A lot of stuff happens every four years. The Olympics, the Presidential Election, and I have to get my driver’s license renewed. I actually just now realized that it fell on the same four year schedule as the previous two things – maybe that will help me remember next go-round.

Anyway, so Ali and I headed to the lovely boutique known as the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) today.

We get in line, and as we’re standing there, I see a sign that says “no debit or credit – only cash or checks”. BUT the window right next to that one had the Visa/Mastercard sticker. I ponder this for a few minutes, knowing that I don’t have a check or enough cash to get my DL. I finally realize that apparently if you’re getting your TAG renewed, they take plastic. But if you’re getting your Plastic renewed (aka Driver’s License), they don’t. Go figure.

So Ali and I get out of line, stroll across the parking lot to the Post Office, buy enough stamps to not feel auspicious by getting cash back with the purchase (that magic number of stamps is 10, just in case you wondered), then stroll back across the parking lot and get in line again. Miraculously, only two people got to skip ahead of us due to my lack of proper fundage.

So now I’m looking around at all of the signs to make sure that I haven’t missed something else, and I notice that the line on the OTHER side of me where they are doing driver’s tests only takes Cash, Credit or Debit – NO checks!!

So, as a public service announcement, let me summarize what you can and cannot use at the ALDOT:

Tag Renewal: They’ll take anything. Even your firstborn, I hear.
Driver’s License: Cash or Checks only, please. They don’t believe in taking plastic, only issuing it.
Driver’s Test for New License: Cash or Debit/Credit only, no checks. Apparently they are afraid of all of the sixteen year olds running around kiting bad checks.

Yes, these lines are all run by the same infamous Jefferson County figure, Travis A. Hulsey. So why the disparity in options?

Which brings us to ALDOT Mystery #2:

Why in the world are you supposed to make your checks out to Travis A. Hulsey?? Why not ALDOT?? What kind of scheme is he running?

Now obviously it’s not his original scheme, because we all USED to make our checks out to Randy Godeke. But apparently Randy got enough cash and checks from us that he is good to go, and passed the reigns to his buddy Travis.

Ah, the world will never uncover the mysteries of the ALDOT.

8 thoughts on “Mysteries of the ALDOT

  1. Actually, it wasn’t bad at all!! Maybe 5 minutes at the most. Driver’s Licenses are never too bad (at least in my experience) it’s the tag line that makes me all too willing to pay that $3 dollar surcharge to get them mailed to me.

  2. Ha-ha! I’ve always wondered what happened to good ole’ Randy…
    And I never was able to figure out the mystery of writing checks to him… or to the new guy, Travis, for that matter! :)

  3. I actually know Travis. His daughter played softball for me last year. He’s a great guy! But I’m not sure what he does with the money. It was quite funny to figure out that I actually knew the guy I write my check too!

  4. Actually, ALDOT doesn’t have anything to do with the issuance of drivers licenses. That is the jurisdiction of the Department of Public Safety.

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