XOXOXOXO, the DMV
A friend's housemate has to drive to LA for work; she's gotten ticketed for speeding three times. She just received this awesome letter from the DMV (I would scan it, but I don't want to have to cover all her identifying marks. I'll let you enjoy the all-caps of the original.):
DEAR CALIFORNIA DRIVER:
DUE TO THE LATEST ENTRIES TO YOUR DRIVER RECORD (SEE BELOW), YOU ARE NOW AMONG CALIFORNIA'S WORST DRIVERS, ONE OF THOSE WHO CAUSE THE MOST CRASHES, INJURIES AND DEATHS.
ONE MORE POINT ADDED TO YOUR ALREADY POOR DRIVING RECORD AND YOU WILL MEET THE LEGAL DEFINITION OF A NEGLIGENT-OPERATOR. IF THAT HAPPENS, YOUR DRIVING PRIVILEGE WILL BE IN JEOPARDY.
CONSIDER LIFE WITHOUT THE CONVENIENCE OF A CAR. WOULD BEING WITHOUT A CAR CAUSE DIFFICULTIES? COULD YOU GET TO WORK, PAY YOUR BILLS? YOU MAKE CHOICES ABOUT HOW YOU ARE GOING TO DRIVE AND THOSE CHOICES LEAD TO CONSEQUENCES. IF YOU CHOOSE TO CONTINUE YOUR BAD DRIVING, THERE ARE ONLY THREE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES: LICENSE PROBATION, SUSPENSION, OR REVOCATION OF YOUR DRIVING PRIVILEGE. THAT IS IT! YOU CHOOSE.
IF YOU DRIVE WITHOUT A VALID LICENSE, YOU CAN BE ARRESTED. YOUR CAR CAN BE IMPOUNDED AND SOLD. YOU ARE PAINTING YOURSELF INTO A CORNER WITH YOUR NEGLIGENT DRIVING AND IT IS NOT NECESSARY. IF YOU HAVE EVER CONSIDERED IMPROVING YOUR DRIVING, NOW IS THE TIME TO DO IT. DO IT WHILE YOU STILL HAVE AN UNRESTRICTED DRIVING PRIVILEGE. DO NOT GET THAT NEXT NEGLIGENT-OPERATOR POINT ON YOUR DRIVING RECORD.
THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO AVOID ACTION AGAINST YOUR DRIVING PRIVILEGE. DO NOT THROW IT AWAY. YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR DRIVING HABITS. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO IMPROVE THEM. OTHERS HAVE IMPROVED THEIR DRIVING WHEN CONFRONTED WITH THE CHOICES THAT YOU FACE NOW. WE BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN CHANGE, TOO, AND HOPE THAT YOU CHANGE BEFORE YOU FACE HARSH PENALTIES. BUT THE CHOICE IS YOURS.
DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES
DIVISION OF DRIVER SAFETY
Dude. The bummer is that she lives in a house of bike activists. She would love to give up her car, but she needs it for work.
I guess the letters work. If they do, I bet they're a cheap intervention system.
DEAR CALIFORNIA DRIVER:
DUE TO THE LATEST ENTRIES TO YOUR DRIVER RECORD (SEE BELOW), YOU ARE NOW AMONG CALIFORNIA'S WORST DRIVERS, ONE OF THOSE WHO CAUSE THE MOST CRASHES, INJURIES AND DEATHS.
ONE MORE POINT ADDED TO YOUR ALREADY POOR DRIVING RECORD AND YOU WILL MEET THE LEGAL DEFINITION OF A NEGLIGENT-OPERATOR. IF THAT HAPPENS, YOUR DRIVING PRIVILEGE WILL BE IN JEOPARDY.
CONSIDER LIFE WITHOUT THE CONVENIENCE OF A CAR. WOULD BEING WITHOUT A CAR CAUSE DIFFICULTIES? COULD YOU GET TO WORK, PAY YOUR BILLS? YOU MAKE CHOICES ABOUT HOW YOU ARE GOING TO DRIVE AND THOSE CHOICES LEAD TO CONSEQUENCES. IF YOU CHOOSE TO CONTINUE YOUR BAD DRIVING, THERE ARE ONLY THREE POSSIBLE OUTCOMES: LICENSE PROBATION, SUSPENSION, OR REVOCATION OF YOUR DRIVING PRIVILEGE. THAT IS IT! YOU CHOOSE.
IF YOU DRIVE WITHOUT A VALID LICENSE, YOU CAN BE ARRESTED. YOUR CAR CAN BE IMPOUNDED AND SOLD. YOU ARE PAINTING YOURSELF INTO A CORNER WITH YOUR NEGLIGENT DRIVING AND IT IS NOT NECESSARY. IF YOU HAVE EVER CONSIDERED IMPROVING YOUR DRIVING, NOW IS THE TIME TO DO IT. DO IT WHILE YOU STILL HAVE AN UNRESTRICTED DRIVING PRIVILEGE. DO NOT GET THAT NEXT NEGLIGENT-OPERATOR POINT ON YOUR DRIVING RECORD.
THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO AVOID ACTION AGAINST YOUR DRIVING PRIVILEGE. DO NOT THROW IT AWAY. YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR DRIVING HABITS. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO IMPROVE THEM. OTHERS HAVE IMPROVED THEIR DRIVING WHEN CONFRONTED WITH THE CHOICES THAT YOU FACE NOW. WE BELIEVE THAT YOU CAN CHANGE, TOO, AND HOPE THAT YOU CHANGE BEFORE YOU FACE HARSH PENALTIES. BUT THE CHOICE IS YOURS.
DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES
DIVISION OF DRIVER SAFETY
Dude. The bummer is that she lives in a house of bike activists. She would love to give up her car, but she needs it for work.
I guess the letters work. If they do, I bet they're a cheap intervention system.
posted by Megan at 12:15 PM
9 Comments:
Nothing reinforces my dislike of paternalistic government than a note that sounds like my father in a particularly pissy mood.
But would you acknowledge the consequences of your choices? *grinning*
I wonder what percentage of people who get their licenses suspended for excessive point accumulation simply keep on driving? Something tells me it's quite high, arrest and impoundment threats notwithstanding.
Oh yeah, I'm aware of a few drivers driving on suspended licenses. I think that they are being extremely stupid, but one of them made it through a year driving without a license. Great positive reinforcement.
Cheers,
Tim.
This is so strange.
What I want to know is how the hell you can get even one speeding ticket in California. Based on what I see on the highways, there's no enforcement at all.
It is a great letter, though. It's not often that government calls you to deep introspection and self-examination.
marcus,
Seriously. You don't often hear the gov't crying, "Repent!"
My captcha: mmamu. Fun to say, fun to read.
What would they write for trespassing? "Hey you kids, get off my lawn!"
Word, marcus. The number of people I see that must be going >95 stuns me in SoCal. CHP's political masters must have spoken. -K.
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