DMVs anywhere usually get a bad rap.

They usually deserve it.

The folks who issue driver's licenses and registrations have become a metaphor for slow, shoddy, impersonal service: "The airport in Tirana, Albania, has all the charm of a Beverly Hills valet parker, the beauty of the 405 Freeway at rush hour and the efficiency of a DMV office."

Stop the presses.

I just went to the one in Merced to replace a lost license.

Took me 20 minutes, even though it was a busy Friday afternoon.

The lovely Sarah handled my paperwork fast and smooth and even got me to smile for the photo.

What could've been a nerve-jangling, mind-numbing experience turned out to be not bad a'tall.

Kudos to the staties who staff the Merced DMV.

Nice to see our tax dollars working well.