CHESAPEAKE, Va. — CHEASAPEAKE, Va. — Many residents in the Greenbrier area of Chesapeake faced long lines and significant waiting times while trying to obtain their real IDs at the DMV.
Danielle Saitta, a neighborhood news reporter, observed frustrated individuals, like Joseph Tanner, who had been waiting nearly four hours when she met him at 11 a.m. Tanner, who travels frequently for work, stated that this was his only available day to visit the DMV due to a busy schedule that includes caring for his newborn.
"It looks like they have maybe two windows out of 14 open for the real ID process," Tanner said.
He noted that appointments for the real ID often take two months to secure, making it especially challenging for those with tight schedules.
Tom Thrall, who had come to the DMV to address a personal property tax issue, shared that he encountered a two-hour wait. He recounted his experience from a previous day when parking was unavailable.
“Nobody told us if they were here for just the special ID or if we were here for anything," Thrall explained. "Finally, the manager came out about 15 minutes ago and asked what citizens were in line for, and they took us right in.”
Inside the DMV, Thrall witnessed an elderly woman receiving assistance at the window and offered her a chair for comfort. Shortly after, emergency medical technicians arrived to check her vital signs.
"This is pretty ridiculous," stated Christopher Wheeler, who was at the DMV for a different reason. While he expressed frustration with the long wait, he acknowledged the importance of obtaining a real ID.
“I think it’s good in ways because of a lot more security, especially with everything happening in airports nowadays.” Wheeler added, “It might be a pain in the butt right now for some people, but in the long run, it will all work out.”
