I was going out to Morehead City, NC down US 70 with my CB on Sesame Street (Ch.19). I had to stop at a store where they wanted to check my liscence in order to take a check. The lady told me that the Dept. of Motor Vehicles had experienced a major outage for the preceding 3 days leaving the DMV cops unable to check liscences.

A few miles later,I passed a truck weigh station that had several DMV cops parked but no trucks. The drivers on 19 were openly berating them, "Ha, ha, Y2k crashed your computer" and other less complimentary remarks. I pulled up next to a DMV at the next intersection, and indeed the gentlemen looked forlorn. (They monitor 19.)

I inquired further on the radio. Apparently the NC DMV has sweeping powers to fine drivers, all the weight and traffic infractions are logged and fines increased as the infractions accrue. Truckers never have the time or money to contest them, they just assume that crossing the state will cost them a couple of hundred bucks each time which of course they pass on to the consumer. The State depends on this revenue to run DMV.

No liscence check, no logging, no fine. Empty weigh stations. Many truckers were delightedly discussing how to use the extra money, steak dinners and real hotel rooms topped the list. (Drivers pay from their own pockets, the company ones are reimbursed, the independents merely eat it.)

Mind you this is the NEW COMPLIANT system that DMV installed a year or so ago, which at that time disrupted liscence renewals etc. for weeks. I have no idea whether this has been fixed, but I know it wasn't reported in the press here, probably because so many people would take advantage of it. This come on top of a tawdry sex scandal at DMV that was settled out of court for a big wad of the taxpayer's money. Also it didn't seem to affect normal traffic stops, according to my scanner the locals were still getting liscence check info from a database somewhere, although I noticed it took longer.

When I got to Morehead, which is on the original Navy list for total failure of water and sewer, they were having a PR gathering on y2k for Carteret and Craven counties. The message was: It's OK OK OK, it's a people panic problem, not a computer problem. My elderly parents live there, they are not in good shape, and they are DGI's. So is my only brother. My attempts to inform the of the risks merely cause them to question my state of mind. I no longer talk to them about it. My DGI brother's Y2K plan involves depending on ME, fine, I will make him work, play Esau to my Jacob in return for the ridicule he has heaped on me for months. My folks are different, if it breaks out badly, they could possibly move back with me, but my father can barely walk, much less use stairs. If they can't travel after the rollover, I will have no way to help them. They have a salt water canal by their house, but otherwise no hope of a water supply if the Navy is correct. If I can't get to them or them to me, and there is no water or travel or telecomm, I am prepared emotionally to deal with not knowing what happens to them.

Meanwhile, there's some overloaded trucks on the road.

-- Forrest Covington (theforrest@mindspring.com), September 10, 1999

Answers

Hi Forrest:

Thanks for the report. Particularly interesting to me was the response of the drivers to the DMV outage -- sort of a neener-neener response. This makes me wonder what the widespread response would be if the IRS had deep troubles.....

Sorry to hear about your parents. Anyway to get them to visit you "over the holidays"?

-- Anita Evangelista (ale@townsqr.com), September 10, 1999.

Forrest,

They're having problems at the Nevada DMV also:

Station Home Page & More Local Information

DMV turns people away RENO, NV September 9  About 70 customers at the Department of Motor Vehicles were turned away Thursday. A new computer system that was installed earlier this week is to blame.

The new system is supposed to make the DMV easier for customers in the long run, but now its causing delays. The DMV has experienced technical problems throughout the week and arent sure when they will be worked out. Until they do, customers can expect major delays. Customers have been delayed for up to 4 hours this week and now they are being turned away. The DMV has installed a new $35 million computer system statewide, which will eventually, make things go much smoother. The new system will also make it easier to conduct more transactions via the Internet. The best suggestion is to wait. If they dont have a transaction that has to be handled immediately hold-off, wait until next week. Let us get the system a little more stabilized, said Ginny Lewis, DMV. If you need to renew your license or registration or file a change of address, try to mail it in if you can. If you have to go the DMV office be prepared to wait.

http://www.msnbc.com/local/KRNV/38355.asp

-- Homer beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), September 10, 1999.

