So, you put on a hijab, and you take off your citizenship AND comprehension of English apparently.
I was all over town today in government buildings doing government things, lol. I do not know how many times I was asked if I was a citizen...it was ridiculous! I'm as white as a ghost, my English is, quite frankly, better than the English of most people in this town, yet I can't possibly be American, right?
Bah.
Anyway, one of these tasks was getting a state driver's license. Technically, you have 30 days to get a new license after a name change. It's been 9 months. Technically, you have 30 days after moving to get a new license. It's been 2 1/2 months.
Regardless, I had the correct paperwork and everything went smoothly. She did not even comment that on my old license (which she had to throw away...it was like saying goodbye to my Indiana statehood...) my hair was not covered. I thought maybe she'd ask if I would take off my hijab or something just because government i.d.'s you know...they're all picky, but she didn't make a fuss and I appreciate it. Also you can SMILE on your license in Kentucky, who knew? In Indiana it's against the law. Literally. What about where you all live?
Anyway, I walk into the courthouse and kind of bumble through the metal detector because, well, I'm not that familiar with metal detector procedures. That combined with my headscarf make the police officers/guards assume I am fresh off the boat. I look around apparently lost, and say in perfectly plain English, "I need the department of motor vehicles."
You know, the DMV, right? In my old town it was actually the BMV (bureau of...) but regardless, it's constantly discussed and complained about in real life and on television.
So I ask for the department of motor vehicles, and am met with three men looking at me like I'm speaking Arabic. Literally, it was as though pure gibberish had come from my mouth. Finally one guard speaks up, holds up his hand to demonstrate just in case I'm really a lost cause: You want a dri-vers li-cense? Yes, and he's making a little rectangle with his hands so that I can have a reference point.
I said yes, thank you and he told me the way.
Strangely, it really was labeled DRIVERS LICENSE in huge letters on the wall. No DMV, BMV, whatever. No taking a ticket to wait your turn. No flashing sign that says "this many served", no timer making sure you don't take too long on one customer...nothing DMV-ish at all basically, lol.
I totally don't get it. How does a town with a college have a small little room labeled 'driver's license' while the small town I moved from have a full on BMV complete with ridiculous wait times? I don't get it, but I'm grateful.
Adventures in hijab. Honestly, sometimes it's annoying to get the 'other' treatment, but wearing hijab does make even the most mundane of tasks interesting.
3 comments:
Ours is called secretary of state. it can have long wait lines depending on the time you go. but it's in it's own building around me so you don't have to ask where it is. i've never had the "english is your second language" attitude (that i can remember, i feel like it may have happened once) i do feel like i shock a lot of people when i open my mouth though. like theyre expecting an accent and they dont get one. also you might have an indiana accent but they should still be able to tell that youre american.
i've had people talk very loudly and slowly to me, as though they were speaking to someone who doesn't speak english (because, you know, anyone who is learning english must also be hard of hearing). when i speak, though, usually their speech goes back to normal. :-)
i also have a friend (arab but america born) say she once had someone come up talking to her like this and she pretended she didn't know english. then a few minutes later she answered her phone, walked away while speaking perfect english. it still makes me laugh.
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