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I don't even know where to begin with this so forgive me if this is fragmented.
My driver's license was due to expire this year, last month to be exact. Well, thanks to the identity theft vigilantes, they no longer put your social security number on your driver's license. Fine. But- I couldn't renew my DL w/o providing proof of my social sec. #. Now- last I checked, they were telling people not to carry their ss card with them. So naturally, I not only didn't have it with me, I had no freakin idea where it was. Since I'm a SAHM, I had absolutely nothing else that had my SS# on it.
I know I waited til the last minute, and have only myself to blame- but in my defense- everyone in our house has been sick and we're remodeling- my driver's license is truly the last thing on my mind. So, moving on....
I got online and went to the soc. sec. webpage. It said, you need a photo id and one other form of proof- preferably a birth certificate or passport. Fine. Can't find that either (haven't had to prove I've been born lately, and did I mention the remodeling)?
Went to the website for the city where I was born. Can only get a copy in person or in the mail. Ordered a copy of my birth certificate for $20, b/c of course it had to be a certified copy with the super special seal pounded into it. Pfft. Granted, they were damn speedy in getting it to me. I mailed my check on Sunday, and got my certificate on Tuesday. Holy crap! I was deluded with a false sense of optimism. At this point, I began to plan my trip to the social security office, or as I now call it, the shithole 5 layers beneath hell.
Naturally, it's located downtown right next to the most popular bus stop in the world. I headed down there with my daughter in tow, and about fell over when I found a parking spot right in front of the building. Surely, this must be an omen, that my time here will not be so bad after all. Think again sucker.
The building, being a federal building, is now guarded by large stern looking men who melt into goo when my daughter bats her baby blues at them. Handed over my purse, keys, watch and they put it through the xray thing- then I walk through the metal detector. The guy takes one look at my expired license and tells me where to go- obviously this must be a common thing. We enter the soc sec office and it's...... icky. They've taken out most of the personal contact, and I know why, because if I worked there, I'd be popping valium like tic tacs.
I go up to this machine with a numerical pad- you put in a number which tells them why you're there. #1, your name changed- #2 lost social sec. card, etc. Then it spits out a little piece of paper with a # on it and when it's called, it's your turn. When we approach the waiting room, I realize that I am SO OUT OF MY ELEMENT. This crazed old woman is trying to flag people down to tell them something- but she doesn't speak decent english so no one can understand her, then she sits down and starts babbling to whoever had the bad luck to sit there. Then this guy is pacing and ranting about how he's going to lose his house deal if they don't hurry and he's got a cab waiting for him and it's already up to $20 just for the cab. At different times, different nutcases try to half-heartedly storm the office and are stopped by the security guy who has clearly seen this before. We sat there for 45 minutes before they called our number, watching various people have nervous breakdowns waiting for their turn. One guy's number got called, and he started shouting "Praise the Lord" over and over as he walked up. My toddler put these people to shame, she behaved incredibly well and the adults were the ones having tantrums.
They finally called my number. I approached the window with my document downloaded from their site and completely and neatly filled out, my birth certificate and expired DL in my hand.
You know what he said?
We can't issue you a new social security card because your driver's license is expired.
I ask the obvious question. "If I can't renew my DL without my social security card, and I can't get a replacement social security card without a valid DL, how am I supposed to rectify this"?
Well, he knew just what to do. He printed out a piece of paper with my information on it and stamped it, and said the BMV would accept it as proof. Then I can come back with my renewed driver's license and get a replacement social security card. (Yeah, I want to come back here ASAP).
I looked at my new "proof". I swear I could have just made this at home. It was that generic. Of course I wouldn't
I immediately drove over to the BMV and renewed my license.
Then you know what happened? That's right, it's not over. I left my daughter with a sitter a few hours later and went to the store, and looked for my new DL so I could buy some cold medicine- whiskey I can buy easily, cold medicine I need ID for. It wasn't there. I looked in both pockets, could NOT find it. I can NOT go through this twice in one week. I drove to the BMV and looked through the parking lot, figuring it must have fallen out of my pocket. By sheer chance, they weren't closed yet, so I went in to see if it fell out in there or if someone turned it in. The lady at the desk was the same one who I talked to earlier, we chatted quite a bit and it was nice to talk to someone who wasn't growling at the wall. She happily gave me my license that someone found in the parking lot.
She was, in fact, the same woman who told me that I didn't have to go to that grungy social security office in the first place. There is a much nicer one on the west side of town where the affluent folks live
Next time I have a day like that, I'm going back to bed before it gets any worse.
