Consumer columnist and West Hartford resident Harlan Levy has more than 20 years of experience writing stories about everyday experiences that anyone could encounter.

Harlan Levy. Courtesy photo

By Harlan Levy

I stopped to visit my son and daughter-in-law late last week to see if they had gotten their REAL IDs yet for a planned visit to Pittsburgh this week. Effective today, to board a domestic flight everyone over the age of 18 needs this federally required document or a passport. She said there were no appointments available for this week. They were all booked already.

That was very bad news. So I called Ernie, my longtime contact at the Department of Motor Vehicles, to find out the basic information and what can be done to help them, if anything.

This is what I learned:

• You can only obtain a REAL ID in person at your local DMV office, as well as participating DMV AAA offices and Nutmeg State Financial Credit Union locations. Appointments are necessary – with an exception below. DMV advises customers who seek an appointment to check the agency’s website at CT.GOV/DMV.  When a customer cancels an appointment that slot will open up in real time and become available.
• DMV is open Tuesday through Saturday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. but throughout the month of April and into May has been open on Mondays by appointment.
• The DMV has opened its doors on Mondays beginning April 7, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. to accommodate residents who have delayed in obtaining a REAL ID but have impending plans to fly domestically within the next 30 days for same-day service. Residents must show proof of an upcoming flight.
• You will need proof of identity, such as a birth certificate or permanent resident card, proof of Social Security number, proof of residency, and proof of a legal name change. Also, two letters showing your name and current mailing address.
• Obtaining a REAL ID requires a one-time fee in Connecticut of $30.
• To repeat, the DMV says that a U.S. passport is acceptable in lieu of a REAL ID driver’s license or ID. For a list of acceptable forms of identification when traveling by air, visit tsa.gov.
• Your verified ID arrives in the mail in 20 days.

As for my son and daughter-in-law, he qualified. She did not, but their airline told her that with appropriate identification documents she can fly.

Courtesy of Harlan Levy

REAL ID scams

The BBB is not seeing any scam activity, but there are possible red flags you could run into online:

• If you see a website offering REAL ID without an in-person visit to the DMV, it’s probably fake. Do not enter your information and report the website to BBB Scam Tracker.
• If you are asked to provide additional information, such as bank account or credit card numbers, that’s a scam.

Where $100,000 is not enough

In a report released on April 28 by Consumer World one out of four large metro areas in the United States, a family of three with a household income of $100,000 will still struggle to get by. The average median household income in the U.S. was $80,610 in 2023, according to the most recent estimate from the Census Bureau.

The report shows that the Hartford metro area is ranked 22nd out of the 25 metro areas surveyed, with average monthly expenditures of $8,423, $90 short.

New Haven’s metro area ranked 21st, with average monthly expenses of $8,452, $119 short.

The Boston area ranked third, short $1,613 on monthly expenses of $9,916.

Other metro areas include Washington D.C., ranked No. 6, short $1,434 on $9,767 in expenditures; Los Angeles, No. 7, short $1,254 on $9,587 in expenses; New York, No. 11, short $744 on $9,077 in expenses; and Bridgeport, No. 15, short $677 on $9,010 in expenses.

So, West Hartford readers, do the Hartford area numbers include you?

Recall

A limited quantity of Trader Joe’s Sesame Miso Salad with Salmon is voluntarily being recalled because the topping packet may potentially contain an undeclared milk allergen. The milk content is not declared on the label. 500 units of the salad were mistakenly packaged with a sealed packet of parmesan cheese crumbles (instead of a packet of crispy onions).

Now you know.

NOTE: If you have a consumer problem, contact me at [email protected] (“Consumer” in subject line), and, with the power of the press, maybe I can help.

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