DMV vs. MVD

Here in Arizona they have a Motor Vehicle Department. Back in the old world(Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire) we had the DMV (cue scary background music). You went there and if you were lucky you would emerge three hours later with a piece of paper telling you to come back next Tuesday with three forms of identification and the title to your house.

So today James and I set out to become licensed Arizona drivers. We were supposed to do this when we became "residents" but we didn't, because that would mean going to the DMV, and that is bad. But now we had to go, because our car needed to be registered.

All in all, the whole experience wasn't that bad. We had a "vehicle inspection" that consisted of the man observing that we did in fact have a car, that the car had a VIN, and that VIN had not been reported stolen. Then we went inside, filled out a short form, didn't even really have to wait, and got two drivers licenses and one car registration all at the same counter. My picture wasn't even that bad. Clearly the MVD wins over the DMV.

But this is the best part. My license doesn't expire until my sixty-fifth birthday!! They're like, yup, Maine says you know how to drive, and you seem to be able to see large shiny objects, go ahead and keep driving for another forty years. We won't even try to extort any more money out of you. That will be $25 for forty years.