assertive raven NSW

The man says bad words. Video description says he is waiting outside at the DMV

Our DMV on Mississippi is a riot. 

The written exam and the driving test have been dumbed down to make more people eligible. Kind of like the NYT crosswords is now loaded with brand names and pop culture references, and Jeopardy! is loaded up with goofy categories. The two driving tests used to be serious but now they are not. There used to be a good chance you might even fail. Now there is no sense to studying, just go.

I was compelled to go, the last time I went. The state decided upon renewal that we all need new photo licenses but they did not say that is their reason for calling us in. I wondered after it all why they didn't just say so, why they kept us all in the dark as to why we are being called in unnecessarily. Did we do something wrong? The state has a good and informative website, but they failed to say, "oh we just want a new picture of you." They knew it would be subverted if they did. I would have subverted, at least got myself up, not dragged in from the summer heat.  They gave me no chance to subvert, not knowing the only thing they wanted was a new photograph. At the decision making level, what manipulative bastards.

Whereas everybody is so nice at the DMV it's incredible. They treated me like gold.

The whole interior is changed. I said to the first woman I encountered, "I like what you've done to the place," although I was indifferent to what they did to the place. She answered, "Wait till you get into it. They messed it up worse." And they did. Now you wait for each individual step as a herd instead of being ushered through the process once your number is picked. Now your number must be picked four or five times, but I did not know that at the beginning. She continued "go to one of those kiosks back there that you passed and ..." 

I didn't see a kiosk. 

I know what a kiosk is, I know what one looks like.

Or perhaps like a little hut. Like a one-day photo developer hut. She points to the kiosks but I still do not see them.  This not recognizing a kiosk along with my daft opening remark caused the woman to regard me as slow and in need extra assistance. She got up and walked with me back to what I had just passed to one of a few input stations set upon an upright much like this. I said, "Oh!" Nothing at all like a hut. And now she's convinced I'm retarded and in need of help attaining a license. She enters my information for me and directs me to the next station. 

A large group of people is seated waiting as I walk in my stately upright manner a bit beaten by summer heat but not all that shabby, I didn't think, my steps carefully measured with two canes that have handles that fit my left and right hand, very careful on polished floors because it would be disastrously embarrassing to fall in front of seated spectators like that. It wouldn't be long I expected. I do need to stand and move. Then suddenly a man who for all the world looks like a giant gay biker stands up from his seat and with a gracious sweep of his arm asserts affirmatively, "Sir. Have this chair." 

Such a gentleman. Do I look that bad? Shit. "Thank you! I think they're going to call my number soon." 

He sat back down. I stood only a minute, they called. I chatted it up with the guy taking information. Incredibly responsive conversationally. He was a very nice person. Then waited again.

Then chatted it up with the next person. This is the last for the photo. Incredibly responsive conversationally. She was a very nice person. But now the supervisor is unhappy with my chatting it up and whispered a direction into her ear and she stopped.  I waited again. Then, name called again, then pay, then wait again, then photo, then gone.