Drivers licence

Elle,
I have lived here for 9 months and STILL have not gotten my driver's license. Why? B/C my hubby almost passed out from waiting in line for 45 minutes to pay $2 for each application. We perused the applications and discovered that yes, it requires a medical examination. Then, you have to return to submit the app. and take a written test. All of this requires time and $$$. We're just hoping we can get away with being "seasonal visitors" for at least 2 years. Haha--just kidding!.
OK, I just went and got the app. to check it out. The second page is the medical examination. It looks like you could get away with having this completed before you actually pay and pick up the application. The medical form is "good for a year from thh date stamped or obtained." But, it does say that the medical form must be completed by a "certified" doctor. Does that mean USVI certified or just board certified, I don't know.
I would be willing to fax you the form for your review. But don't try to be sneaky and submit a xerox of the whole application....they stamp the cover page with the POlice Dept. seal to indicate that it has been paid for.

Hey Onika,

Yeah I understand about procrastinating when it comes to getting a new DL.! I lived in Seattle for 2 years and then flew back to where I moved from to renew for another 4 before I finally bucked up and took the written test and recieved my WA state DL. The day before it expired of course! LOL!

I would love you for life if you would fax me (actually my mom, gotta love her!) the medical form. I don't work near a fax so my mom gave me hers at WAMU. Please send it to Cheryl Pleak at Washington Mutual @ 206-554-5098 when ever it is convienent. Now the big question... How do I possibly repay you for your help? You have no idea how much I appriciate it!! Thanks a million Onika. And I'll be sure not to be sneaky with the rest of the forms. I wanted to get a physical before I left for STT anyway so I'm killing 2 birds with one stone. As for the eyes. I was premature on that and just forked out a hefty sum about 6 weeks ago for new glasses and exam. Oh well thats what benefits are for!!! Thanks again for your help and look forward to more advise and answers as moving day draws near. Elle.

Hello Elle,

This is gonna be a long answer to a short question. LOL

Its a one page form printed on both sides... I can see it right now in my mind. The first side ask for your name, address, social security number, if you work and where/employer.... then it ask if you ever had your license revoked and why? Has a little table section for traffic violations if you have any - thats usually where the stamp goes with the date. Then it has a little paragraph if everything is accurate... and you have to sign the bottom - granted you cant photocopy them - all the ones I have seen are photocopies and often times the signature line is missing... but you gotta have that stamp and receipt to say you paid $2 bucks for it. Anyhow the next side ask. Do you have diabetes, Do you have heart trouble, have you ever had a stroke, any hearing problems, Do you have any mental illness, every been confined to an institution for mental illness, do you have rheumatic fever 🙂 there are 1 or 2 I am missing...

Then it ask for your blood type.

Doctors Signature on the right hand side below the questions and date.

Then it has on the left side Visual Acutity without glasses and with glasses on the right.

Then it ask for your peripheral vision..

Then the doctors signature.

I am sure Onika will fax it though - so you can see what it looks like.

Elle here is what I suggest you do. If you were planning to have a physical just for having it while you have benefits do so. Tell your doctor to tell you your blood type if you didn't know what it was already, or ask for a little card - its like the size of a bussiness card and they put your blood type on it, if you know what it is then good. Then ask your eye doctor for a copy of your perscription, not sure if they will give you a copy of your records - laws are different in each state about this. In any case get your RX for both glasses and contacts if you wear them (for the contacts make sure you get the Diameter and Base Curve) this way you can get you eye service stuff in St. Thomas if you need it, in case of an emergency its good to have. For the drivers license - ask the doctor for your VA (visual acuity without glasses and with) they should have this on your record if you recently did the exam.

On St. Thomas take the blank form (fill in your personal information) over to Pearle Vision (there is one in the Tutu Park Mall and one in Nisky Center/ I am partial to the one in the Mall - LOL (they have ODs and MDs working at both) Anyway tell them you need the drivers license form filled out (theyll know what to do) and they will read the questions to you, tell them yes or no - they will write it in, tell them your blood type or show them the paper if you got it from the doctor and they will write it in... and then give them your eye exam info and they will write it in.... and they will sign and stamp it for you. 🙂 Usually this cost $20 and they do the visual acuity and field vision for you/ but if you have the informaiton already not sure what they will charge... but can't be more then $20!! If you don't have the blood type information then you are sent to the clinic to have a quick blood type test done and if you weren't able to get your RX glasses informaiton they will do the quick VA test there for you.

