Rapid Pass

We got an unusual letter in the mail - one we had never seen before. It was from Rapidpass Virginia. It said that our car has been identified as clean - via Virginia’s on road, drive through emissions inspection option. It can be used to fulfill your emissions test requirement. You pay the $28 inspection fee. Once the fee is paid the report is automatically transmitted to the Virginia department of motor vehicles, and then you can proceed with your registration renewal. So we went to the rapidpass website and entered the vehicle ID number and clean screen ID number. Then you need to confirm the vehicle information. Then you pay the fee and get a copy of the emissions test. So I spent the next couple of days trying to think about how to renew the vehicle registration. Finally I found it on the DMV website. It obviously knew we had paid the emissions test and the report was transmitted. So we just paid another ninety dollars for the registration renewal. I have no idea where our vehicle was tested - we must have been on the road whenever this is done. Last year we had it done at the routine auto check at the Subaru dealer. I’m not sure when the vehicle inspection is due. It’s getting to be too confusing - or we are just getting too old to remember all of this stuff. All I know is that our vehicle’s registration has been renewed for two years. I think we are two months ahead of time, but who cares? 

Virginia Drivers License, Vehicle Registration and Plates

It looks like it’s going to take a few times to get this right. We moved to Virginia from DC this month and needed to change our drivers license and license plates. I guess you have thirty days to get it done. So we went last week to the DMV in Tyson’s to find out what paperwork we needed to bring. I hadn’t had a chance to look it up online. Nevermind that we just renewed both of our drivers licenses to Real IDs in DC within the last few months. Unfortunately all of the mail coming to our new address has my name on it, so my husband was out of luck when the post office change of address letter only had the last name on it. After waiting in line, we were told he didn’t have enough proof of Virginia residence - the deed for the new property wasn’t enough. So we decided that I should go ahead and get my license exchanged, and get the car registered along with license plates. The whole thing took three hours and the place was packed. I can’t believe I’m going to say that the experience was much worse at this station in Virginia than it was on Capitol Hill. The sad thing is we have to come back - again - for my husband’s license! We also need to get emission testing and register the car for stickers. What a racket this all is. So it was great sadness when we removed our DC plates that we’ve had for thirteen years and replaced them with Virginia. I suppose it’s just another phase. I’m sure I’ll get over it soon. 

Registration and Residential Parking Renewal Notice

Two years goes by really fast. We were reminded how quickly time flies with a notice to renew our car registration and residential parking notice. The only items we get in the US mail delivered by the Post Office are these sorts of annoyances. And so we were once again reminded of the privilege to park a car on the street on Capitol Hill. You can renew for one or two years, with a savings of about $15.00 if you go with two. Our vehicle was taken in for inspection at the station a month or two ago, and it is charged on this bill rather than at time of service. Aside from this routine is the visitor parking pass process that is a whole other story. This week seems to be the week to rant about parking - something I haven't done for awhile. In Milwaukee we had a two car garage with more space on the driveway plus street parking. We never needed to think about where to park a car, or two. But I have had a cold, sore throat, and feeling down in the dumps since last Friday. So everything is somewhat irritating now - although this issue will always be annoying. Look how people park around here?