**** NJ MVC!

Okay, first of all, I understand that it's kinda my fault I didn't apply for a driving license earlier; it might make it a lot easier. But still!

Warning: this is a rant. About NJ's MVC. Don't bother reading this!

So here it goes...


I went over the website and talked to my international student advisor before hand to check all the things I'd need to apply for a driving license. I understood the 6 points ID and proof of address thing; but I also need a Letter of Denial from the Social Security Administration because I don't have, and not eligible for, a social security card yet. So I went to the New Brunswick SSA. Had to wait for 2 hours before I got called to the counter. The guy was really cool and nice. I asked for a Letter of Denial and he knew that I needed it to apply for a license; then he gave me this form that he wrote my name on and stamped it.

Then I went to the Edison MVC. It was another freaking long wait before I got in to the reception. They checked my 6 points ID and said that they can't give me anything because my I-20 was expiring soon (May 15th). I showed them my OPT I-20, which is valid until June 2012, and said they still can't except it because my proposed OPT start date is June 27th. So they told me I couldn't apply for a license, not even a permit, until the start date of my employment. I need to drive to work. I can't even buy a car because I don't have a license! But there were three people at the counter who looked at my documents and each of them told me something different. I figured since this MVC rejected me I can just go and try another MVC; maybe they're also unclear of the rules and they'd let me use my two I-20s.

And then... fast forward a week or two.

I'm back at my aunt's place so we went to the West Deptford MVC. I was so happy when I got there because there was literally no wait! Got up to the reception who told me to go to the next counter to get my 6 points ID checked. Went up and they just looked at them briefly, then told me to go up and wait for a counter. My 6 points ID was accepted (without the second I-20). But then they asked for my SSN, which I don't have. I told them that I don't have one but I have the letter of denial. The lady at the counter seemed to not understand what that is and told me that I needed an SSN to apply for a license. I had to tell her at least 3 times that it's on their website, saying that for non-citizens, if we're ineligible for an SSN we need that letter of denial. Finally, she called one of her colleagues and asked her about it. She looked at the letter for one second and said "that's not it. This is not valid."

I asked her what she meant by "it's not valid" since I got it from the SSA. She told me to go to the SSA at Glassboro, near my aunt's place, and ask them for a "valid" letter of denial. "They'd know which one it is." I asked them what it should look like, they said "I don't know, we're not Social Security. Ask them." After a few more minutes of asking questions that they don't answer (they just refer to the Social Security) I decided to go to the SS office to ask for the letter. Luckily my dad was there with me; if I was alone I would have broke and went berserk on them.

Went to the SSA, and again, no wait whatsoever. There was one person in line ahead of me so I went in after only about 5 minutes! And the people there were so nice! The lady was patient enough to listen to my tiny rant about the DMV not accepting the letter. She said that the letter/form that she had was very similar but it was online. So she typed up my info and printed it out. It had the exact same info as the letter I previously had, but it was typed up. The lady said that she doesn't know what the DMV wants because that is what a letter of denial is. She even gave me a "good luck" before I went back to the freaking DMV.

So I went back. My dad just went up with me on the line. The lady that I talked to earlier said "that's what we needed!" at first glance. So I'm guessing she doesn't need to read that or even the previous letter to know what's what? She took all my documents in to give to her supervisor and told me to sit and wait to be called. Quite a while later the supervisor called me – or at least she tried to pronounce my last name.

Went up to the counter, and right away I knew she was a bitch. She just said "this is the wrong form. We can't give you anything." I tried to ask her what I would need, again she just said "go back to the Social Security office and they'll know what you need." I tried explaining to her that we were just at the office and that's what they gave me. She was persistent that it's the wrong form of letter. She said because the letter says "This does not proof that you are ineligible for a SSN" that the social security people mean that they are processing my application, just that I don't have the necessary documents. Well technically I can't apply for the SSN until I get my OPT card, which I will get around the time I start working. That part of the letter basically says that I'm still eligible for it once I have the necessary documents. She practically ignored the part of the letter where it says that they're not giving me an SSN right now because I'm an F-1 student who doesn't have a job yet. She was persistent that that's not what the social security people meant and that there should be another form of the letter that they'd accept. She didn't even listen to my explanation that I specifically asked for a letter of denial for applying for a license and that's what the nice lady at the SS office gave me. I swear I almost cried if my dad wasn't right there next to me and speaking calmly. I really wanted to just scream at her. Right after we thanked her and turned around I heard her: "geez!" I turned my head and saw her roll her eyes and shake her head to the next person in line. Fuck you, biatch!

I went back to the reception to ask them, maybe they're more helpful? She said she doesn't know what the letter is since it's not a part of what she does but she directed me to the manager. The manager was still talking to another customer and when we were waiting by the counter another guy approached us. He also took one look at the letter and said "that's not it" and "it's supposed to be 2 pages long." Again, we tried asking what's in the two pages and he just said that he doesn't know, social security should. He didn't even read it at first. Until we asked a couple more times about what the letter should be like, because you know, driving back and forth between the two agencies is not fun...at all. He finally put his glasses on and started reading it, then said "it's supposed to say something like this but it's in 2 pages." I just didn't understand. They wanted me to get the same thing but with an extra page. I don't know if it's just me but I just thought that didn't make any sense. The guy just kept on shaking his head saying "no, this is not the correct one." Until, one of the nicer ladies at the reception walked up from behind him and said "I think this should be acceptable. This is the same as what other people used." And I had hope. The other guy kept on shaking his head saying no, while the lady checked my other documents and said that it should be good. She told us to sit and wait while she'd go to the back and ask what the problem is. She wasn't in for so long until the people from the back basically ignored her and sent her back to the reception desk. She actually said, "sorry, I tried." I couldn't be happier with her! She really did try. Even when she was handing my documents back to me and was talking to me about what she was told, the people from behind the counters (who I assumed hated us at that point) shouted at her to go back to work and ignore us because we've already been rejected. Once again, she told us to go talk to the manager.

[and the guy at the reception desk who basically was no help whatsoever basically trash-talked social security for not knowing what they're doing (and I left when he was still saying other things about social security to my dad). I mean, seriously?! You guys are the ones who are unstructured and basically shitty all over the place. The social security people were NICE!]

So we waited again. The manager was very nice–I guess he had to be–but he wasn't very helpful. He mentioned he was new there and it seemed like his employers (those bitches behind the counter) were running the place, not him. After explaining to him what had happened, he apologized because he doesn't really know the process and what's required for non-citizens and he had to go back to talk to the witches behind the counter. I was watching and basically the one he talked to just kept on shaking her head saying no pointing to the letter. This actually happened twice, the manager going back there. Because he seemed to understand where we came from and he seemed to think that it should be good enough, too. But he can't do anything about it because he can't process it himself. By that time the social security office was already closed so we can't even go back again if we wanted to. I decided that the best idea was to go the nearest MVC office and try again; maybe the people are less stupid and more reasonable.

We went to the one in Camden. Again, it was pretty empty. What's with the one near Rutgers?! So we went in, and the receptionist I talked to was quite nice. She told me to wait while a supervisor checks my documents at her office. It took quite a while; at least 30 minutes later I was called and she said she wasn't sure that she could give me a permit since my I-20 was expiring while the OPT one only says "employment authorization requested" instead of it being granted and stating my job/employer. But she was nice enough to plan to call the Trenton office and ask if that's good enough and she's gonna get back to me some time tomorrow.

So I guess what I'm saying is I hate the Deptford MVC! And MVC in general, they can't seem to make up their mind on what I need to get a freaking license!

Okay, rant over, I feel so much better now. Sleepy time!