A rhetorical exercise, perhaps — but at least the endodontist will numb you with a local anesthetic and, if you’re lucky, provide nitrous oxide for your trouble. The DMV offers no such panacea.
But Denverites really hate their DMVs, according to a new report from SudokuBliss, a sudoku gaming website that (and you'll be shocked to hear this) recommends sudoku as a way to pass the time at the DMV.
The interminable waits in crowded DMV lobbies reek of frustration and sweat worse than Frontier Airlines. From plastic chairs to curt employees, it doesn’t matter what state you live in. Everyone hates going to the DMV.
For this recent study, Google reviews were scraped across 140 locations in thirty major U.S. cities, finding that Denver has four different DMVs ranking in the top twenty for most complaints. The Denver DMV locations in question are on South Monaco Street Parkway, Peoria Street, Tremont Place, and South Sheridan Boulevard.
As to methodology, researchers say they counted reviews with less than three stars that also contained negative words like “long,” “slow,” “horrible,” and “terrible."
According to the study, Indianapolis, Phoenix, Seattle, Jacksonville and Philadelphia have the best-rated DMVs in the country, while Denver is ranked seventh-worst. The Peoria Street location scored fifth in the country for least improved DMVs in the past year.
Only Charlotte, Portland, Austin, Boston, San Francisco and Memphis beat out Denver for having more despised DMVs, according to the Google research.
Avoiding the DMV in Denver
Although going to the DMV in Denver can be a pain, there are ways to bypass some visits. Here are a couple of tips to help you through the experience:First: while the state DMV, which issues driver’s licenses, requires appointments for visits, it’s the county DMVs that issue license plates and registrations, and those locations’ policies on appointments vary by the county.
The DMV also offers self-serve kiosks across the state, where you can renew your registration, get tags printed or check the status of your title. Denver motorists can also visit myDMV.colorado.gov for other simple online fixes, such as requesting a new ID or driver's license after moving.
If you must play the waiting game, here's same advice your parents heard: Show up a half-hour before opening time and get in line, and you’ll probably waste less time than other Coloradans who can’t make it that early.
