Blarg...
Had an interesting morning ...
Waaaaay back in late Feb / early March 2003 I bought my first car. The others I had previously driven and called "mine" were more like hand me downs from my parents. I drove their old Plymouth Voyager for a while, then I got Grandma's old Buick Century (when she bought a new one). I liked the Buick, but totaled it late Feb (26th or so) :( My new car is a 2002 Chevy Cavalier. I like it, but it's kinda odd to have two other cavaliers in the drive way as well (my sister has a little red one (I'm not sure which year) and my friend Erik has a blue/grey Cavalier wagon that's kinda falling apart ... )
Anyway, I bought mine from a Hertz Used Car lot. Say what you will, but they're a good place from which to buy a car. Very low pressure, vehicle maintenence history, etc. My only complaint is that they sold it to me with virtually no gas, and no wiper fluid :(
I went to get plates for my car today (May 6th) as the temp plate from the dealer expired today. I tend to procrastinate, so things like this happen. I drive to the court house, wait in line, get to the clerk type person and start the process. I forgot to get the emissions tested before I went to get the plates and the clerk said I needed that, so I drive across town to the emissions place. Not a big deal, as Hertz gave me a coupon for free emissions test, so it'd just take time. On my way to the testing center I notice the Check Engine light is on ... stupid thing is the bane of my existance at times like these. In the Voyager the "Maint Req'd" light had been on since for as long as I knew and the emissions place wouldn't pass the vehicle because they said the check engine light was on (a seprate indicator in the Voyager, btw) so we first had to get that turned off. Right, anway, back to the cavalier and today. I knew they woudn't pass me if that stupid light was on, so I had to get it turned off. I remember the Hertz guy say I could take it some where to do this, but I forgot where, so I drive to the south side of town to see the Hertz guy. He says "take it to any chevy dealer or the firestone down the road" so I go to the firestone. the guy there says "if it's still under the 36000 mile chevy warranty I can't do it .. " and of course it is (27,653 or something) so he directs me to the chevy dealer (by pointing West) so I head West. I didn't really realize how far West it was gonna be until I was halfway to the DMV again ... by this time I had stopped at home to call in to work and tell 'em I'd be late and to pick up a book. Finally at the Chevy dealer I drop off the car and get the impression that it's gonna be a while before they can look at it ... so I sit down and start reading. Four chapters and two hours later he calls my name. Turns out it just needed a software update (covered by the warranty).
With updated software in the car's brain, I head back to the emissions center. In my head I'm plotting alternate routes because the route I took home from the DMV (when I noticed the light on) had some construction blocking a fairly busy two lane road and was shunting traffic to a one lane "detour" (read: gravel track in the dirt around the site) and I wanted to avoid that this time. I couldn't think of a path until it suddently hit me: I'm on Colfax, take Colfax East to Youngfield, then North to 44th, back West to McIntyre, avoiding the mess on 32nd all together. This means coming at the center from the back, and last time I did that I missed the turn ... twice. This time, however, I was ready for it.
At the testing center, wait about 20 min, read half a chapter, give 'em the coupon, get in the car, head back to the court house. The first time at the court house I came from 6th Ave Westbound and parked in a lot real close to the front door of the building. The second time I was coming from 6th Eastbound and parked in a different lot farther away on what I thought was the side of the building. I walked to what I thought was the front (I was way off) and ended up behind the place .. Not a big deal, I could use the exercise anyway. I go in through a pair of double doors that looked like they'd lead into the building. Aparently I had just walked into the cafeteria .. weird but not unmanagable. I make my way to the elevator and back to the DMV. Take number 72, look up, Now Serving 65. Sit down, read, hear "71!". Put book down, get ready to walk to the counter. Cute DMV Girl calls "72!" and I walk over. She was there earlier (I had previously dealt with Balding DMV Guy who was next to CDG) and remembered over hearing the part about transferring the credit from the old (Buick) plates to the new plates (credit worth: $1.72 Cost to transfer credit: $2.00). Five minutes and ~$200 later I had the new plates in my hand and a spring in my step. I took a more efficient path back to my car drove in to work.
Thus ended the adventure in obtaining license plates. A happy ending and a bemused wonder at the efficiency of the various parties involved.