My driver's license was due to expire this year, last month to be exact. Well, thanks to the identity theft vigilantes, they no longer put your social security number on your driver's license. Fine. But- I couldn't renew my DL w/o providing proof of my social sec. #. Now- last I checked, they were telling people not to carry their ss card with them. So naturally, I not only didn't have it with me, I had no freakin idea where it was. Since I'm a SAHM, I had absolutely nothing else that had my SS# on it.
I know I waited til the last minute, and have only myself to blame- but in my defense- everyone in our house has been sick and we're remodeling- my driver's license is truly the last thing on my mind. So, moving on....I got online and went to the soc. sec. webpage. It said, you need a photo id and one other form of proof- preferably a birth certificate or passport. Fine. Can't find that either (haven't had to prove I've been born lately, and did I mention the remodeling)?
Went to the website for the city where I was born. Can only get a copy in person or in the mail. Ordered a copy of my birth certificate for $20, b/c of course it had to be a certified copy with the super special seal pounded into it. Pfft. Granted, they were damn speedy in getting it to me. I mailed my check on Sunday, and got my certificate on Tuesday. Holy crap! I was deluded with a false sense of optimism. At this point, I began to plan my trip to the social security office, or as I now call it, the shithole 5 layers beneath hell.
Naturally, it's located downtown right next to the most popular bus stop in the world. I headed down there with my daughter in tow, and about fell over when I found a parking spot right in front of the building. Surely, this must be an omen, that my time here will not be so bad after all. Think again sucker.
The building, being a federal building, is now guarded by large stern looking men who melt into goo when my daughter bats her baby blues at them. Handed over my purse, keys, watch and they put it through the xray thing- then I walk through the metal detector. The guy takes one look at my expired license and tells me where to go- obviously this must be a common thing. We enter the soc sec office and it's...... icky. They've taken out most of the personal contact, and I know why, because if I worked there, I'd be popping valium like tic tacs.
I go up to this machine with a numerical pad- you put in a number which tells them why you're there. #1, your name changed- #2 lost social sec. card, etc. Then it spits out a little piece of paper with a # on it and when it's called, it's your turn. When we approach the waiting room, I realize that I am SO OUT OF MY ELEMENT. This crazed old woman is trying to flag people down to tell them something- but she doesn't speak decent english so no one can understand her, then she sits down and starts babbling to whoever had the bad luck to sit there. Then this guy is pacing and ranting about how he's going to lose his house deal if they don't hurry and he's got a cab waiting for him and it's already up to $20 just for the cab. At different times, different nutcases try to half-heartedly storm the office and are stopped by the security guy who has clearly seen this before. We sat there for 45 minutes before they called our number, watching various people have nervous breakdowns waiting for their turn. One guy's number got called, and he started shouting "Praise the Lord" over and over as he walked up. My toddler put these people to shame, she behaved incredibly well and the adults were the ones having tantrums.
They finally called my number. I approached the window with my document downloaded from their site and completely and neatly filled out, my birth certificate and expired DL in my hand.
You know what he said?
We can't issue you a new social security card because your driver's license is expired.
I ask the obvious question. "If I can't renew my DL without my social security card, and I can't get a replacement social security card without a valid DL, how am I supposed to rectify this"?
Well, he knew just what to do. He printed out a piece of paper with my information on it and stamped it, and said the BMV would accept it as proof. Then I can come back with my renewed driver's license and get a replacement social security card. (Yeah, I want to come back here ASAP).
I looked at my new "proof". I swear I could have just made this at home. It was that generic. Of course I wouldn't
I immediately drove over to the BMV and renewed my license.Then you know what happened? That's right, it's not over. I left my daughter with a sitter a few hours later and went to the store, and looked for my new DL so I could buy some cold medicine- whiskey I can buy easily, cold medicine I need ID for. It wasn't there. I looked in both pockets, could NOT find it. I can NOT go through this twice in one week. I drove to the BMV and looked through the parking lot, figuring it must have fallen out of my pocket. By sheer chance, they weren't closed yet, so I went in to see if it fell out in there or if someone turned it in. The lady at the desk was the same one who I talked to earlier, we chatted quite a bit and it was nice to talk to someone who wasn't growling at the wall. She happily gave me my license that someone found in the parking lot.
She was, in fact, the same woman who told me that I didn't have to go to that grungy social security office in the first place. There is a much nicer one on the west side of town where the affluent folks live
Next time I have a day like that, I'm going back to bed before it gets any worse.
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