Memories of long lines, short fuses

Bob Shemeligian

Thursday, Oct. 31, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

A quarter century of memories -- including many so horrific that they fit in well with the Halloween season -- are being recounted these days by staff workers at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

"Years ago, all automobile registrations expired at the end of the year," said Donna West, DMV assistant chief, and on New Year's Eve, it was like a war zone here. Employees didn't leave work until hours after their shifts ended -- and this was on a holiday weekend."

The days of excruciatingly long lines at the DMV came to a close when the 1995 Legislature authorized the department to hire more than 100 employees and to expand services at DMV facilities on West Flamingo Road and West Carey Avenue.

And next week a new DMV phase begins as the state plans to close the DMV facility at 2701 E. Sahara Ave. Nov. 7 so renovations on the 24-year-old building can begin.

Completely gutted

"The building is going to be completely gutted," said West, who explained that during the $1.6-million construction project, the number of customer windows will be expanded, and provisions will be made to allow customers more areas to be seated and to relax during waiting periods.

Hours at the new DMV facility, scheduled to re-open in late summer 1997, have not been decided, but West said the facility probably will remain open 12 hours each day.

"The idea is to make the facility more customer-friendly," said Steve Leon, public information officer. "With more windows and a fuller staff, there will be less waiting time and faster service at the windows."

During the renovation, trailers will be open to the public at the East Sahara Avenue site, but West urges motorists to utilize the West Flamingo and West Carey offices.

But DMV officials wryly note that any amount of delays and inconvenience customers might experience in the portable trailers won't come close to the amount of grief endured by motorists and motor vehicle technicians (as they are called) during the heyday of long DMV lines in the 1980s.

The overworked staff at DMV began to wonder if the human gridlock could get any worse during the early 1980s, when the population in Southern Nevada grew 5,000 to 7,000 residents each month.

They got their answer in 1986, when then-Gov. Richard Bryan instituted a state hiring freeze, preventing the DMV from hiring more motor vehicle technicians. Then the lines really lengthened.

"The customers would begin lining up in front of the doors at the East Sahara facility at 6 a.m., and they would wait two hours for the facility to open," West said.

Fights for position

Immediately, West explained, the arguments would begin as motorists jockeyed for position to be the first in line to storm the facility when the front doors opened.

At that time, it was not uncommon for customers to wait four hours in line for automobile registration renewals and another four hours for driver's license renewals.

For those who needed both, it meant spending an entire day at DMV.

And for those who neglected to take with them necessary documents -- such as a smog inspection certificate -- it meant being told that after spending four hours in line, they would have to return with the proper documentation.

It was during these times that some of the more irate motorists paid little attention to the signs warning that threatening a motor vehicle technician represented a gross misdemeanor.

"Years ago, some customers would yell at the motor vehicle techs. When a supervisor would intervene, some customers would grab their ties. Some customers have even spat on the techs, which is really disgusting," said West, who has weathered more than her share of abuse in the 12 years she has worked for the DMV in Southern Nevada.

"I remember one time, three customers in a row screamed, 'You f--'n b--' at me," West said. "When the fourth one started to scream the same thing, I asked him to please come up with something more original."

Amazingly, West remembers no instance when formal charges were filed against an irate customer who got out of hand "but several have been detained and interviewed over the years by members of our security staff."

Empathy felt

West said she and other staff members did empathize with customers who endured extremely long waits over the years, and they also felt embarrassment because the DMV had earned a reputation in the state and the nation as a place where motorists were sure to experience bureaucratic hell on earth.

"We were right up there in terms of our reputation with DMVs in California, Hawaii, New York, Wisconsin, Iowa and Florida," West said.

Today the DMV enjoys a much more favorable reputation among local residents, who now wait an average of 15 minutes before they are served.

"We feel we've come a long way," said West, who explained that all new residents are required to visit a DMV branch at least once to process auto registration and driver's license information.

"The DMV is the only only government agency -- federal, state or local -- that deals with every citizen 16 or older," West said.