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    Friday, August 03, 2007

    Stupid Damned Patriot Act!

    Inspection passed no problem and we head off to the licencing bureau to get tags for the car and renew my driver's licence.

    Little problem there. See, even though I showed my birth certificate to get my licence in the first place, Homeland Stupidity thinks I'm a terrorist if I don't have a birth certificate to prove I am a native to this country. I'm not allowed to renew my licence without a copy, so now I'm an illegal driver until I can get the state of Florida to send me my vital records. *growl*

    Little problem with getting the car tagged too. After arguing with the teller for a few minutes and finally convincing her that I do indeed need to licence a car, (She seemed convinced that I was trying to renew the tags on Sheldon), it seems that because I've owned the car for a long while, I need to have an insurance card for it right now, despite the fact that I just got it fixed and I'm waiting for the ins company to send me the cards for this car. Proof of current insurance isn't good enough of course, I have to have proof of insurance on that car, despite the fact that it has been working for less then 4 days, and that kind of paperwork takes longer than that to mail. I could call my insurance company and tell them to fax the proof to their office if I want,she tells me, trying to be helpful, I'm sure. It'll only cost me $2. Riiight! It is not $2 worth of paper, electricity, and ink, and getting a phone call doesn't cost a dime. If I'm going to get my proof by fax, I can do that at home for free.

    I leave loudly denouncing to everyone precisely how idiotic and what a pain in the arse the patriot act is, and how I can't wait until that little governmental fauxpas gets revoked. Needless to say, when I go back to get all this crud taken care of, I'll be going to the other office. *chuckle*

    Home again, home again, jiggity jig.

    Not much further along than yesterday, we arrive home to check the Internet for the proper (and fastest) way to get my birth certificate from Florida. I found a place that does vital records for every state via the Internet on an expedited basis, so I give them a total of about $40 for two copies, to arrive here in three to five days. That I can handle, I really need a licence.

    I called a creditor who is having serious problems with their payment processing on their website and paid my bill via telephone, and was in a really bad mood (horrid customer service can do that to a person), then called my insurance company. They tell me that I have to go in to my local office to get proof of insurance the fastest, and I am stumped. While I was mulling over my predicament, my ex-husband decides to come over to visit for a tiny bit, but upon hearing what is going on, offers to take me up to the insurance office so I can still keep working towards being fully legal.

    Upon arriving at the office however, I am told that since I paid my bill at the last possible moment on the due date, it hasn't processed on their website and my coverage is listed as "soft cancelled". This means it is not really cancelled, but will be in the next three days if the payment isn't processed by then. Weirdness. Even after the agent calling the main company herself, I am told that I can't get a proof of insurance card because the payment hasn't gone through, so it hasn't posted to their database, so they can't for sure say that I am indeed covered! GAH!

    So here I am, home again and still no further towards my goal. I will call the ins place again tomorrow to see if my payment has processed and they've corrected the status of my account so I can have my mom take me up to the office and I can finally get that printout and at least get the tags transferred. *sigh*

    One last little dig; I don't think I needed to get the inspection after all, because the tags are still good until October, and I could have just had the tags switched over. I can't really be sure though. I'll be renewing the tags now in any case though, as I'm in no mood to waste the money I spent on the inspection after I worked so hard for it.

    A positive thing; I shouldn't have to drive at all until my birth certificate comes in, as I have nothing planned until Tuesday. Here's hoping it's quick!

    It is the little setbacks that make the blessings just that much richer, no matter how immensely frustrating they can be.

    5 comments:

    lovelife said...

    sorry that the goverment is trying to give you a stroke with all the paper work needed any more for proof that we are who we are and live in the usa all of our life.
    Hope you get the paper work soon you know you could call me if you need a ride some place that is not to far away from me or you.
    Karen

    TheyDHD said...

    Thanks hun, I appreciate the offer.
    -K

    Unknown said...

    Shannon does not exist either. I doubt he'll take the pains to fix it that you have.

    There's a reason my grandpa drove without a license for over fifty years.

    TheyDHD said...

    Wow

    Anonymous said...

    Good words.