New York State DMV - West Haverstraw — Local services in Town of Haverstraw

Let's talk about the DMV, shall we? That hallowed hall of bureaucratic purgatory, where souls go to have their patience tested and their will to live slowly drained. One would think, in this advanced age of digital convenience and "customer-centric" approaches, that making a reservation online would actually, you know, mean something. One would be tragically, utterly, and infuriatingly wrong. My recent experience wasn't just bad; it was an unmitigated disaster, a masterclass in incompetence, and a stark reminder that some institutions are simply beyond redemption. I made a reservation. Let me repeat that for the hard of hearing, for the cynical clerks, and for the management that clearly doesn't understand the concept: I made a reservation online. This wasn't some spur-of-the-moment walk-in, some casual whim to pop by and say hello. This was a deliberate act, a conscious decision to navigate their labyrinthine website, input my information, and secure a specific time slot, all in the misguided hope of a smooth, efficient visit. Foolish me. The very notion of a "reservation" at this particular DMV location is, apparently, a cruel joke. It's a digital mirage, a tantalizing promise whispered into the void, only to be shattered upon arrival. The moment I stepped through those doors, any illusion of a streamlined process evaporated faster than a tax refund in July. The waiting area was a sardine can of exasperated humanity, groaning under the weight of inefficiency. My reserved time came and went. And then some. And then more. The minutes crawled by, each tick of the clock a fresh insult. Five minutes turned into fifteen, fifteen into thirty, and before I knew it, a staggering 45 minutes had evaporated into the fetid air of that waiting room. Forty-five minutes! What, precisely, is the point of an online reservation if it's utterly disregarded the second you set foot on their property? It's not just an inconvenience; it's a deceptive practice, a bait-and-switch operation designed to lure you in under false pretenses. But the waiting, as infuriating as it was, was merely the appetizer for the rancid main course that awaited me. When my number was finally, grudgingly called – a full three-quarters of an hour past my designated time – I approached the counter with a simmering frustration, but still, a semblance of polite expectation. What I received in return was a direct assault on any reasonable expectation of human decency. The individual behind the counter – and I use the term "individual" loosely, as their behavior lacked any semblance of professional conduct – was an absolute terror. From the moment I stepped up, I was met with an attitude so profoundly unpleasant, so utterly devoid of warmth or courtesy, that it bordered on theatrical. Every word was delivered with a dismissive tone, every gesture laced with contempt. This wasn't just a bad day for them; this was a performance of pure, unadulterated disdain, directed squarely at me. And here's where the casual incompetence escalated into something far more insidious. As this person grunted and scowled their way through my transaction, my eyes, naturally, began to wander. And what I witnessed next was a stark, undeniable, and utterly sickening display of preferential treatment that made my blood run cold. One after another, I watched as other patrons approached the very same counter, or adjacent ones. And what a difference a complexion makes! For them, there were smiles – genuine, warm, inviting smiles. There were pleasantries, polite exchanges, even what appeared to be genuine attempts at helpfulness. The same robotic, hostile individual who was treating me like an unwashed pest suddenly transformed into a beacon of charm and efficiency for the next person in line. It was impossible to ignore. The contrast...

The first representative that assisted me was a Caucasian women on window #7, likely in her upper 60's, and she was incredibly rude and inconsiderate. She made up her own set of rules and she had a rude attitude. This women showed zero respect. She said I needed additional paperwork, (which wasn't previously asked of me during my Apr.30th visit), and her response was, "well I'm processing it!" I asked her if I needed to wait on line again when I returned, and she just gave me a green slip & stamped it & handed it back to me so that I don't have to wait the line. On my April 30th visit, the gentleman was much nicer & he also gave me a green slip when additional documents were needed, and he told me that I didn't have to wait the line again. Furthermore, I would like to add that I was the first person in the registration room yesterday. I checked in at 8:56am, and not even the staff was there yet. No one came out until 9:08am and it still took them a while before they sat behind a computer, "settled in", log in, have their coffee, and then finally start calling people. When I went back home and retrieved the additional documents that the woman asked me for and came back, the room was full to the max. There must've been about 80-100 people in there. I informed the security guard that I was there before & just needed to retrieve additional documents that was requested and he told me I had to go on line again. I informed him that the lady gave me a green slip to return back to her, so he went over to her and asked, and she looked right at me and with a rude facial expression she said, "no, she has to get back on line!" At this point I was ready to just reschedule, but then I decided to try going through the main entrance again to see if someone else could assist me. I was helped by a nice lady who was by the check-in scanners and I explained to her what had transpired and she told me that wasn't right and they shouldn't make me go on the line again if I was already there. Then she called a manager for me, and her name was Latoya. Latoya was actually very nice, and very helpful. She brought me back over to the room and allowed me to be seen next on a different window, as I did not want that other woman to process my documents since she was so rude. The lady on window #9 was very nice and processed my paperwork cordially and respectfully. DMV employees are civil service workers, and there is absolutely no reason to perform your duties rudely and to treat people less than human. Even me as a police officer treat people with respect. And if an officer mistreats a civilian, then they have the ability to file a complaint with CCRB (civilian complaint report bureau), and each complaint actually gets investigated and the officer gets questioned and disciplinary action gets enforced when warranted. So in the same way, there should be accountability for mistreatment and rude service...

I wanted to share with everyone my experience at the DMV in Haverstraw, New York. I hope somebody recognizes the disorder and poor treatment of costumers by the DMV employees and does something about it. After my second unsuccessful attempt at changing my address on my driver's license and changing it to an enhanced license, I decided to go in for the third time on 02.05.2014. With almost no people there I thought the process would be quick and painless. Instead it was just the opposite. When I came up to the window I was informed that I needed a proof of residence, at that point I went back home to get the correct document showing my new address. Due to the poor weather conditions I made it just in time before closing (3:59 PM and was still issued a ticket thus I should have been served accordingly) and proceeded to the window. The lady at the window took my picture, went through the whole process, I paid and was ready to leave. At that point a man, who appeared to have been the manager, walked in and said not to serve me because I was "too late". This occurred after all my paperwork was DONE and PAID for. The lady at the window was just as shocked as I was and seeing she was intimidated by her superior she voided the transaction, gave my money back and directed me to another window. At the other window another lady denied me service and said "we can't help you. you have to come back another day". I then asked her to please speak to the supervisor to which she replied that she was the supervisor. I proceeded to explain that it was my third attempt at completing my change of address application. On the previous attempts I walked out empty handed for various reasons, from waiting countless hours on line to missing documentation. Her response to my plea was "I can't help you..". I'm trying to make sense of all that happened and understand why is the DMV system so backwards and the employees feel the need to abuse power. Once my transaction was complete wouldn't it have been easier to just let it go? Voiding it took more time and effort so in what way is that fair to me or the employee? Now I have to take another day off to come for the fourth time. It's incredibly infuriating and an inefficient way of doing business and dealing with customers. I live in Rockland County and pay the county taxes, I expect a better service and not to have to deal with somebody's rude attitude and unprofessional service due to their lack of empathy. I have all the paperwork (three window tickets, an application REVIED by the DMV employee and SIGNED) proving that the transaction was complete. Through writing this review I hope to reach out to someone who can recognize the unfairness, unprofessionalism and inefficiency, and with that in mind can make changes within the DMV system to bring better service, more friendly and more...