Easy. 🙂 Doesn't require blood work if you know your blood type. And it doesn't require a physical unless you cant answer whether you have diabetes or a mental illness.... alternatively you can go on island to a walk in clinic and they do the same thing ask you the questions and write in your answer and then tell you to read the visual acutity chart and thats it. Not complicated at all. Don't sweat it - no biggy. The biggy is waiting in line like Onika mentioned and taking the written test (there is a little book you study from for the test- it ask about the laws in the VI, when you turn on and off your head lights, names of main roads, speed limits..)Best bet is to go really early, first thing when they open to get the form...Say Good Morning/Day before asking for the form. 🙂

Good Luck

--Islander

Onika,

I laughed and laughed and I am still laughing - about your comment.

....I have lived here for 9 months and STILL have not gotten my driver's license. Why? B/C my hubby almost passed out from waiting in line for 45 minutes to pay $2 for each application....

LOL, LOL....

Thank you for the laugh - its late and I needed the laugh to keep me answering questions and not leaving them for tommorrow. 🙂

--Islander

Onika: I gambled for about 5 years before getting my driver's license! If they reinstitute the traffic stops they were doing a while back, you may end up with a lack of valid license ticket... If you are going to stay, not worth it!!

Elle: I know you want to make it easy on yourself, but it does not work here! ;-( I am sure you have to have an OFFICIAL form. There are "doc in the box" places like Doctors on Duty in Vitraco Park where you can walk in and get the form filled out in 15 minutes/ $30 or so. Make sure you have a valid stateside license as you do not want to take the road test!! The written test isn't so bad. You do need to go in and get a driver's manual...that is if they have them that day!!!

Thanks for the help you guys. Just another quick question. I read in the hand book that you should always say good/morning/afternoon/evening. That asking how someone is will often get you the responce, "not as good as you". I have been other places in the Carib and have had people say exactly that to me and not understood, I read and reread the book and came out with the answer that islanders believe good fortune is fragile. Amen to that, but is there anything else you would like to add. I'm always looking for enlightenment.

elle

Elle,

We say Good Morning/Afternoon and so forth (if you noticed in my long post about drivers license medical form I said make sure to say Good Morning to the teller before requesting the form)... it goes a long way.

Yes when you say How are you - people will say Not as good as you.... I have always taken it to mean that people aren't in any better position then the person asking or don't want to appear as though they are. They might say it also when You say Oh you look sharp, you look good - the person might say thanks but not as good as you... (The older folks say it - rarely heard young people saying this anymore)

When you say 'see you tommorrow or something will be ready tommorrow' people will answer you - God Spare Life... lots of religious people here and this means the if God blesses the person with another day of life then yes indeed they will see you tommorrow.

And when you say Merry Christmas or Happy New Year... you will hear back "And Many Happy Returns" the person wishing the same onto you.

Folks here are have lots of superstitions as well. If I were to joke and say "This (whatever this is) is going to happen" and it did in fact happen - the person would say back that "I put goat mouth on them"....

You will hear older folks talk about Goumangala - LOL 🙂 its said to be a way Women trap men into falling for them... putting stuff in their food and drinks. 🙂

Lots of neat stories and sayings. Glad to see you are interested in this part of island life and culture !!

--Islander

Elle-
The DL application that we have is two separate, single-sided pages. The Police Dept. stamp is only on the first page--which is not the medical questionnaire page. Conceivably, I could mail you a copy of the second page (so you don't have the fax. info. on it) and you could have it completed prior to arriving on-island. There is, however, always the possibility that whomever is receiving your form when you drop it off notices a discrepancy between the dates of the seal and the doctor's signature and denies your application.
Why don't you email me at onikagilliam@hotmail.com and let me know what you want to do.
But I must say, I found Islander's suggestions very good and following them will ensure that you stay within the rules. Also, if you do go through the process you can act as a guinea pig and tell me (and the board) how painful/painless it was! Haha.

