IN SEARCH OF DAY 3

For some reason, I felt nervous about contacting these offices. What am I fearing? Over the phone humiliation from a desk clerk who can't help but laugh uncontrollably at someone who is looking for their long lost check? What's the big deal? I've shit my pants before, so how much worse can this be?

I begin by calling the Disbursement office. Jennifer answers and she's new. That means she's quite helpful and tells me that I need to figure out which agency was in charge of issuing the refund. The Disbursement office is only in charge of issuing the check. She reassures me that the check is not gone and that I can still get the money. The only problem is that I'll need to start the entire process over again and that could take time. I'd heard this before when I started this search the first time, so I feel better about that.

She put me on hold then came back saying that I'd need to speak to the DMV. She also said she asked a few people and they told her the same thing. She wished me luck and that was that.

Since I'd spoken to the DMV already, it was time to try the Field Office Support Unit number again. It was busy the first time and upon trying it again, it was busy again! What the heck?

I decided to try the 800 number again to see where it would lead me. Would the agent give me the Field Support Unit again? But that number was busy too! What's going on here? What is it about the new year that is causing so many calls to DMV? Maybe it's just timing. Everyone and their mother likes to call around this time. It's that time of the work day when you can do some of your errands and look like you're working.

I go to the DMV website and find another 800 number. Unfortunately, it's only for appointments or registration renewal. Oddly, the DMV website's page for offices does not list a Field Support Unit number. Does the office even exist?

I call the FSU # again and get a ring! But it keeps ringing and ringing. No one answers and I begin to wonder if there is such a thing. No message, no answer, no nothing. I let it ring and finally get the message, "your party is not answering." This message is familiar because when I try to book gigs, I sometimes get the same message when the booking agent doesn't answer their line.

I call the 800 number again and get through. The agent seemed a little more helpful and kept asking me questions about the check. I told her I just wanted to verify the support unit's number since no one answered. I told her that another agent gave me that number after I went through my story. She put me on hold. After some time, I begin to wonder if she's telling her supervisors my story. What if she tells it wrong? What if she doesn't make sense? What if she makes as much sense as I am trying to reclaim my long lost check?

I'm on hold so long, I wonder if she's forgotten? As I look for a stop watch to time the hold period, the agent comes back. She gives me the Customer Communications number.

Customer Communications
(916) 657-6560

She explains that lost checks once required a form to be filled-out at the time. However, since that process is long gone, they don't do that anymore. I would need to explain this to whoever I speak to and hopefully, find another way to go about claiming my check. She warned me that they may give me another number to call - she didn't know.

I call the number and sure enough, it's busy. This will need to wait until tomorrow.