Skeptickle

What is it about the DMV that forces you to come face to face with all sorts of unpleasant characters?

Okay, first, some background. All the way up until today I had not brought myself to change to my new name on my drivers license. There are a variety of reasons why. Some are practical reasons. For example, I had changed my middle name to something other than my father’s last name or a variation of my previous name so I had to get a court order for that. That took several months to go through. I also had our Taiwan trip coming up and I didn’t want any legal complications arising out of nowhere. So I decided to play it safe and go to the DMV after the trip.

There I am earlier today all ready with a folder full of documents (marriage license, court order, DMV form (that I got on a previously aborted trip there), checkbook, passport, etc.) and a LARGE book – Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina (I didn’t have an appointment). I drove to the DMV expecting it to be packed since it was lunchtime. However, there was plenty of parking and the non-appointment line was only two people deep. The lady behind the desk met me with a blank stare when I got to the front of the line. I can’t really tell you why that made me uncomfortable, other than usually people acknowledge you in some way.

Me: *Holding up my DMV name change form* Hi, I’m here to get my name changed.

Her: Why?

Me: …*confused look on my face*

Her: Why did you get your name changed?

Me: *pause* Oh um, because I got married…

Her: *as if talking to a slow kid* We ask because you have to have the right form.

Me: *waving my form in front of her again* Yeah, I have it. I know it’s the right one because I got it from a previous trip here.

Her: You see, I didn’t know that…

Me: Yup…*looking around*

Her: Well, here’s your number.

Me: *with as much cheerfulness that I can muster up* Thank you very much! *scurries away*

Thankfully the wait wasn’t long at all and I was set and out the door within twenty minutes. Feeling high-spirited, I decided to call my friend to see if she’s up for me paying her a visit since she lives in the area. She was occupied for the afternoon but we chatted a bit as I walked across the parking lot and got into my car. I sat and rummaged around my purse for my hands-free earphones so that I could talk to her while driving. Unfortunately I left them at home, so I decided to sit in my car for a little while and talk to her since I haven’t talked to her in months. A few seconds passed before I started hearing honking noises behind me. I tried to ignore them because I thought they were aimed at someone else.

A minute later, a middle-aged guy knocked at my driver’s side window very loudly and asked me if I was leaving. I shook my head “no”.  He then preceded to yell at me! Going on about how selfish I am! I cannot express just how much I found his behavior shockingly rude and extremely irrational. After all, there were many other people in the process of leaving and all he had to do was circle around a little longer to find a spot. Furthermore, you are not necessarily entitled to a spot just because you are behind someone who happens to be in their car. I always wait a little bit and if they don’t seem to be leaving then I MOVE ON. There may be a plethora of reasons why they would be in their car but not leaving, but the point is, it’s still their spot. But no, apparently my parking spot was special. It was the HOLY GRAIL of parking spots. In fact, my parking spot is The Parking Spot, didn’t you know? And wouldn’t it be utterly glorifying to earn The Parking Spot by acting like an infant throwing a tantrum?

So this is what he did. He climbed back into his car and drove forward a little bit so that he was completely blocking my tail-end. Then he continued to honk at me in ten-second intervals. Mind you, this was a grown man.

Of course by this time I had long gotten off the phone with my friend and was assessing the situation in my head. This guy was not only an irrational and angry person, but he was obviously a sadist. His blocking my car from getting out and honking at me was a form of punishment for not having his way sooner. Ignoring him hadn’t helped. He was just going to continue playing his little game. I’m just really surprised that he decided to commit road rage at the DMV of all places! I’m sure that if the entire parking lot emptied of cars, he’d still be after my spot just to prove to himself that he can get it.

So I did what you’re supposed to do when you’re facing a bully, I drew attention to the situation and tried to show him that I’m not someone you could just push around. I opened my window and started yelling at him at the top of my lungs. I was yelling about what he was doing to anyone who could hear me. I revved up my engine and backed up an inch at a time. I think he was actually afraid that I would back into him because he kept honking each time I backed up. After about a minute of this (and people were starting to stare), he finally backed up all the way to let me through. The jerk still took my spot.

Looking back, I’m pretty sure that he would not have acted the way he did if I were a guy or had I been with someone else. I probably looked like an easy target to him and he was in a bad mood already and took it out on me. In the process, this event ruined my day. I absolutely hate being the target of aggression and having to raise my voice in order to defend myself. But such is life, and sometimes you gotta stand up for yourself when you must. Anyways, I hope y’all are having a better day than I am!