Goumangala ??? Have to look that one up! Is it a French word?
Ronnie

Onika - someone couldn't figure out how to make double sided copies - LOL and you got two pages. HA HA HA - laughing!! I have seen a couple like that, not as many as the double sided.

Elle - Here are two things that could happen - the signature and stamp might predate the police stamp like Onika said unless you got the doctors to post date it to after your arrival.... and it you should happen to get the more popular double sided copy well --- then it wouldn't work you would still need the information transfered to the new page.

Onika the process is painless..... 🙂 Go early thats the key. 🙂 like right when they open. LOL

Elle - the form really isn't the hard to get filled out locally at Pearle Vision for $20 or at a walk in center like East Ender suggested and estimated at $20-$30. The RX for your glasses I would still recommend you get because if you happen to need them replaced its so much easier when you have the RX.

--Islander

Ronnie -

I worked with quite a few folks from Trinidad and Tortola -- and they are the ones I heard saying Goumangala.... another Gal from St. Kitts also spoke about the practice/belief but called it something else. And a friend with family from St. Lucia also spoke about it.. There is a Calyposonian (Shadow) that sang about Goumangala.... a verse goes something like:

"Leroy, ah have a message to give you, Leroy I have a secret to tell you, you in love with Mathilda, she invite you for dinner, Mama done start to prepare, she boiling she underwear... don' t go in dem people house I warning you, don't go to dem people house I telling you... Goumagala in the coffee, Goumagala in the maubi, Goumagala in the porrage, Goumagala in the sandwich... if you eat dem people food you turn stupid and when you start feeling good you done married."

"Leroy you like to flock to young ladies, and leave dem with plenty babies, Mama know all about you , so she waiting to feed you, don't go in dem people house, I warning you..."

you get the idea 🙂 so no its not French.... not sure which island Shadow is from??? but as mentioned its a Trini that introduced that particular term to me although I had heard about it before.

--Islander

Good evening everybody... (I'm practicing Islander, I'm trying to break the "how are you" habit). All good info. Do you think that if Onika mailed me a copy and my doc wasn't willing to post date that Pearl or the "doc in the box" would just transcribe. The money isn't that big of a deal although I suppose it could be if I don't find work in a reasonable amount of time. I'm half tempted at the thought of being a guinea pig for others but I don't want the folks at the police department to think that I'm trying to get over on anyone. Especially them. STT is going to be my new home, I just don't want to get off on a bad foot with anyone. I will definately get a copy of my prescription before I move. Great suggestion.

Islander: What is a goat mouth? Also what if a woman gave a man goumagala and it turns out that it was a bad idea. Is there a recipe so to speak to undo goumagala? I love superstitions not the black cat, walking under a ladder, lighting the last match in the match book kind. But the karma spiritual kind, love, luck, good fortune and a gris gris doesn't hurt. I was in New Orleans in October and there was a lot of that and it fascinates me. I was reading about STT's Carnival in Caribbean Travel and Life and learned some pretty interesting history on calypso. I bring this up because of your quoting Shadow's song about the goumagala. The article quoted Glenn "Kwabena" Davis (3 time VI Calypso Monarch) as saying, "It's storytelling set to music, chronicling either history or current events. The singers often incorporate clever satire, double-entendre or humor, and always deliver a message." I wonder if maybe Shadow was fed some goumagala and it gave him a stomach ache. Thanks for sharing that info. What is everyday stuff to you guys is a whole new world to me and I love hearing about it. Please pass on more as you think of it.

Onika: I'm off to bed for now but I will email you with my address this weekend. I'd at least like to take a peak at the form and take it to the doc with me even though I'll probably go to Pearl just to be safe. Thanks again.

East Ender: Thanks to you to. You all are a great help!

Good Night everybody. Elle

Islander, I still have to check it out as tooit's origins. Shadow is from Trinidad.
I know of the 'process' that we use here pertaining to the cooking of a 'special' rice. Other than that I am sure there are other ways!

Elle, if a man gets one of those, he will stay forever and never understand why! There is no question as to whether it will work or not!

Goat mout' ,if I may ,is when you say something like- That person might fall down if he doesn't watch out, and then he does! You put a hex on him and it happened, we call it goat mout'!

Ronnie

Good Morning to you Elle,

(We say How you Doing/How are you also but after the Good _____ (morning, afternoon) What the Good ____ replaces is Hello....

