian clothes in the complex courtyard flashes his badge at me and asks how long I had been out walking my dog and if I heard a gunshot recently.  Why Officer, I have been out here for around 20 minutes and no, I did not hear a gun shot recently.  "Well I did and I already called for back up" he says as he storms off.

Walking away, I realize I did hear something that could have vaguely been mistaken for a gunshot: some dude was beating a couch cushion into dust-less submission on his balcony.  It didn't sound like a gun shot to me at the time even though it made both me and the dog look around.  I have heard gun shots in the neighborhood before and this didn't sound like it.  Hmm.

Do I go back and point out to this cop with an attitude/power-trip/disadvantaged-height-complex that he just may have mis-heard what he thought was a gun shot?

No.  No I do not.  I've had more than my yearly dose of talking to the police, and I really don't want to talk to them no more.

Why You Should Never Talk To The Police

Driver's License Application

Yes, I know I said this was a 3-step process.  I've been busy, and as I'm not wild about being in Texas I'm kind of in denial about getting my driver's license here.

Anyway, I glanced at the website today.  It looks like I'll need:
Passport
Social Security Card (crap, where did I put that?)
Texas car registration, proof of insurance
Driver's License Fee of $25 (they say you can pay with a credit card although I'd just bring cash - I've heard that they can be particular about personal checks also)

If you have a valid out-of-state license you bring your current license in (I think they take it from you, which is another reason why I'm reluctant to bring it in) and then all you need to do is pass a vision exam.  No written or driving exam required.

Then just fill out the form and present all that to a DPS office.  Yeah.  I'm gonna get right on that.  :(

Car Registration

As complicated as it's made out to be online, car registration was relatively painless.

You need three things when you go to the tax office (I went to the one in Richardson, which was blissfully unbusy on a Friday afternoon):
1 - Inspection Certificate from your car inspection
2 - Car title or car registration from your former state
3 - A walletful of cash (I think my total came out to be $185 or so - they do accept checks, but only from local banks).

There are two forms to fill out which are relatively simple (name, address, car VIN, etc.) and that's about it.  I think I was in and out of there in less than 20 minutes.

New Resident Information
County Tax Office Locator

So I now have Texas license plates and two stickers on my car.

Car Registration, Driver's License, et. al.

Getting your car registered and your new Texas driver's license, per Texas law (I believe it's 30 days to get your car registered, 90 days to get your driver's license) is really a pain in the butt.  Worse than finding an electricity provider.  Why it needs to be this complicated is beyond me.

This whole process can be done in 3 (or 4 steps, if you want to have tolls auto-deducted).  Here is an overview; I'll post updates as I go through the "process".

1. Get your car inspected.
2. Register and license your car.
3. Get your driver's license (at a totally different office!).
4. Get your Texas Tag set up.

Driving in Dallas

Driving in Dallas (or all of Texas, for that matter) is truly an exercise in taking your life into your own hands.  I've dealt with so much road rage and inattentive drivers that I'm seriously considering just cycling or taking the bus or Dart (Dallas' Metro) everywhere.  OK, not *that* serious, but it's a tempting option.

Example 1: Along most of the freeway "feeder" roads around here there is usually a left-only turn lane, and a left-turn lane where you can also go straight (it usually takes you right onto the on ramp for the freeway as well).  One afternoon I was stopped at a light on the right-most left-turn lane (the one where you can still go straight on).  A huge SUV pulled up to the right of me (in a straight-only lane), and when the light turned green the guy honked at me to get out of his way because he wanted to make a left turn!

Example 2: I was turning right into a parking lot during rush hour.  There was a guy in the entrance/exit area of the parking lot, who was oriented to exit the parking lot.  Right before I turned he decided he wanted to make an inpromptu U-turn back into the parking lot.  I really want to know what his thought process on this was.

I really don't feel like I'm being selfish or arrogant when I drive, but stupid stunts like these cause accidents.  And I see stuff like this every time I drive somewhere.  Not to mention I get nervous driving around here with my California plates. . . I'm still working out all the details of how I'm supposed to get Texas plates and a Texas driver's license.  It's going to be a pain, that much I know.

Texas Turns

It's fascinating to me how different just driving can be in different parts of the United States.  When I moved to Los Angeles I remember being intimidated by all the fast drivers.  Now I've become one of those crazy L.A. drivers!  I drive too fast and pass too close.  If you do something stupid I honk with great gusto.

In Dallas they have horizontal traffic lights, and they have what's called "Texas Turns".  If you miss your exit on a freeway, you can just remain in the left lane and be immediately funneled into the on-ramp to go the other way.  It's very convenient for those who are new to the city and are a bit lost (even with Garmin by your side).

When I moved to L.A., I thought that I would stay there, that L.A. would be the place where I put down roots.  Now I'm relocating to Dallas for work, and until this week I'd never set foot in the city.  This whole unanticipated adventure has just become my little detour, my Texas Turn into I-don't-know-what-comes-next.  I'll admit it's not the perfect analogy.