DMV experience

[CowBoE 429]

02-27-2015 Applied for SS card name change (they took her SS card)

02-27-2015 Driver's learner permit test was denied since the SS card was given to SS office for name change

03-17-2015 Received SS card with married name

03-27-2015 DMV rejects learner's permit due to "legal status=pending" and vision test failure

03-28-2015 Made InfoPass appointment for April 13th.

04-05-2015 Vision test for learner's permit

04-06-2015 DPS sent us letter that DHS cleared my wife's status to acquire driver's license.

04-07-2015 Cancelled InfoPass appointment since DHS cleared her status

04-10-2015 Passed Driver Learner's Permit

04-22-2015 Received Driver Learner's Permit ID card (expires 02/16/2016)

04-06-2015 DPS sent us letter that DHS cleared my wife's status to acquire driver's license.

07-24-2015 Road test was Denied. No walk-ins are allowed nowadays. Must make online appointment.

08-21-2015 Road test was Denied due legal="pending"...again...how many times do they have to check this??? Arggg...

09-01-2015 Received the letter from DHS clearing her legal status (this is 2nd time with DMV).

08-27-2015 Green Card approved

09-05-2015 Received Green card

09-11-2015 Road test was going to be denied because they can't verify her maiden name.

I complained and a supervisor showed up asking for her passport & marriage certificate...

Since I suspected they would pull something like this, I've been bringing all documents

to all government offices. Upon passport & marriage certificate verification, she is finally allowed

to take the road test. Before they hassled us because she didn't have Green Card, but now

even with the GC, they still find a way to hassle us. It's just amazing how inefficient our

government system/staffs are.

My wife is already upset and this whole thing made her even more nervous now.

To make the matters worse, she now has to take the road test under extremely heavy down pour and

intimidating thunders.

My wife had been practicing driving for nearly 5 months and getting really good. She even practiced

6 hours on just parallel parking. But under heavy rain and frequent lightening, she couldn't see clearly,

and barely touched the pole on the way out after successful parallel parking. It would not be her day.

She was rejected on the spot.

09-25-2015 Next driver License Road Test Appointment

I'm sure that this can be really frustrating if one dwells on it,

but our relationship is so good that we find ways to laugh off every silly and stupid experiences.

Hope you guys have better experience than we do.

Edited September 15, 2015 by DualityOneness

[TBoneTX 43,058]

Sorry to hear it. The DMV is not anyone's idea of a good time. Thank goodness for on-line license renewal, at least here.

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Our Texas experience has been that until my husband became a U.S. Citizen, nothing could be done online. He had to go in person to show his greencard yet again and wait two hours to change his address (Houston location near IAH). We amused ourselves during the wait watching really bad parallel parking outside the big plate glass window. Emails to headquarters in Austin to say surely you know he has a greencard from previous visits revealed that "we don't capture that information so it must be shown in person each time". Don't know if that has changed yet.

Parallel parking tip for TX DPS--hit a pole and you fail instantly, so make a weak attempt and pull out. You only lose some points. Also use blinker before pulling out, even though you are only in a parking lot behind the building.

[Owen_London 65]

I wasn't going to open this thread, as you didn't mention the state, and I assumed "DMV" meant it wasn't in Texas.

Where do you live in Houston, and which DL office do you use? I have been to the Spring Megacenter, Grant Road (twice) and Hempstead. Spring is big, and you can queue online (but still with some wait after you arrive). Grant Road is OK if you arrive at a quiet time, say 3-30 - this is where I did my test. Hempstead is a metal shack. I was recommended to go there to avoid waiting for hours in Houston, but they were overwhelmed by kids getting their learner's permits. I decided not to queue outside in hundred degree heat.

Good luck for the test.

[Operator 1,925]

I gave up on teaching my wife to drive after many months and many tears. Now that we are back in China I've asked her to learn here so that she can at least learn familiarization with the vehicle. When we move back she can try again.

Good luck to your wife (and you).

[CowBoE 429]

Sorry to hear it. The DMV is not anyone's idea of a good time. Thank goodness for on-line license renewal, at least here.

Personally, I've not had much problem for my DL, but for pending GC status candidates,

oh boy...they sure know how to make it frustrating.

Our Texas experience has been that until my husband became a U.S. Citizen, nothing could be done online. He had to go in person to show his greencard yet again and wait two hours to change his address (Houston location near IAH). We amused ourselves during the wait watching really bad parallel parking outside the big plate glass window. Emails to headquarters in Austin to say surely you know he has a greencard from previous visits revealed that "we don't capture that information so it must be shown in person each time". Don't know if that has changed yet.

Parallel parking tip for TX DPS--hit a pole and you fail instantly, so make a weak attempt and pull out. You only lose some points. Also use blinker before pulling out, even though you are only in a parking lot behind the building.

