"Welcome to Hell!" Those were the words muttered to me by a stranger on my last trip to the CT DMV.

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I've had some dark times at the DMV but nothing topped my trip in 2017. The line I encountered blew me away. The line was in fact, out the door and into the parking lot. I could have done without the "welcome to hell" thing. That drama added an unnecessary layer of doom to a situation I was already dreading.

Looking back now, I can laugh but it wasn't so funny that day.  I had to postpone a business meeting which had rolling effects on the rest of my week. Like you, I hate waiting in line because time is our most precious commodity. Time is especially important here in the Tri-State area. Our internal clocks run faster and the consequences of lost-time can pull the rug right out from underneath you.

This is why this news is both shocking and welcome. On Saturday (1/7/23) a Reddit user named ccorbs 89 shared the most wonderful announcement to the CT Reddit group that read:

It took me only 7 minutes!

That is all. Carry on with your Saturday!

And just like that, the thread lit up with similar stories of a new reality. People echoed the sentiment, saying things like:

mjl42roll: "Ya man honestly ever since Covid happened and they’ve required appointments, it’s been soooo much faster. At first I was annoyed because I didn’t know but now that I do, it’s the best thing they ever did. Edit: unless you forget paperwork, then it’s the worst thing." 

eternalbettywhite: "Even missing paperwork doesn’t piss me off as much. The low wait time and then being told how to make the correction was super helpful. They were even apologetic, it’s a whole new world out here."

heyassface: "Also feel like the employees like the system better as well. All three times I had to go during Covid they were nice and helpful and didn’t seem nearly as overwhelmed as they used to. Love the appointment system." 

LFCReds8: "COVID was the best thing to happen to the DMV. Crazy all that was needed was a pandemic to sort out that mess."

GoodMorningPeony: "My license renewal went so fast it made my head spin, like I was barely still from walking over to the counter."

Eastern_Ladder_6118: "I had to change my registration when I bought out my lease a month ago. Made an appointment in Bridgeport. Was in and out in 10 minutes. Everyone was super nice. It was quiet. Pandemic was the best thing to happen to the CTDMV."

JaKR8: "I've gone for one kid's drivers test, A registration issue, and a license renewal in the past 4 years. Never have I waited more than 10 minutes to be taken care of. Very impressed with how efficient the process has become."

We did it y'all! Humanity put a terribly dark phase in the rear view mirror. Decades of waiting, angst and emotional turmoil are over, I think.