Only in America!

This morning I drove my dear wife to the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) office to get a state ID card for her. As I reached the DMV office, I got a parking slot within a few yards from the entrance door. We walked into a clean and spacious office space. At the counter, we were smilingly greeted by an elderly person who politely asked 'how may I help you?'. After hearing the purpose of our visit, he asked for some identification papers. He took just a few seconds to take a look at the documents and directed us to the lady at the next counter. The young lady quickly made some entries in her computer and directed my wife to pay the fees to the cashier. The cashier took the money, gave a receipt and asked my wife to proceed to the photograph counter. Within seconds, a snap shot was taken and signature taken. A little later, the ID card was delivered. The entire process took less than 10 minutes. No lengthy forms to fill, no hassles. This could happen only in America - may be in some parts of America but still only in America!

Later, I had to get some documents notarized. On the way, I stopped by at a notary office. It took less than 3 minutes for me to get the notary's signatures after verification of the necessary documents. I felt great - this is America!

There are many such trivial things that can happen so well only in this great country. Take for instance, the drive-in banks. Sitting in the comfort of my car, I can deposit/withdraw money within a few minutes. Senior citizens like me who face financial constraints, enjoy many privileges including lower fares for train and movie tickets.

Let me give you a few more examples of what are most comforting to many of us.

- Weeks after I buy a product, if I am not happy with it for any reason, I can return it to the store and get a refund.
- There is no bother of cigarette smoke in public places. The city I live in is almost a smoke-free zone.
- Despite drastic and abrupt changes in the weather, the forecasts are still fairly accurate.
- If there is an unfortunate accident on the road, cops and paramedics rush to the site within minutes.

Where else can all this happen so well?

Every nation has its own set of problems and the USA is not an exception. Of course, there are negatives in this country too but the common man here enjoys many positives - thanks to the ancestors of this country who worked hard and the people of current generation who continue to work hard to improve the quality of life. God bless America!