Finally Legally Changing My Name

Can you believe I’ve been married for over a year?

Matt and I celebrated our first anniversary last week, on September 22nd. And, embarrassingly enough, I still haven’t legally changed my name. I’ve been going by Kristine Munroe-Mahoney since we wed but I never changed it.

I couldn’t change it until after our trip to China (because I couldn’t get the passport and visa changed in time for the trip) and then…well, I just got lazy.

The name changing process will force me to go to two locations that I despise: the RMV, and the Social Security Office. Two places plagued by long lines and surly personnel.

Oh well. I guess it’s gotta be done.

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So, maybe the RMV isn’t so bad after all…

OK, so I’ve written about my hatred for the RMV…well, after (attempting) to deal with California’s DMV today, the RMV seems heavenly!!!

We switched insurance companies, and we just found out that they need our California driving records. I found the form on the DMV’s website for obtaining records, but you need your CA driver’s license number. We don’t have our CA driver’s license number anymore, as when you get a Mass license, they confiscate your old one.

First thought: email. I actually had great success emailing the RMV before — within an hour or two the responded answering all my questions. So, I emailed…and this was their auto-response:

Dear California DMV Customer,

Thank you for using the California DMV Automated E-Mail System. Our
system is designed to answer general questions based on the information

you provide. We are unable to determine an appropriate response to
your
inquiry through our automated system. You may wish to rephrase and
resubmit your inquiry using this link,
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/contacts/contacts.htm
or you may call us at 1-800-777-0133 during normal business hours and
one of our technicians will be happy to assist you. Because we receive

our heaviest call volumes on Monday and the day after a holiday, the
best days to call us are Thursday or Friday.

Automated E-Mail Survey

Even though our automated system was not able to answer your question,
we would appreciate your feedback to help us improve this system.
Please take a moment to complete the survey at
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/survey/surveyemail.htm

For the Legal Notice and Disclaimer,
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/online/email/emaildisclaimer.htm

So, I called. However, when the robot operator voice told me that “all operators are currently busy”, it just sent me back to the main menu!!! It doesn’t actually put you on HOLD like every other normal automated phone system does. And the main menu is just for automated answers to questions.

The California DMV has made it almost IMPOSSIBLE for me to get in touch with a human being. You can’t email them, you can’t call them…and I live 3,000 miles away, so I can’t GO there. (And believe me, I’ve had more fun projectile vomiting than going to the DMV…waiting at the DMV for 4 hours was how I spent my 21st birthday!)

This really makes my complaints with the RMV seem minor. You can get someone on the phone and you can get an email response. The thing that’s so stupid is that it’s counter productive…if the DMV had people taking care of issues over the phone and via email, then maybe the lines wouldn’t be 4 hours long there.

I don’t know how I can obtain these records, but our insurance representative said that if we don’t, our car insurance will jump up by $3200 a year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks a lot, DMV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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