Won't a valid passport serve? Or global entry?
@Freddie- You may have just met your greatest song challenge ever Freddie with that Happy song about waiting in line at the DMV! It should definitely be handed out to people as they await their turn at the counter. Or better yet sung and played over the loud speaker:-)!
1
@American Girl - Thanks for that. And boy, that would even have been fun to be a time-killing diversion with happy thoughts at the DMV in the 1980s, when I could fake a mean two-step. These days, it would just be mean to the poor people stuck watching! :)
PS - Re "Oklahoma!" and being "older" - At the “Moulin Rouge” stage door a month ago, I was talking with a Boston local in her late 30s about the original “Woman of the Year” Boston tryout at that same theater, where the Lauren Bacall vehicle went from an ambitious head-shaker with unbearably high emotional stakes first weekend, to high-spirited breezy fluff just weeks later - as it headed off to winning both writing Tonys (book and score) in NYC! The lady's young daughter asked if I’d gotten to see the original “Oklahoma!” tryout before it changed its title. (I mumbled no, but maybe that was New Haven with the old title.)
2
"reservation can often cut your wait time in half."
That seems to say a reservation is an idea of a time, rather than an actual time, but cutting the wait in half is certainly an incentive to plan ahead.
Tune of ”Everything’s Up to Date in Kansas City”
I went to read the column early Frid’y
I learned about a thing I ought to do
‘Cause til today I didn’t have the I.D.
And found out it’s a card I should pursue.
I clicked the link they gave in the story that they wrote
Took me to a most intriguing site
I got a real good slot, and that day I got my coat
‘Cause I needed proof that I could take a flight
(Where to?) (Yeah, where?) Wanna join me?
D.M.V.’s kind of great in New York City
If you don’t have the card, then you should go
They’re always understaffed, so you’ll make new friends in line,
Or maybe go there with some folks you know.
If you don’t like the wait in New York City
There’s offices that might not be that slow
Still make a reservation and though it won’t make it fast,
You’ll cut your time enough so that you’ll feel much less harassed
And go with a fun attitude and you may have a blast!
The wait ain’t all that hard, so you should go.
(Line up!) If you don’t have the card, then you should go!
4
The NYS DMV allows to make an appointment on line to get the ID of your choice.
You can search on their website for the ID you want, then make an appointment for the DMV office of your choice at the time of your choice ( subject to availability).
I did this, when I went to the DMV for my appointment, was greeted by an employee who asked me if I had an appointment.
After I showed my confirmation, she escorted me to the front of the line, to a "side line" which was empty. I immediately was called by the agent at the window who inspected my documents, and directed me to the photographer at the adjacent line.
Once my photo was taken, I was directed to take a seat, and in a few minutes, I was called to another line where the procedure was completed.
I got my new license on the mail in less than 2 weeks.
Making a little research was more than worth it.
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@Nanasil
Thank you for this information.
1
In this day and age, the last thing I want stamped on my driver's license is "Not for federal purposes."
2
@Kay Bee, that's how we felt about the same-gender New York marriage license until the Federal law change with Obergefell v. Hodges!
Changing Facebook status from "married" to "in a relationship" whenever we crossed state lines was more than I could handle. Especially tough during cross-country flights. (Also, no tax planning program I could find could do joint return NY but single Federal.)
2
It looks like the only difference between Enhanced and Real is the price you have to pay. The documents required (according to the NY DMV website) seem to be the same. Seems gimmicky to have THREE separate licenses, where there are only two, pricey options.
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@anae
It's ridiculous.
1
A question really, are post offices considered federal buildings? What about admission to them.
4
They mean federal buildings that require ID for admission.
1
Asking for a friend: can you drive to the Caribbean by car?
9
I could only shake my head after reading this article. My second reaction was: are Americans crazy, again! Has the Saudi Arabian men's (I stick to the truth) impact on Sept. 11, 2001 been so strong that it produced this ID card "overproduction?
Normally Europeans think of America as an "easy" country. I still remember the "this is Standard in this country" slogans of the 1990s. So why so complicated now?
2
@Peter: Because bureaucracies exist to perpetuate themselves, and also b/c they can collect more money for something that should be standard.
3
I renewed my NYS driver’s license on September 5th at the West 31st Street branch. I arrived at 7:30 am and was finished at 9:30 am. The renewal and fee for the enhanced driver’s license was $ 118.50.
As a side note this is the first time that I have provided any agency comprehensive personal information in a very long time. Yesterday I discovered that one (maybe two) individuals attempted to open multiple credit cards in my name on September 15th. I suspect that my information was obtained through NYS DMV.
Regards,
George Mohr
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@George Mohr Now I don't feel so bad about not getting the Real ID. BTW - I had my credit card information stolen after renewing my law license with the NYS Court System.
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Well, there are bad apples in every barrel.
My father-in-law found, many years ago, a charge for airline tickets to Pakistan after using his credit car in a Coney Island Avenue gas station.
I had charges for a new computer and printer after using my credit card at a Radio Shack and also after buying something at a Verizon store. Weren't my purchases.
Neighbors have found that checks placed directly into post office slots have been opened, washed clean, rewritten, and cashed.
This is why we don't have carbon copies of credit-card purchases anymore. Those carbons were deadly.
Everybody has something. Most people are honest.
2
@George Mohr The enhanced driver's license cost $118.50 ? !!!! Good to know. Thats INSANE !
2
When will he host a forum in northern Manhattan & Inwood to discuss how awful HPD is run? And, why is this agency one of the worst agencies in NYC. 2nd is Design & Construction who is late with every single protect they work on. And, how is it he still has an acting Commissioner at DDC after the last one got booted over 2 years ago?
1
Last year I attended the san Gennaro Festival for the first time in 15 years or so. Wow, the attendance had risen beyond what I had anticipated. What a crush of people! It was never anywhere near this crowded in the 60's thru the 90's.
My eyes and ears told me that this is due to tourism. Many New Yorkers outside of little Italy always attended but not many Midwesterners or foreigners. All are certainly welcome, but I guess that in this online world we live in, more people are aware of festivals such as this.
4
Regarding the enhanced ID, it wasn't horrible, and no worse than a one day commute into the city from the NJ suburbs. The DMV prioritized the enhanced ID process which meant that I was greeted at my appointment time, within 15 minutes or so, but had to wait 60 to 90 minutes before I could actually pay for it. Although I am not a frequent airline traveler, my spouse and I are part of the Global Entry system that includes PreCheck, and I felt that a little extra for easier access was worth it.
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@James Igoe, I recall a while back your posting about your sometimes being mistaken for John Kerry. Hope you're not getting stopped the past day with John Kerry suddenly in the news again!!