Just Wondering…
May 27, 2008 – 5:25 pmI just got my new U.S. passport in the mail. The guy at the post office said that it could take “up to four weeks.” I applied on May 12th. My passport was dated May 20th.
Two years ago, I had to get a new New York State License. The woman at the DMV said that it could take “up to four weeks.” I went to the DMV on March 16th. My license was dated April 12th.
So, I ask you this: Why does it take weeks longer for New York State to send a relatively simple form of identification through the mail than it does for the U.S. Government to send me an ultra-sensitive form of identification with electronic security elements?
7 Responses
I have question of the same genre but about our government:
Why does the IRS give you a week to gather a year’s worth of receipts they want to scrutinize, threatening penalties if your late in getting it to them. Then, they send you notices that they will get back to you by Jan 31st. Then ’sorry for the delay’.. by February 28th, by July 15, by October 16th and so on.
Wouldn’t it be only fair to send the IRS a note : “Sorry. Times up! You’ve failed to meet all deadlines and I’m no longer willing to listen to any issue you may have in regards to my taxes. This case is officially closed due to lack of schedule adherence by your office.”
Vikki
By Vikki on May 27, 2008
Are you implying that the NYS DMV should somehow have some degree of competency? It’s the DMV… nothing happens quickly there. (I will give them partial credit for 34th st license express though).
By MREMeals.net on May 27, 2008
You’re actually really lucky to have gotten your passport so quickly. For some people recently, it has taken months. I had to cough up an extra $200 to pay for a rush on mine because I wasn’t sure when I was traveling and I didn’t dare send in my passport for renewal knowing they could hold onto it for a quarter.
By Sarah on May 28, 2008
I was at the NYSDMV just yesterday FOR MOST OF THE DAY. They insisted on issuing me a new driver’s license, even though I had my old one, completely intact, with a expiration date in 2012. The DMVbot even said they would use the exact same ID number…but I still had to get a new license. The moral of this story is that the DMV is stupid.
By Meaghan on May 28, 2008
You know, it’s now legal (again) to use New York licenses to cross into Canada.
So, for some reason, those weird looking IDs are (sometimes) as sensitive as a passport.
There goes the neighborhood.
By Cody on May 28, 2008
Cody: It’s not, unless you get a new “enhanced” license, which costs $30 more than a regular license. And I bet that will take eight weeks to get sent to you.
By Chris on May 28, 2008
It only took me two weeks.
By Marjorie on Jun 8, 2008