To answer your question about whether if you got your doctor to fill in the form if Pearle Vision would transcibe it - well it depends on who you happen to get helping you. Some might say no we can't put our doctors signature to an "exam" that he didn't do - and then they'll ask you all the stuff and still charge you $20 while looking to see if it matches what you doctor wrote. Others would say oh its completed already just expired or whatever and transcribe it and 'say its ok - good luck'... And I would likely think that the doc in the boxes might say they need to fill it out if their signature will be on it and its business. So sure have your doctor fill it out if you are going anyway to have a physical. You will still need to go to the DMV and get a form and maybe/maybe not get it filled out on St. Thomas and still would need to do the written exam.... I think the DMV part is the part Onika is infering you be a quinea pig for.... the filling out the form is easssssy. LOL

The folks at DMV are often not the friendliest bunch - I have rarely seen them smiling - and forget about the inspectors youd be lucky if you get a reply to your Good Morning. You could try and submit the copy Onika's sending to you - however if for example they noticed the stamp missing/ or that it was a copy/ or that they were back to using the double printed sheets/ or that the little recipt that says $2 paid stapled to the page isn't there (sometimes it is sometimes its not).... well those would just all be room for them giving you a hard time. Have it filled in at home so you have it - but do it the right way by getting a form and so forth....

Ronnie's explanation of "Goat Mout" is right on... another example would be it I said that you taking in the photocopied form to DMV that they would catch it - and they did..... you would say I put Goat Mout on you and thats why it happened....

Goumagala being a bad idea.... LOL I don't know of any remedies - 🙂 Ronnie have you heard of a remedy-LOL

As for superstitions - there are all kinds, the black cat kind, the stepping on a crack in the road, walking backwards, dropping a fork, sticking a fork or a knief in the ground, throwing salt over your shoulder, knocking on wood all the way to believing in potions making people fall for you, or make a person sick or putting bad luck on people through hexes and potions, lizards hangin out by your door, broomsticks, birds getting inside the house, dead animals showing up around the house, putting on cloths inside out, dreams, visions, .... they come from throughout the Caribbean as the USVI are influenced by people from throughout the islands. Some of the beliefs are not harmful but there are a few people who believe it to be equally harmful - the ones who think bad karma and bad vibes can be placed upon you...

Your description of Calypso is correct - there is an article on Calypso Shows on this web site. Go to the top of this page and click on General Guide and select Carnival ... there you will find articles about Carnival and photos...

Ronnie - the process of special rice - LOL. 🙂 interesting way to say it - yes I know about that too... Let me know what you find out about Goumangala..... Thanks

--Islander

Can someone sum this thread up in one post?

Medical exam or just have doc sign form......

Written test?

Driving test?

Thanks
JET

Hello Jet -

Sure sum it all up.

To get a license in the USVI:

If you have a current state side license you DO NOT need to retake the road test. You DO need to get an application/medical form and take the written test. On passing the written test and with the license from the states you are issued a USVI license to replace your stateside license.

If you have no license. You have to get the application/medical form, take the written, be issued a permit and then take the road test.

Application/medical form cost $2 it has to be picked up at the DMV where its stamped with the date you get it and usually a receipt is stapled to it.

The form can be filled out locally. A complete medical exam is not necessary if you can answer general health questions pretaining to whether you are hearing impaired, have diabetes, hearth ailments, srokes or mental disorders. The questions are all just YES or NO. If you know your blood type you don't need a blood test either. You eye exam information needs to be done by a medical associate (doctor, eye doctor, optical assitant working under a doctor) all that is done is a Visual Acutitiy test (you read the chart with each eye to see if you have 20/20)... note. If you can't see better then 20/30 or 20/40 don't remember you will fail the eye exam and be required to have an exam for glasses if you don't already have them. If you have them you'll be tested with them on). On island an eye doctors office can fill out the whole form OR a walk in clinic's doctor can fill in the whole form. Usually cost about $20-30 . If you don't know your blood type you need to take a simple test to see what it is. Thats it. Simple.

Then you take the form back to the DMV and procede with getting the booklet for studying for the written exam and schedule a date to take it and pay for that.

Thats it.

--Islander