Unofficial Drivers Manual

Unofficial Driver's Manual of the Virgin Islands copyright 1998 by L. Leonard

A friend of ours loaned us his copy of the Unofficial Driver's Manual of the Virgin Islands when Silvia was studying for her drivers license. This book is absolutely hilarious. It contains all the unofficial "rules of the road" in the Virgin Islands. It's a work of fiction and for entertainment purposes only of course, but cracked me up because it's so true!! I'll have to find out more about the author and whether you can obtain a copy or if it was just written for fun and given out only to friends.

I've always said that the traffic laws here are regarded as suggestions and not laws. No speed limits, no turn signals, no stopping at stop signs, stopping in the middle of the road to talk or pick someone up is perfectly acceptable, parking anywhere regardless of signs. You name it. Just don't talk on your cell phone while driving. They take that one seriously. I know from experience!!

Success at DMV

Well, after lots of stress and headaches, Silvia has passed all her tests and officially has her VI driver’s license, yea!! What a crazy process this has been for her. She ended up having to use a driving school to take a couple lessons and then use their car for the test. If you don't have a license, you can't buy a car and get insurance. But to take the driving test, you have to have your own car. So if you don't have a friend on island that will let you use their car, then you have to use a driving school and of course they want you to take at least one lesson with them before they will let you use their car. The lesson cost $30 and to use their car for the test is $50. Silvia used Paul's Driving School and said he was very nice and very helpful. He even picked her up at work and at the house for her lessons. So she definitely recommends him.

So here's the recap:
1. pay $2 medical form
2. pay $12 for exam book (since online is different than printed version)
3. pay to get passport pics taken
4. pay for medical exam and eye exam
5. pay $10 for written test, pay each time until you pass (everyone I know had to take it more than once)
6. pay $8 for permit
7. pay $30 for driving lesson (pay for each lesson until ready to test)
8. pay $50 to use instructors car
9. pay $10 to take driving test
10. pay $35 to get license

So, pretty much it costs $200 (and lots of headaches) to get your license plus the cost of your medical/eye exam and that varies depending on if you have insurance or not. So, definitely do NOT let you state side license expire if you plan on getting a VI license!

More DMV bs

Poor Silvia. So she finally got all her paperwork in order, downloaded the driver's manual (link on the Daily News website under Special Supplements) and studied and studied. A girl in her office brought in the printed book that you have to buy at DMV for $12 (I think that's the right amount) to compare to the online version, and of course it was different. So she started studying the printed version. We found out from someone who recently took the test that although DMV has computers that are supposed to be used in the administration of the tests, are not used. It is a paper test that is manually graded by a DMV staff member. She also told us that she had to take the test three times before she passed and they would never tell her what she missed so that she could study better. She also said the format of the test got easier with each attempt. First it is a multiple choice with five essay questions. If you don't pass, then the next time it is a true or false test, she didn't say what the third was. Crazy. Some of the questions were pretty ridiculous. For example, what do you do if a cow or goat is in the middle of the road and won't move? Well, under no circumstance are you to blow your horn. You must pull over to the side of the road and patiently wait for the animal to decided when it's time to move along. What? Anyway, so Silvia decided she was ready for the test so we dropped her off at the DMV this morning and told her to let me know as soon as she took the test. Before I even got to the University I had a text from her saying they are not giving tests this week until after the 20th. No reason was given, I suspect the person that grades the test is probably off work. Absolutely Crazy!

DMV Follies Soon Come

Well this is the post before the post. A bit of a teaser. Silvia, the tenant downstairs, is trying to get a VI drivers license. Deb and I breezed through this when we moved down thanks to some streamlining of the process. The only problem is the process is only streamlined if you have a state side license to surrender. Well Silvia is from Croatia, she did go to college in the states and had an Idaho license at one point, but no more. So she has had to jump through hoops and will continue to jump through hoops to get her new license.
So she had to go to the doctor and have an exam and some paperwork filled out. You have to be in good shape to drive here as it is a contact sport. Then she has to go this morning and take the written test, which is only given on certain days from 8:00 to 10:00. Then assuming she passes she will have to go back on a different day and take the driving test. Since she hasn't bought a car yet she has to pay a driving instructor for the use of his DMV approved car to take the test.
I am so glad we went the other route and we will keep everyone posted on how it goes.
Jay

Here is the list on getting a drivers license if you don't have a valid state license:
1. Go to DMV to pick up a medical form, pay $2. Also, pick up the license application.
2. Have a medical and eye exam, pay for visit, have doctor fill out medical form.
3. Have two passport pics made, not sure of cost (they don't really need these because they use a digital camera to take your pic for the license but because it hasn't been taken off the list, you still have to bring them.
4. Come back to DMV Mondy thru Friday from 8:00-10:00 am to take the written test, pay $10. Make sure to bring your medical form, completed application, passport pics, passport, birth certificate, SS card.
5. If you pass the test, pay $8 for learners permit and make appointment for road test.
6. Come back for road test on your appt time. If you don't have a car, you can use the driving school car for a fee (not sure of this yet).
7. If you pass the road test, pay $35 for your license.

So the lesson is, if you are coming to VI and you have a us drivers license, DO NOT let it expire. Renew it in the states so that when you come here all you have to do is turn it in, pay the fee, and get a VI license. Simple as that.

More on The DMV

Well we went in yesterday to the DMV and got our drivers licenses changed over. We were a little apprehensive and expected this to be a really funny story. Fully expected attitude and abuse and we were willing to take it if necessary. Well to say we were pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. We showed up, the first time around 10:30, got the forms for the license and filled them out. We thought we had all the bases covered based on our research. We had our old licenses, social security cards and passports. Well the sign on the wall said we also needed our birth certificates. So rather than ask we just went back to the apartment and got them. We returned about 45 minutes later, around 11:15 or so, got in what even by stateside standards was a normal length line for a DMV and about ten minute later we were handing paperwork to the cashier and doing our best good mornings and smiles. She never really warmed up but she was by no means rude and she was fairly efficient. Of course she had to come out of her locked booth, collect our id's lock up her booth then cross the hall into another locked office to make copies. I assume if the copier had chosen that moment to break then this would be a totally different story since there appeared to be only one in the building. After a few minute she returned to her booth, re locking herself in, returned the originals and charged us the $45 apiece for the licenses. Then she hands the properly attached forms to us and sends us across the hall to the camera person. The camera lady was very pleasant and proper, we even got her to smile and acknowledged our greeting. She took both sets of paper work gave them a quick once over then sent us back out into the waiting area. In few minutes she asked Debra to come back in, apparently she needed to enter the data privately, then she snapped her picture and took her thumbprint via scanner, thanked her and asked her to wait in the lobby again. A few minutes later it was my turn, by that point Deb's license had printed and she handed it to me. I went back to the lobby and within five minutes mine had printed as well. So all the horror stories about doctors exams and eye exams seem to be incorrect. I do know from previous research that the rules changed sometime last year. As long as you surrender you stateside license approval is automatic, no tests or exams. So the whole process including the time it took to go back and get the birth certificates, which it turns out the lady didn't even look at, took a little less than two hours. Not bad at all by island time standards.
Jay