NJ DMV

UPDATE: If you came here looking for the NJ DMV, this isn't it. It's over here.

So I had to call the New Jersey DMV this morning. Yesterday, my wife received her car registration in the mail. Unfortunately, see, we've moved to Iowa, and changed all our registration to here. I can't see any reason to have the car registered in two states (heck, don't know if that's even legal) so I thought I would call NJDMV (also know as [obscenely foul language redacted]) and explain the situation.

It took less than ten seconds of conversation to remember why I was ready to move away from NJ when I did. The conversation started off ok. I was surprised that I was able to get to a phone number where I would reach a person. After she introduced herself, I explained what had happened. I will try to transcribe the conversation.

NJDMV W: Thank you for calling New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicles, this is Spring, how can I help you?

ME: My wife received her car registration in the mail the other day, but we've moved to Iowa and retitled the car here.

NJDMV W: Did you mail the plates back to us?

(this is where my blood boils. I can't get across how snide her tone was. And secondly, I must have missed that notice on the NJ border signs; Please mail your plates back to the DMV if you're moving, thanks!)

ME: No. They took them from me.

NJDMV W: Well, they shouldn't have oughtn't have done that.

(again, where was I told I needed to MAIL my plates back to NJ?)

ME: That's what NJ did with my plates from the state I came from when I moved there.

NJDMV W: Well, you need to get them back from them and mail them to us.

(master of the English language this lady, at least she's mastered pronouns)

ME: It's been months. They disposed of them.

NJDMV W: *huge sigh*

(I wanted to reach through the phone and punch this woman in the eye; while I truly try to cut the NJDMV people a little slack--their job sucks, there are a ton of drivers in NJ and I'm sure it gets tiring dealing with everyone--her attitude was just amazing)

ME: So what do I do now?

NJDMV W: You need to send a letter or an e-mail to the DMV and tell them what happened.

[long beat]

ME: OK. Do you have an address I can use?

NJDMV W: Well, are you going to e-mail or write a letter?

ME: *sigh* Which one works better?

NJDMV W: You tell me. Which do you--

ME: (cutting her off) E-mail.

Then I got instructions on how to send an e-mail. I couldn't be given an e-mail address, I had to go fill out a form. Hopefully it works. I did it for my car, too. I was just amazed by this woman. She seemed to expect that I would know the complete workings of the NJ DMV and treated me like shit for asking her questions and not following directions I didn't know existed.

When I help people who don't know the procedures for doing things, I try to be helpful and encouraging. I don't try to take out my frustration on them, even if I feel like it.

The sad thing was, her attitude wasn't surprising. It fell exactly in place with what I remember dealing with on a daily basis in NJ. There was always someone who was COMPLETELY annoyed at having to deal with you. Even though all you were going to do was make them do their job (i.e., have them ring up your purchase in a store).

I won't write here what I vented at my wife since there are a lot of people in NJ who I like and respect. It seemed like the whole intent of her interaction with me was to make me feel small and insignificant; or better put, to make her feel better; or even better, to make someone else feel as bad as she did. That's not her job, that's my job as the customer.