When systems actually do work

[dmaze]

Went in to the Galleria after work yesterday to get my driver's license renewed. The woman at the RMV satellite office took my form, scribbled on it, asked me if I wanted a new picture, took my credit card, and handed me a temporary license and a receipt. The end. The whole thing took under five minutes and was remarkably efficient.

(I didn't have to actually sign the credit card receipt, which surprised me a little. But she was looking at a computer screen that presumably had my name, photo, address, and signature that would be used to generate a new official ID, and she did check that the name on the card matched the name on the renewal. So it's not *that* sketchy.)

Comments

Don't give them too much credit

[cfox.livejournal.com]

I tried online and got:

>Transaction Already Exists

REGISTRY SUPPLIED TEXT

Their support ignored my snark about making error messages more helpful, and told me to go do it in person.

[76trombones.livejournal.com]

I should do that too. I was gonna do it online, but you can't do the organ-donor thing online. Unfortunately, I couldn't figure out what it requires in person, either, so I might just give up and renew online. :-/

(And yes, I really should pick up a phone and ask. At some point I'll remember to do so during business hours, and find a place where I can do it without making my cube-neighbors have to listen to it.)

[nuclearpolymer.livejournal.com]

I've also noticed lately that I don't have to sign for various credit card purchases. (1) gas station (2) CVS under $20.

[dmaze]

I know gas stations have done that for quite a while, and it's also always sketched me out a little, in part because I remember hearing that one of the things credit card thieves like to do if they're not buying expensive easily resellable electronics is buy gas, quite possibly because they don't need to interact with a person or sign anything. The flip side of this must be that credit card companies think they make more money on making it trivial to buy things than they lose on fraud.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

This might charm you: http://derspatchel.livejournal.com/332936.html