Getting a Driver's License
Yesterday I went to renew my driver's license. Well, that's not exactly accurate; I began the process several weeks ago. My license had expired in February, 2007, but of course since we have not been here since August, 2006 I had no opportunity to renew it. So one of the first things I did after we arrived in June was to go down to the "Misrad Harishui," the local branch of the Israeli DMV, to begin the process.
Now remember that in the US you go into the DMV office they give you a quick and dirty eye test, take your picture, and three minutes later, out of some machine pops your new license! Not here. When your license expires they send you an application to renew your license. But because my license expired so long ago I never got the form, so I had to start from scratch. I went down to the Misrad Harishui and got the form. The lady gave me a temporary license that will be good until December.
So you get this form,and you fill it in. There are several health-related questions and you have to go to your doctor to get a signature that assures that everything you said on the form is true. Then you have to go somewhere else, usually to an optician, to take an eye test.
I did all that stuff and then yesterday I took the form to the Misrad Harishui, expecting to get my license! Not unreasonable, right? But no! I got another form, in exchange for the one I turned in, and this form I had to take to another part of town to get my picture taken! And then I had to go yet another part of town to a post office to pay for the license! The lady at the post office gave me another form to carry until my license arrives in the mail.
It's hard to understand why this extremely inefficient system persists unless it is to provide a salary for a lot of different workers. Or because it's always been done this way. Anyhow, perhaps you can understand why so often in Israel I get this thrill of accomplishment when I actually get something done!!!
Here's a picture I took on a walk last week. It's Osso, my friend Naomi's dog. If you have read this blog over the years you have met him before...
Love,
Pat
Now remember that in the US you go into the DMV office they give you a quick and dirty eye test, take your picture, and three minutes later, out of some machine pops your new license! Not here. When your license expires they send you an application to renew your license. But because my license expired so long ago I never got the form, so I had to start from scratch. I went down to the Misrad Harishui and got the form. The lady gave me a temporary license that will be good until December.
So you get this form,and you fill it in. There are several health-related questions and you have to go to your doctor to get a signature that assures that everything you said on the form is true. Then you have to go somewhere else, usually to an optician, to take an eye test.
I did all that stuff and then yesterday I took the form to the Misrad Harishui, expecting to get my license! Not unreasonable, right? But no! I got another form, in exchange for the one I turned in, and this form I had to take to another part of town to get my picture taken! And then I had to go yet another part of town to a post office to pay for the license! The lady at the post office gave me another form to carry until my license arrives in the mail.
It's hard to understand why this extremely inefficient system persists unless it is to provide a salary for a lot of different workers. Or because it's always been done this way. Anyhow, perhaps you can understand why so often in Israel I get this thrill of accomplishment when I actually get something done!!!
Here's a picture I took on a walk last week. It's Osso, my friend Naomi's dog. If you have read this blog over the years you have met him before...
Love,
Pat
posted by Frank and Pat Fischer at
6:11 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home