MVA - Columbia — Attraction in Columbia

Based on my previous experience with this MVA express, when I was treated like a suspect in a criminal investigation, and now reading the most recent horror reviews of sad subjects of a dictatorship being taught to humbly obey our masters, I was actually scared going into the MVA torture system yet again, now as a disabled senior subject of the new feudalism. I had tried to make an online appointment to renew my driver's licence, but the website renewal app failed to function at all. I called the complaint number listed on the website. After being put on hold and transferred 3 times, about 30 minutes later I spoke to a sympathetic customer service representative who transferred me to someone else who could make an appointment for me. I desperately wanted not to spend all day at the MVA! I made an appointment for a Tuesday morning 2 weeks later. Note: I know this seems like a recounted nightmare. It's actually for me a story with a happy ending that may help readers allay some fears of potential pitfalls on the MVA trail (so similar to the NVA's Ho Chi Minh trail in Vietnam during that time of war that I endured 1970-71 with the U.S. Army). So I showed up at this MVA compound 30 minutes early, driven by my wife, since I had let my license expire while I recovered from eye surgery. It's unlikely that anyone without a GPS navigator could find this MVA since it's so deeply hidden within a complex maze of off-road paths to a secreted strip mall and shady government hideaways. Improbably, at 9 am, there was no line outside the door. We entered and joined a long line to the information desk. Why, I thought, must people with an appointment get in a long line to an information desk? After 20 minutes in this line, I observed a woman who was apparently a roaming customer service representative, who was attending now the tail end of the line I'd joined a half hour ago. Things were looking up, it seemed. Progress was being made at the MVA, just not for me. Why wasn't she there when I came in? Alas, that was not mine to ask. Finally, after 35 minutes, 5 past my appointment, I arrived at the dreaded information desk, where the wheat is separated from the chaff. I submitted my papers documenting my citizenship existence to the Inquisitor who exclaimed how unusual my birth certificate appeared -- so large! Next I was warned that I most likely would have to leave now because I was providing not my social security card but the identically appearing stub attached to the original card. Nevertheless, the kindly clerk allowed me to proceed to be seated in the waiting area before I was to receive final judgement on acceptance or rejection of my sad paperwork. Feeling my blood pressure exceeding healthy ranges, I waited another half hour until my number was called. This again was another improvement over last time, when I had dozed off, and missed the call of my own special assignment number, which caused another half hour delay, entirely my own fault. Finally I heard my number announced. I rose stiffly from my uncomfortable plastic chair and limped to the proper final solution desk. This was another improvement -- last time I was using a cane. Now came the best part -- to my surprise, for the first time ever, I was reporting to an official of the MVA who cared about helping me to achieve what I needed, seriously! My assigned clerk was kind, caring, sensitive, apologetic, dedicated, and courteous and polite and respectful! This nice man, named Robert, at desk number 7, was too good to be true in the world of the harsh MVA. Now I, the abject subject of periodic inspection, was again required to prove with my papers my identity after 60 years of having a driver's license from a total of at least 5 states. However, I was now accused of apparently refusing to provide for inspection my original 65 year old social security card. Yet the all powerful totalitarian cartel that has supplanted our nation's constitutional representative democracy was going to give me a completely unwarranted break. Licence granted. All's well...

Customer service needs improvement. There is a woman who stands outside of the door and holds up customers by asking a million questions and tries to find every excuse to not let them in and stated that certain services were not offered at the location when in fact they were. Meanwhile, there is a line of customers waiting just to get inside. If customers have questions, they will ask; however, it is nerve-wrecking to have someone holding people up at the door. After finally getting inside, the sheriff inside was rude to the customers who could not find the appointment location when they were unexpectedly sent over there near closing time. After he noticed they could not find the appointment location, he yelled out the door to tell them where to go and came back in and shook his head simply because people did not know where to go. They could have sent the lady who was holding people up at the door to escort the customers who got called to exit the building to go to the appointment location. Where was she then? The MVA only seems to move quickly when it is almost time for the employees to go home. If they can move that quickly near closing time, they should be able to move faster throughout the rest of the day. Additionally, the new Real ID law seems to have made the whole MVA experience even more chaotic. Although it would be ideal for people to gather their documents beforehand, it would be nice if a checklist was provided on-site or on the monitors (even though it can be found online) so that customers are able to double check their documents while waiting for their number to be called. It also seems that you have to do a bit of digging online to make sure the specific documents you have will be accepted. For example, they do not accept birth certificate notices, which many people seem to have confused it with the actual birth certificate that the MVA accepts. I arrived with another person and things were just so chaotic that we were unable to get everything we needed that day. I decided to go to the MVA in Silver Spring for my next visit and had a much better experience there and only needed to wait 10 mins for my number...

I had an appointment to renew my ID for my 21st birthday 7 days before my birthday. The wait was over an hour long, and then the lady disregarded me and my appointment due to "technical issues." She did not even assign me to someone else, or offer to reschedule me. This was very annoying because I wanted a new picture, so I would not have 15 year old me as the picture. I renewed my ID online. Could not change my height or weight. It said it would take 2 days MAX to get to me. I placed my order online on June 24. I kept tracking my order and the only update there is says that on June 25th they updated my status to processing. It is now July 3, my 21st birthday was 2 days ago and I still have not received my ID. Most places do not accept vertical ID's. I called and was on hold for 30 minutes before someone spoke to me and they said "the machine was down, but now its working." No communication or update from the MVA about this until I called. They are just now working on orders placed from June 23rd. Absolutely ridiculous. There at least should have been some sort of communication regarding their broken machine. Also, I am leaving the state and will not have my horizontal ID, and as stated before, most bars, restaurants, liquor stores, etc do not accept vertical ID's. The MVA totally screws people over and they do not even care. So frustrated by the MVA and baffled by their lack of communication.

UPDATE: I received my ID finally! It took 18 days, so be prepared to use your passport. I had to use my passport as no bar/ restaurant would accept my vertical ID. I’m glad I had a passport to use, but I am still annoyed at the lack of compassion, sympathy, and communication...