7. Mother manages to pick car out of all other cars on 15th Street to swerve into and crack side view mirror.
8. Day after mirror crackage, temporary tags expire. Car, which now cannot legally be driven on streets, put in garage of kind sister, whose own car is too big to fit.
9. Several months of unsatisfactory wrangling pass with Commonwealth. Angry DMV employees stick to guns, claim that attempts to bypass system are sheer egotistical requests for favoritism.
10. Red light ticket, her first moving violation ever, is paid.
11. After receiving six emails from people in the same plight, Megan actually researches relevant statutes. These seem to indicate that in fact, the Commonwealth is in violation of the law, which gives them no power to suspend the license of non-drivers in the event that they ever get one; rather, it allows them to prevent non-drivers from getting a learner's permit. Livid, she writes a snotty letter to both the DOT and their press office, inquiring as to the reasoning behind their actions.
12. The suspension is quickly reversed, leaving only a $25 reinstatement fee. The reply from the staff lawyer indicates that there is no reasoning, and that everything she has been told by PennDOT employees is clearly wrong. Rather, it simply seems to be easier to screw people and fix the illegality if the person they're screwing turns out to be important, and/or a member of the press who can broadcast their illegal actions. (Consider them broadcast).
13. Fine is paid. To be sure, it adds insult to injury, but it's not worth fighting about.
14. Car is driven to the DMV, where she is informed that she cannot register it because New York now has a hold on her license.
15. Inquiry reveals that the hold is related to the Logan Circle ticket. Presumably, the check was received late and the fine doubled, causing the DC DMV to reject the check. Ticket is paid; proof is faxed to New York. Car waits in sister's garage for another five days while notice clears their system.
16. Thanksgiving
17. Car flunks inspection because of cracked mirror.
18. Megan begs DC DMV employees to give her another set of temporary tags so she can drive car to nearest dealership in Sterling, VA (near Dulles) to fix it. DMV employees tell her that head office believed that local DMV managers were being too promiscuous with tags, and have now set up computer to reject any and all requests for a second set of temporary tags.
19. Dealership is called. Next available appointment is after New Year's.
20. For $30, a glue on mirror is ordered from the Internet.
21. Christmas
22. Glue-on miror arrives.
23. Moving.
24. New Year's.
25. Glue-on mirror attempted and found too small.
26. Car taken to dealership. Mirror repaired. Car driven to DMV, where it is discovered that half the supporting documentation is out of date.
