Thursday, March 26, 2009

An expensive lesson

I tend to misplace things. I don't consider them "lost" until the item is missing for a month. Often things show up in odd places (even more so if I had taken ambien when I last had it... like a cell phone placed in a sack of ties I didn't like in a corner of a closet. I'm sure in ambien state that made sense.)

There is nothing I lose more than my driver's license. I go through 2-3 per year. Once a DOT worker said, "They will investigate you to find out why you keep getting replacements!"

I laughed, "Let them investigate. I lose things. Ask anyone who knows me."

At the beginning of the semester I was told I had to get a University parking permit. (When I got my car I was told that since I had tinted windows and couldn't park on the women's campus I didn't need one.) The process of getting a parking permit required a lot of documentation including photocopies of my driver's license. I did what was asked but was then told I had to photocopy the front AND back... Somewhere in the process I "misplaced" the license.

Six weeks have passed and I still haven't found it. By my normal rules I'll consider it lost and get it replaced. In Iowa replacements are $2. The only real pain is having to sit at the DOT office.

Here the pain is paying nearly $80.

Ouch. As I paid the money the women asked, "Would you like us to use the photo we have on file?" "NO! It's a horrible picture." She pulled it up and laughed. Given how bad the picture is I was happy she didn't call a security guard to stand by her side.

She sent me to the guy taking pictures. I waited. I waited. I waited some more as many people all around me were processed. Finally, he calls my name and hands me a completed duplicate license with my old picture.

D'oh.

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