Yup, she parked successfully, and hit the bar on the way out.

So she was denied just few minutes into the driving.

I've reminded her to use the turn signal during both entry/exit from parallel parking today.

I wasn't going to open this thread, as you didn't mention the state, and I assumed "DMV" meant it wasn't in Texas.

Where do you live in Houston, and which DL office do you use? I have been to the Spring Megacenter, Grant Road (twice) and Hempstead. Spring is big, and you can queue online (but still with some wait after you arrive). Grant Road is OK if you arrive at a quiet time, say 3-30 - this is where I did my test. Hempstead is a metal shack. I was recommended to go there to avoid waiting for hours in Houston, but they were overwhelmed by kids getting their learner's permits. I decided not to queue outside in hundred degree heat.

Good luck for the test.

We've going to both Houston Gessner and Rosenberg super-mega centers.

They are closest to my home.

I gave up on teaching my wife to drive after many months and many tears. Now that we are back in China I've asked her to learn here so that she can at least learn familiarization with the vehicle. When we move back she can try again.

Good luck to your wife (and you).

I taught her driving by myself.

I'm pretty patient and my wife is pretty easy going. So we didn't bicker too much.

[Unchained 37]

Our Texas experience has been that until my husband became a U.S. Citizen, nothing could be done online. He had to go in person to show his greencard yet again and wait two hours to change his address (Houston location near IAH). We amused ourselves during the wait watching really bad parallel parking outside the big plate glass window. Emails to headquarters in Austin to say surely you know he has a greencard from previous visits revealed that "we don't capture that information so it must be shown in person each time". Don't know if that has changed yet.

Parallel parking tip for TX DPS--hit a pole and you fail instantly, so make a weak attempt and pull out. You only lose some points. Also use blinker before pulling out, even though you are only in a parking lot behind the building.

Thank you very much for the last paragraph. I have been driving for 13years Before i moved here and i failed my driving test at rosenberg centre. What was my fault?

1. I didn't turn on blinkers while doing parallel parking(after a neat parallel parking-my fault)

2. He said i drove 25m/hr on a 45m/hr zone.

He told me i could get shot for impeding traffic.lol

I had to reshedule for the 7th.

I almost cried coz i couldnt believe it and now i am more nervous than i was the first time coz i cant afford to fail again???????

Edited September 21, 2015 by Unchained

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Thank you very much for the last paragraph. I have been driving for 13years Before i moved here and i failed my driving test at rosenberg centre. What was my fault?

1. I didn't turn on blinkers while doing parallel parking(after a neat parallel parking-my fault)

2. He said i drove 25m/hr on a 45m/hr zone.

He told me i could get shot for impeding traffic.lol

I had to reshedule for the 7th.

I almost cried coz i couldnt believe it and now i am more nervous than i was the first time coz i cant afford to fail again???????

You get three chances before you have to pay again. My husband took his at Angleton and lost a few points (I think 4) for the blinker pulling out of a perfect parallel parking. The examiner didn't even give him the full test. Half of it was blank. She said "I can tell you are a good driver. You pass", after he drove around two blocks in a residential section.

Do you also know when changing lanes 1) turn on blinker, 2) look in mirror, AND 3) look over your shoulder behind you to the lane you will enter. They want you to turn your head and check the blind spot you might miss in the mirror. If you don't do that already, then practice it so those three things are seamless. Just a quick turn of the head, chin almost to shoulder, to make sure nobody is in that lane.

Yeah, going slow is as dangerous as going too fast. Speed it up.

[Unchained 37]

You get three chances before you have to pay again. My husband took his at Angleton and lost a few points (I think 4) for the blinker pulling out of a perfect parallel parking. The examiner didn't even give him the full test. Half of it was blank. She said "I can tell you are a good driver. You pass", after he drove around two blocks in a residential section.

Do you also know when changing lanes 1) turn on blinker, 2) look in mirror, AND 3) look over your shoulder behind you to the lane you will enter. They want you to turn your head and check the blind spot you might miss in the mirror. If you don't do that already, then practice it so those three things are seamless. Just a quick turn of the head, chin almost to shoulder, to make sure nobody is in that lane.

Yeah, going slow is as dangerous as going too fast. Speed it up.

Thank you so much for the heads-up.

I figured looking over the should is very important to them because he mentioned my observation was bad. lol

Well I guess i know better now.

But would they have me do the driving test all over again from the beginning or just the areas i failed?

Edited September 21, 2015 by Unchained

[Nich-Nick 3,353]

Thank you so much for the heads-up.

I figured looking over the should is very important to them because he mentioned my observation was bad. lol

Well I guess i know better now.

But would they have me do the driving test all over again from the beginning or just the areas i failed?

New day. Whole new test I would think.