Waaaaay back in late Feb / early March 2003 I bought my first car. The others I had previously driven and called "mine" were more like hand me downs from my parents. I drove their old Plymouth Voyager for a while, then I got Grandma's old Buick Century (when she bought a new one). I liked the Buick, but totaled it late Feb (26th or so) :( My new car is a 2002 Chevy Cavalier. I like it, but it's kinda odd to have two other cavaliers in the drive way as well (my sister has a little red one (I'm not sure which year) and my friend Erik has a blue/grey Cavalier wagon that's kinda falling apart ... )
Anyway, I bought mine from a Hertz Used Car lot. Say what you will, but they're a good place from which to buy a car. Very low pressure, vehicle maintenence history, etc. My only complaint is that they sold it to me with virtually no gas, and no wiper fluid :(
I went to get plates for my car today (May 6th) as the temp plate from the dealer expired today. I tend to procrastinate, so things like this happen. I drive to the court house, wait in line, get to the clerk type person and start the process. I forgot to get the emissions tested before I went to get the plates and the clerk said I needed that, so I drive across town to the emissions place. Not a big deal, as Hertz gave me a coupon for free emissions test, so it'd just take time. On my way to the testing center I notice the Check Engine light is on ... stupid thing is the bane of my existance at times like these. In the Voyager the "Maint Req'd" light had been on since for as long as I knew and the emissions place wouldn't pass the vehicle because they said the check engine light was on (a seprate indicator in the Voyager, btw) so we first had to get that turned off. Right, anway, back to the cavalier and today. I knew they woudn't pass me if that stupid light was on, so I had to get it turned off. I remember the Hertz guy say I could take it some where to do this, but I forgot where, so I drive to the south side of town to see the Hertz guy. He says "take it to any chevy dealer or the firestone down the road" so I go to the firestone. the guy there says "if it's still under the 36000 mile chevy warranty I can't do it .. " and of course it is (27,653 or something) so he directs me to the chevy dealer (by pointing West) so I head West. I didn't really realize how far West it was gonna be until I was halfway to the DMV again ... by this time I had stopped at home to call in to work and tell 'em I'd be late and to pick up a book. Finally at the Chevy dealer I drop off the car and get the impression that it's gonna be a while before they can look at it ... so I sit down and start reading. Four chapters and two hours later he calls my name. Turns out it just needed a software update (covered by the warranty).
With updated software in the car's brain, I head back to the emissions center. In my head I'm plotting alternate routes because the route I took home from the DMV (when I noticed the light on) had some construction blocking a fairly busy two lane road and was shunting traffic to a one lane "detour" (read: gravel track in the dirt around the site) and I wanted to avoid that this time. I couldn't think of a path until it suddently hit me: I'm on Colfax, take Colfax East to Youngfield, then North to 44th, back West to McIntyre, avoiding the mess on 32nd all together. This means coming at the center from the back, and last time I did that I missed the turn ... twice. This time, however, I was ready for it.
At the testing center, wait about 20 min, read half a chapter, give 'em the coupon, get in the car, head back to the court house. The first time at the court house I came from 6th Ave Westbound and parked in a lot real close to the front door of the building. The second time I was coming from 6th Eastbound and parked in a different lot farther away on what I thought was the side of the building. I walked to what I thought was the front (I was way off) and ended up behind the place .. Not a big deal, I could use the exercise anyway. I go in through a pair of double doors that looked like they'd lead into the building. Aparently I had just walked into the cafeteria .. weird but not unmanagable. I make my way to the elevator and back to the DMV. Take number 72, look up, Now Serving 65. Sit down, read, hear "71!". Put book down, get ready to walk to the counter. Cute DMV Girl calls "72!" and I walk over. She was there earlier (I had previously dealt with Balding DMV Guy who was next to CDG) and remembered over hearing the part about transferring the credit from the old (Buick) plates to the new plates (credit worth: $1.72 Cost to transfer credit: $2.00). Five minutes and ~$200 later I had the new plates in my hand and a spring in my step. I took a more efficient path back to my car drove in to work.
Thus ended the adventure in obtaining license plates. A happy ending and a bemused wonder at the efficiency of the various parties involved.