Try A Little Tenderness

Just the thought of having to go down to the DMV scares most of us.

I am one of the scared ones.

The DMV has become the poster-child for what is wrong with government. The people who work there are constant fodder for radio and TV talk-shows. If you want to describe people who are miserable at their jobs: it's the DMV.

Right?

Yesterday I renewed my drivers license at a Milwaukee office. The people who worked there had the scowl and little tolerance for anything out of order. What a miserable experience.

Yet for the first time - I began to understand. I sat close to the counter during my 30 minute wait and over-heard some of the most pathetic conversations of my life.

• First was the kid who showed up to take a driver's test - without a car! I guess he thought they provide one. He kept saying someone was going to meet him with a car.


• Next was the person who didn't have any cash or a check to pay. Do you take Discover?


• Another guy was looking for an ID ... with no documents to prove who he was ???


• If that wasn't enough - people would show-up ... wait in line ... only to discover that you had to pick a number and wait to be called. HOW COULD YOU MISS THIS? The numbers flash and make a loud 'bing' every time. Then someone walks-up with the number. I overheard someone arguing with the agent about having to get a number and go to the back of the line.

I wondered if it was physics at work: every force is met with an equal yet opposite force. (or something like that). So I thought about applying a positive force. Here's what happened:

I get to the counter of the agent who had to handle the guy who forgot to grab a number (lucky me). I gave the agent my completed form with check made out to the proper amount and she went about her work making no eye contact.

ME: "How about this warm March weather ... reminds me of those days in high-school when the cool teachers would have class outside on the lawn..."

HER: "We had no lawn at my school."

Silence ensued ...

HER: "But I sure loved having church out on the lawn"

Smile and eye contact.

From now on: I'm on their side. I cannot imagine having to deal with the crap they see/hear every day. If anything - I commend them for not going postal (is that still a relevant reference?)