The District government's belt-tightening has now extended into its vehicular policies.

In an memo issued June 23, Attorney General Peter Nickles addressed two issues: the use of city-owned cars in Department of Motor Vehicles driver tests, and the use of city employees' own private cars while on government business.

Regarding the former, the memo [PDF] notes that as of Aug. 1, DMV "will no longer use government vehicles for its driver's tests." That, Nickles writes, is due to "weak indemnification language" in the waivers the test-takers have to sign---those require the driver to take responsibility for any damage to the cars, unless they are "not financially capable of doing so." Such a policy, Nickles writes, "makes it virtually impossible for the District to successfully obtain reimbursement" in the case of an accident.

This, of course, poses the question: How are unlicensed drivers supposed to find a car to take their test in? And, even if they can, how are they supposed to get the car to the test site?

Read More "Taking a DMV Driver Test? Prepare to Bring Your Own Car" »

Mike Kalyan, City Paper's former production manager, moved from D.C. to Alexandria recently. He needed to register his car. Kalyan brought in his paperwork to the DMV office on Four Mile Run. His paperwork was, characteristically, in order. And then the employee asked him if the mileage total on his car was correct. He confirmed the total: 126,058 miles. In an email, Kalyan relates what happened next:

The employee then told me that my reading was less than what the DC title said it was. I looked at the DC title and it said 829985. Apparently the person who processed the paperwork when I titled my car in DC included the "tenth" of the odometer. The employee then informed me that I would have to go back to the DC DMV and have them pull the original paperwork, correct and re-issue the title before I could transfer the title to VA! This means at least three more trips: one to the DC DMV to get this straightened out and then back to VA for a title, then for inspections, and then to get it registered.

Kalyan tried to plead his case, saying the only way he could have put nearly a million miles on his car was to have driven it 2,280 miles per week. It didn't work. See you in line, Mike!