How to get a driver's licence

How to get a driver's licence (or 'why I love people and not governments' )

Person L (name withheld for reasons relating to my memory) came over to Louisiana from Australia on an E3 visa. He strolled down to the local department of motor vehicles (DMV), handed over his old licence, stood for the photo and got given a nice shiny new drivers licence.

Person M (wife of L) strolled to the same DMV, handed over her driver's licence, was asked to sit a written road rules test, then was given a shiny new Louisiana drivers licence.

Person R came over to Louisiana from Australia on an E3 visa. He strolled down to the local DMV only to discover that he would be required to take a driving test and a written test in order to get a new driving licence. He thought "that doesn't make sense, my friend didn't have to do this", so went to the DMV in the next town, found a nice lady who took his photo, gave him the licence without a written or practical test.

Gator Girl came over to Louisiana from Australia on an E3 visa. She was told that no-one had ever heard of an E3 visa and that she would need department of homeland security (DHS) authorisation in order to get a licences, as well as sitting a written test, taking an eye test and also a practical test. Also she would have to supply her own car, and they couldn't do it anyway as it was raining and we can't test people in the rain and we only test between 9-11am and 1:30-3:30pm anyway. Gator Girl was a little distressed by this, pointed out that she didn't actually need DHS authorisation, and she had a hire car, would that be ok? They assured her that this was ok, as long as her name was on the insurance and to come back when it wasn't raining. So Gator Girl went away, found out that her name wasn't on the insurance because the Swamp Dredging Company had hired the car for us, so she would need to hire a car especially for the test. So Gator Girl hired a car with her name on the insurance, and went back to the DMV when it wasn't raining. She passed her written test (with a higher score than Swamp Boy as she frequently points out), she passed her eye test and then they told her that she wasn't able to take the driving test as you can't take driving tests in hire cars. She pointed out that several people in this very office had said she could, but that didn't work. So then one of the ladies in the office pipes up and says: "oh, my son just took his driving test in my car, so why don't you just use that one?" Talk about a good samaritan. So Gator Girl promptly went and passed her driving test in a total stranger's car. The lady explained to me that she had lost everything in Katrina and felt the kindness and generosity of so many people in the last 12 months, that she wanted to return some good will. It worked! I love the non-government people of this area now.

Swamp Boy came over to Louisiana from Australia on an E3 visa and also went to the DMV (a few days after Gator Girl. He was told that no-one had ever heard of an E3 visa and that he would need to provide department of homeland security (DHS) authorisation in order to get a licences, as well as sitting a written test, taking an eye test and also a practical test. Swamp Boy pointed out that this wasn't the case and maybe they should check with someone who knew the rules. They did so, and after about 2 hours allowed him to sit the tests in his shiny new car. Easy.

Person S came over to Louisiana from Australia on an E3 visa. She was also told that no-one had ever heard of her visa type (incidentally at the same office as all the other people above). She knew person R and decided to drive to the next town. They told her the same story, so she decided to drive to a third town. They also told her the same story. So she gave up and printed out the offical instructions from the DHS about E3 visas and Louisiana drivers licences. What actually is supposed to happen is E3 visa people submit an application to another government department, and 3 days later you get a licence in the mail. You don't actually need to sit a test.

Person Z came over to Louisiana from Australia on an E3 visa. While trying to find the DMV he got lost and ended up in Mississippi (the state, not the river). But that's another story.

So that's how you get a driver's licence. People are astoundingly nice. Governments are just plain confusing.