Private DMVs suck.

[AzNick]

Here in Arizona they thought they'd be cute and show that the private sector can do it better.

I have 2 of these shops by my house, closer than the government-run DMV.

Turns out they suck.

I went in both cases to transfer a title for a motorcycle bought out of State. The first one told me that I needed the Nevada title signed, while it's not true, and the second bike, the title had been registered late and there was a $100 penalty fee on it, which she realized about an hour later and asked me to come back.

The first is out of business, the second one is still up and running but it is run down and dirty and they only survive because they speak Spanish and they attract those among the Hispanics who do not speak English well (there are quite a lot in Arizona, believe me). No issue for me, but the lady I saw had very poor English skills, which is obviously an issue since I don't speak Spanish.

I went to my government-run DMV for two issues and both time they were fast and organized. I also do most of my DMV business online and never had an issue, although it does look like it was designed circa 1998.

[abumbyanyothername]

1. The difference is likely

union vs. non-union labor.

[rucky]

2. I'm still waiting for a privitization success story.

They keep saying they can do it better. I'm waiting.

[jtrockville]

5. Just one.

Me too rucky. I'd like to know of even one example where privatization was beneficial to anyone other than the profit-takers.

[rockymountaindem]

3. I hate the DMV analogy, but it shows what is really at issue with government services

People on the right wing say "how would you like it if health care was just as bad as the DMV?"

To that I say, "what if we doubled the funding for the DMV?" What if we gave them twice the budget to make bigger offices, staffed with more and better-trained, better motivated staff? What if we gave them more staff to run the places that handle all the documentation behind the scenes? What if we gave them the budget to be open 24/7?

The obvious answer is that if we funded the DMV more, all the complaints about long lines, delays, confusion and unhelpful staff would evaporate. We keep the DMV at the level of funding it currently has (shoestring) because we're willing to accept hassles when it comes to drivers licenses and car registrations. If we refused to put up with similar service in a "government run" health service, or health insurance, then we would have to fund it to such a level where our expectations would be met. The reason the DMV sucks sometimes is because we don't plow enough resources into it since we don't value it that highly. If we had a government health insurance system and made it a high priority, which we undoubtedly would, there's no reason why it would ever have to run as poorly as the DMV.

[Pab Sungenis]

8. That's what we did here in New Jersey.

They ripped the old DMV apart, increased funding, modernized everything, restructured the division, and launched the new Motor Vehicle Services department.

Since they did that, I've never had a DMV visit last more than 30 minutes, and that one was when I went in to replace a lost license and had extra paperwork to weed through.

One of the few things we can thank Jim McGreevey for here in Jersey.

[SouthernLiberal]

9. I used to live in NJ

And somehow, I never remembered to mail in my license and registration renewals, so I had to go to the DMV office nearest me.

One year, I'd bought a new car, and it worked out that I went to the DMV for license, and then, just a couple of months later for my registration.

It was night and day!

The first time, by an hour before the office opened, the line wrapped around the building. I was there all day. The second time, I was greeted at the office door by a pleasant young lady. She asked me what I was there for, and when told, pulled the correct forms for that transaction out of a stack of forms she was carrying. I was handed off to another employee, who told me to ask her if I had any problem with the form. I filled it out, and was directed to a window, with no line. I turned in my forms, sat down to wait for them to be processed, paid my registration fee and left. Total time expended - half an hour.

There was no computer update, no obvious reason why things should be so different. Both trips were at the normally busy end of month.

Then I read the newspaper. For my first visit that year, and all the ugly trips I'd made before, local DMV offices were leased to private businesses to operate. Just days before my second trip, that business owner was arrested for fraud, and for failing to send payments and documents to the DMV office in Trenton, so some people who thought they had renewed license or registration were not in the system.

On the day of the second trip, all those pleasant, competent people were government employees.

[TransitJohn]

4. I'm so glad my state doesn't have a DMV

Registrations (plates) through the counties at the courthouse, driver licenses through WyDOT at offices throughout the state. Pretty nice system.

[Maru Kitteh]

6. I first read the thread title as "pirate" DMV's.

Now that's something I could get behind.

Ye skallywags not be needin' no tags where ye be goin' cept the one on yer' big toe in DAVY JONES LOCKER............. aaye.

[create.peace]

7. i don't know, they were the only place that helped us with some title problems we were having

we had bought a california conversion van near lake havasu, and there was some problem. they helped us drive it legally home to kansas when the state office just blew us off.

[Historic NY]

10. I do most of my NY stuff on-line including my drivers license....our accidental Gov..

just increased fees which totals 138% why to fund the stinking MTA.

Jackasses, I have 4 vehicles so figure that out. I bought a new truck in 7/17/09 my previous registration was done on June 30, they charged me $70 more on top of the $120 I already paid for a 2yr reg. I am seriously thinking of getting a PO Box elsewhere to register my cars.