Street Level Sightings: Chrysler New Yorker

For a girl that swears by all things Bostonian, I have soft spot in my heart for New Yorkers. Some of my best friends are from New York, and then there's gems like this poor little water-logged car.

Spotted on what appears to be the "work in progress" lot of a vintage dealer in Wakefield, RI, the rust-addled once proud survivor hails from an era before mandatory seat belts, when driving was cruising, and cars were the crown jewels of family possessions. And wow does it look like this one was a diamond. I didn't check the VIN, but I believe this is a 1956. Last inspected in Massachusetts in 2003, it's not like your can't call that a good run for a family sedan. Still, I hope this little green diamond hasn't seen its last Sunday drive; its rusted badly but it doesn't appear beyond repair and could really shine given some TLC.

The Dreaded DMV?

Our Parents told us horror stories about it. Waiting half the day with the bored-brain-dead masses trying to accomplish what is most likely a simple task. But after years of computer advancement, why does the DMV still have to be every motorist's personal hell? I live in Rhode Island and we're ever so slowly beginning to catch up with modern day. Most registry changes still have to be made with old fashion paper forms and lines, but we can order plates and renew registrations online. The AAA also provides simple services like renewing licenses without the massive queue.

But for this one I didn't have a choice. I've wanted vanity plates for my beloved little Plymouth for years and I finally ordered them. They cost a small fortune, over $72 when I ordered them online and another $81.50 at the DMV, but I dreaded the day trapped in linoleum hell far more then the cost.

The DMV's only open select hours, so I'm guessing those who can't work from home and don't have a week of vacation to burn have to fake illness to find the time to do anything DMV-related. After 15 minutes of waiting in the wrong line I was directed, with instructions, to the correct line and handed a numbered ticket. I was happily surprised to see the tickets numbers are coded, sort of like squawk codes in aviation, and I was only about 20 back in my segment of the line. By the time I'd filled out the paper form, removed my old plates and returned to the waiting room, I only had 4 people in front of me.

Even after a return trip to resolve a mistake on my reissued registration, I was actually in and out in about 45 minutes. While I'm told some states simply put all I accomplished in the mail, I have to think any trip to the DMV that can be completed in under an hour is a sign of improvement. So bravo Rhode Island DMV, you've made leaps and bounds in the right direction. But seriously, in a age when I can work from any where in the world and seemingly do everything else I used to wait in line for online, you've still got some work to do.

Street Level Sightings: 1966 Morris Minor 1000

In a town that is proudly lost in time, Newport, RI, I found this “beauty” parked on a side street only feet from the downtown shops.
The RI license plate is bolted over the original British number plate. It’s in fairly fabulous condition, is right hand drive, and clearly a loved daily driver (there was a book on the passenger seat, a woman’s or a very gay man’s). It even still bore the sticker from the “morris minor centre” Bath 315449 Avon House, Lower Bristol Road. Bath. Avon.

I don't care if it runs like a horse-drawn-buggy, it's adorable.