Earlier this week I ventured forth to the dreaded Department of Motor Vehicles. My quest was to secure one of the fancy new Enhanced Licenses.

Armed with my expiring license, passport, tax forms, Vision Test Report, Birth Certificate (with raised seal), Notary Public Identification Card, Medicare card, bank statement, Social Security and Draft cards I showed up at 8:00 and lined up in cold rain (see Photo) for the scheduled 8:30 opening (they opened late to enhance the trying experience).

Once inside there were a myriad of confusing lines to negotiate plus an unanticipated form to fill out.

Eventually, I found my way to the photo guy and he was nice, took my (forced smile) picture and gave me a bakery style number to wait to be called to continue the process.

I sat patiently and saw the numbers called on a screen approach mine, but then, of course, mine was skipped and I panicked and cut the first line I could find and obtained a new expedited number which was quickly called and I found my way to station 13 where sweet Serena processed me smoothly before surprising me with the $110.50 enhanced license fee.

At 9:21 I passed through a huge crowd of later arriving applicants and exited the dread (well justified) Department of Motor Vehicles into the pouring rain.

I survived the gauntlet and take solace in the fact that I need not repeat the experience until 2028.