Lines at the DMV are just a matter of timing

QMr. Roadshow, the secret is out. I went to the DMV on Saturday afternoon, a time when you and readers reported short waits for even those like me without an appointment. My wait — nearly three hours.

— Donna Le and a few others

ASorry, that was your experience. Here’s a very different one.

QThe world is not coming to an end just yet in regard to getting a Real ID. I walked into the DMV office in Santa Clara at 12:50 p.m. Friday. My appointment was for 1 p.m. I was called at 1:08 p.m., and I walked out of with my temporary Real ID at 1:18 p.m. Not bad for a Friday afternoon at the DMV.

— Pat Sena, Santa Clara

ANot bad at all. Delays may occur more often this summer with the October deadline approaching. Book an appointment, but you can also try to walk in on a Saturday afternoon, which remains a less crowded time overall.

QMy mother assumed my father’s name when I was born nearly 40 years ago. They were never legally married, didn’t stay together, nor did she ever file any legal documents for a name change. However, her name is recognized in almost all government forms, including Social Security. The only problem — it’s different than the name on her birth certificate.

How is she supposed to get a Real ID?

— Lisa Lamphere

AIt may not be easy. She could legally change her name in court.

The Real ID Act requires that names on all documents an applicant provides match or be very similar on her legal documentation that shows the progression of the name change. This is a federal requirement, enforced by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. So there is little the DMV can do since the names on her official documents do not match.

QAt El Camino Real and Fair Oaks Avenue in Sunnyvale, the pedestrian signal no longer verbally gives the message to wait or walk. However, there is a message that sounds like “change password.” My husband thinks the voice is saying “mutter halfway.” Perhaps there is some logic that I am missing. What is being said?

— Mary Ruth Green

AGibberish. Caltrans will be out soon to fix it.

QThis may not be the worst I’ve seen (I’ve seen people make a Uturn on the Golden Gate Bridge on two occasions), but it was the most satisfying.

Before the Hillsdale Boulevard offramp from Highway 101 was redesigned, going south to go east to Foster City you had to be in the right lane and go over the overpass. However, the car in front of me wanted the left lane to go to San Mateo, so at the base of the overpass he made a U-turn to go west. The car coming over the overpass was a police car that immediately turned on the lights!

— Rena Killian,

Foster City

AJustice was served.