I just went to the Ohio BMV to renew my license. No problems with me but an elderly woman who was next to me trying to get her license renewed also was having problems with the vision test. She was trying to pass the vision test for the whole time I was in there. The clerk would just keep saying "try again" over and over. Just as I received my new license, the clerk finally said "good enough". Are you kidding me? Seriously, how many "try again" passes can the BMV give before either passing or failing someone? "Good enough" isn't "good enough" when it comes to driving, if you know what I mean. I know people have eye problems and can't see well therefor needing glasses or contacts so I'm not at all upset at the old woman, just the clerk. The people working at the BMV should have just said come back another time and try again instead of literally handing out her license. I would love for the clerk that passed the elderly woman to drive in front of her and see if that really is "good enough". Sorry for the rant but I just don't feel that some people should be given licenses if they can't pass a simple test. I don't want to be driving among these people but the sad thing is I know there are thousands out there right now that the BMV is ultimately responsible for putting on the road.

 

Isn't it the Department of Motor Vehicles?

Edited... apparently not: http://www.bmv.ohio.gov/

- NCSU

 

I was thinking the same thing!

 

I am firm believer that eveyone should have to pass the same DOT tests and drug tests that us commercial drivers have to pass.

 

Easy cowboy. I just got my CDLs recently after failing the first time to a Black Gay NCDMV employee.

He not only wanted me to list everything I was checking but what I was checking it for AND WHAT WOULD HAPPEN SHOULD IT FAIL WHILE I WAS DRIVING. (i.e. for EVERY tire it was "because if it blows out I could lose control, possibly kill or injure another motorist or damage my rig or someone else's property)

He counted off for me not mentioning the aircondition vents.

The second time, I passed with flying colors. I asked him about the first guy, he said NO ONE has passed his CDL test yet.

My father has Parkinson's and drives no more then 2 miles from the house in which his shop is located. He is cautious and has a license but now it is time to renew. He has to take the on-road test and have his doctor fill a form. While he finds it annoying, he knows why, even for the minimal amount he drives.

 

I have held a CDL since I was 18 and I failed the first time as well but like the OP I have seen my fair share of this kind of thing. On the other hand we had to take my grandfathers car away from him because he could not drive safely any more so I understand both sides of the coin on this one but it all comes down to safety. If people had to take a physical and madatory random drug tests it would be a hole different situation on the roads.

 

In Ohio it's the BMV

Bureau of Motor Vehicles

Edit to show I missed the edit. duh!@

 

My favorite DMV story was with my late grandfather. He was a drinker later in life after he lost his wife.

So he goes in stone sober and fails the driving test. Then he tries it again and fails. He wanted to do it again but they advised him to come back later. So he goes and gets lit. He takes the test and passes with flying colors.

Note I do not condone drunk driving and am totally against it.

 

In Virginia it's an eye chart with letters.
Either you can read it or you can't.
The fact that she was told to "try again" indicated she had it partially correct.
She may have just been turning them around in her head.

Of the twentysix letters, eleven look the same in the mirror, fifteen do not.

 

Agreed.


The way morons drive today is unbelievable. It's terrible out here on the east coast, and makes me miss the Midwest every day.

Mandatory drug tests and a basic physical isn't much to ask.

 

If you think BMV is bad (opposed to DMV), down here in NM they call it the MVD... Motor Vehicle Division. Coming from Illinois I can't get DMV out of my head, and they always shoot me a look when I get it wrong that ranges from anger to pity.

 

I would have just told her no instead of that. No is the safe answer.

 

Are your guys' lines as bad as ours are here in Washington? State closed about 3/4 of the DMV offices to save money last year or the year before. From the horror stories of my colleagues the average wait time is around 2 hrs for a renewal license; and that's at 0900 in the morning when they open the doors. I'm dreading going in February to finally get mine before it expires.

 

Dad and I went in to get some renewal stuff done about four months ago here in a small town near where I live, and we walked in and took a number at around 1pm. At 3pm they put away the number dispenser and put a sign on the door saying no more customers that day. They close at 5pm. Dad and I got out of there, neither one of us accomplishing what we needed to do because of 'technicalities,' at around 3:30.

Where I live in Las Cruces we have a 'MVD Express' which is a privatized facility contracted with the State of New Mexico to do pretty much everything a state office does. When I went there to do exactly the same thing I needed to do at the other one (but couldn't), it look less than ten minutes and cost about 25% more. Well worth it.

Just in case you're curious, what I needed to have done was a trailer inspection to transfer title because there was no VIN on the trailer. The MVD office in that little town didn't have anyone on staff who had the authority to do the inspection and counted on a local sheriff's office who was busy that day. The private office in Las Cruces DID have someone on staff during all business hours who could do the inspection.

 

Here in Illinois, the DMV isn't horrible. There are busy times, if you show up on a Saturday or try to renew license plates on the last day of the month you may wait in line. The rest of the time they are ok as far as wait times. Certainly not the most friendly customer service in the world but tolerable.

Services like plate transfers and renewal stickers can be purchased at places like Currency Exchanges but you will pay a small fee. If you go directly to the DMV, there is no additional charge. I guess I am cheap and usually go directly to them vs paying the extra 3.00 for my plate renewal.