THE DMV WAITING GAME DRIVERS GET, NOT SERVICE, BUT SAME OLD LINE.

Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer

When it came time to renew her driver's license earlier this month, Ilse Erpel tried the Winnetka DMV - but was repelled by a long line of fuming motorists.

Then she tried to book an appointment - but had to hit the redial key for two hours before reaching a clerk. When she did, she was told she had to wait four weeks for an appointment.

``This is insane,'' said Erpel, 76, of Calabasas. ``I saw lines (outside) up to the curb. ... Everybody had a very mad expression. It scared me to death.''

The nightmare at the California Department of Motor Vehicles will likely get worse.

A state Legislative Analyst's Office report released this week spells out the effects of successive budget cuts that have shaved staff size at DMV offices as workloads rise.

The report says the average 60-minute wait for walk-in customers is expected to hit 80 minutes in fiscal 2004-05 - up from 35 minutes three years ago. This does not include waits of up to 30 minutes just to get the ``queuing number'' for the marathon wait for a clerk.

In bustling DMV offices such as Glendale, Fullerton and San Mateo, the DMV reports waits of up to four hours. Drivers hoping to make an appointment can wait up to four weeks in major metropolitan offices, and the agency's toll-free telephone number can take hours to reach.

The report warns that conditions will only get worse under proposals by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who wants to eliminate 600 vacant DMV positions from this year's budget, part of an effort to cut $14 million, or 2 percent, of the DMV budget. The governor hopes to make up for the cuts by making the agency more efficient.

``You can expect that this administration is already working at ways to get waiting times down,'' said Department of Finance spokesman H.D. Palmer.

But Assemblywoman Jenny Oropeza, D-Carson, chairwoman of the Assembly Transportation Committee, said the state should rethink the DMV cuts.

``You've got to provide the necessary level of staff to provide decent customer service for the public on stuff like the DMV,'' said Oropeza, whose mother is a retired Glendale DMV office supervisor.

The Legislative Analyst's Office recommended restoring the lost positions and streamlining operations at the DMV. In the meantime, officials said, customers can use the Internet to register cars, change addresses, or check which DMV office has the shortest wait times.

Fed up with promises of shorter lines in the distant future, many motorists have hit the road in search of shorter lines. Customers have left crowded DMV offices in Winnetka and Van Nuys to drive to those in Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Arleta and even far-away Santa Paula.

At the Winnetka DMV office, Elizabeth Morgan, 44, of Canoga Park said she had been waiting four hours and 15 minutes to pick up her license plates. Instead of a quick lunch-hour trip, she lost a half-day's pay.

``I stood in line for an hour just to get inside, and I've been waiting ever since,'' Morgan said. ``This is absolutely ridiculous. You can't get through on the phone. I tried for three days to schedule an appointment, and I couldn't get through.''

At the Santa Monica DMV office Thursday morning, only half of the chairs were full, but it was early. Holmes Osborne III, 28, of Santa Monica wasn't taking any chances: The money manager brought a newspaper and study guides.

``I'm planning on 2 1/2 hours,'' Osborne said. ``I just purchased a car, and I'm here to get it registered and pay the tax. I wanted to register online and get an appointment, but the earliest I could get one was March 1.''

In Glendale, customers waited elbow to elbow, craning their necks to see whether their number was finally up.

``Did you ever see a can of sardines?'' said Robert Ramirez, a security guard. ``That's what it's like here - (and) today is the slowest day of the entire week.''

Staff Writers Lisa Sodders and Harrison Sheppard contributed to this report.

Dana Bartholomew, [phone]

dana.bartholomew(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

photo, box, chart

Photo:

(color) Elizabeth Castle and her daughter, Alexis, 8, wait on line at the Glendale branch of the DMV on Thursday.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer

Box:

WAITING FOR THE DMV

SOURCE: Department of Motor Vehicle

Chart:

DMV Traffic Jam

SOURCE: Department of Motor Vehicle

Gregg Miller/Staff Artist