Kentucky DMV also out. They were unable to process a change of address on my license yesterday.

They don't know how long they will be down. Are trying to do things manually, but say it may take weeks to complete my transaction if the system doesn't come back on line.

Clerk thought it may be related to either Y2K or the "nine's problem", she was unsure.

Well folks...

...the snowball rolleth.....

-- INVAR (gundark@sw.net), September 10, 1999.

Wisconsin is also having Problems:

Published Friday, September 10, 1999

License plate stickers not delivered to 11, 000 motorists

Statewire

MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- About 11, 000 Wisconsin motorists who paid to renew their license plates last month did not receive stickers to put on the plates, state officials said Friday.

Confusion among new employees learning to work high-speed mailing machines caused the mistake, Department of Transportation officials said.

The same mistake caused September renewal notices to be mailed late. About 18, 000 of the 367, 000 September notices were mailed this week instead of the end of August.

Before the error was caught, people who renewed their license plates in August received only the renewal certificate but no sticker.

Motorists who are pulled over and have paid the renewal fee but have no sticker will not be penalized, said Paul Bernander, head of the department' s Special Handling Unit.

Police officers will know they renewed their registration because it is entered into the Department of Motor Vehicles computer system.

Motorists who did not receive a sticker can get one by e-mailing, calling or stopping by a Department of Motor Vehicles office.

The DOT telephone number is 608-266-1466. The e-mail address is bur-veh-services.dmv@dot.state.wi.us

Copyright 1999 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://www2.startribune.com/stOnLine/cgi-bin/article?thisStory=8091284 3

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), September 10, 1999.

Speaking of DMV problems, my son got a notice to renew his drivers license last week. They told him not to come in for the usual photo and eye test but to fill out the form and keep it with him when he drives. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

This is also in Weeeeeeeeeeeeeesconsin.

-- (foofee@foofee.com), September 10, 1999.

And Georgia:

New tag system fails first test

09/09/1999 Amy Wolfford Staff Writer

Georgia's new vehicle registration system was supposed to eliminate lengthy lines at tag offices -- but there were so many problems on its first day that the Columbus office not only had long waits, but shut down 90 minutes early Wednesday.

Columbus Tax Commissioner Lula L. Huff said there were glitches with some of the state's vehicle registration software in Atlanta, forcing her to close about 3 p.m.

Her employees had already been hampered by sluggish computers that stacked the line of customers up to 150 people deep. Crowds already were larger than normal because the office was closed Monday for Labor Day and Tuesday so the computers could be installed.

"We were kind of shot by Murphy's law," Huff said. "All the counties were having problems."

A Georgia Department of Revenue spokesman could not be reached late Wednesday for comment on how the new Georgia Registration and Title Information System worked in other parts of the state.

The Columbus office is expected to be open normal hours from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. today, but Huff suggests people call 653-4211 before heading to the Government Center office to make sure computers are operating. And they should be warned that waits could be long again.

Huff said those who need to get their tags renewed can mail in completed forms to avoid waiting in line. The turnaround is two to three days. Others may want to drop off forms at the office and have their tags sent to them by mail.

Also, no penalties will be assessed for anyone whose tags expired on Tuesday or Wednesday.

"I'm expecting that it's going to be slow," she said. "I'm hoping the system will be up and running all day."

Most county tax offices -- 128 of the state's 159 -- were converted to the computer system Wednesday. These account for about 85 percent of the state's 7.5 million vehicles. State officials hope to have all of Georgia's counties on board by the end of next year.

The revenue department is funding the $9.5 million project which will allow county tax offices to process tag and title transactions online with a central state database. Currently, county officials mail title information to the state Department of Revenue, which then takes about 15 days to produce a new title.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), September 10, 1999.

Oregon has had DMV problems too.

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=001KiC

-- Cheryl (Transplant@Oregon.com), September 11, 1999.