A funny thing happened at the S.C. Department of Motor Vehicles office in Irmo when the first day of Saturday office hours in years began with the computers' not functioning properly.

People waited patiently or agreed to come back later. No one raised a voice in anger. Signs of impatience were limited to a knowing smile or a gentle rolling of the eyes.

The delay lasted a little over an hour, and DMV staffers accomplished what they could without the computers. They administered written tests instead of electronic ones, and offered to mail driver's license renewals and other documents to people who filled out the proper forms.

"You never know about computer problems, I guess," said Jonathan McInnis of Columbia, who filled out forms to change the address on his driver's license but left without renewing the sticker on his car tag. "Hopefully, they'll get it ironed out. Maybe the computer isn't used to firing up on Saturdays."

An employee of the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, McInnis had more patience than his 19-month-old son, Aidan, who squirmed in his arms as he spoke.

"He was getting restless," McInnis explained as he left just before the computers were fixed.

The new Saturday hours at six DMV offices around the state were the product of legislation signed into law Thursday by Gov. Mark Sanford.

The measure overhauled a process that has frustrated S.C. motorists for years, by moving the department, formerly the Division of Motor Vehicles, out from under the S.C. Department of Public Safety and under the direct control of the governor's office, among other changes.

Sanford's promise to eliminate hassles at DMV had been a theme of his campaign.

Offices in Aiken, Charleston, Florence, Greenville and Rock Hill also opened Saturday. The six offices will continue to be open Saturdays except July 5 and Aug. 30 because of nearby holidays.

Department spokeswoman Beth Parks said the offices were busy. About 50 people were waiting in line in Rock Hill and there was a good crowd in the Greenville office, she said. In Aiken, officials were expecting more than 100 customers.

Parks said the department may open additional offices on Saturday if necessary.

Despite the computer glitch, the dozen or so customers waiting in the Irmo DMV office praised the changes -- especially the added hours.

"It's just really convenient because I'm at school Monday through Friday," said Christopher Sirakowski of Columbia, who attends the Truck Drivers Institute in Richburg and needed a commercial driver's permit for road training that begins Monday.

Sirakowski had been ready to leave, then agreed to take the test in written form. Shortly after he was told he passed, the computers came back up.

"Happy camper," said his father, Cass Sirakowski.

Doris Johnson, who as the Irmo office's "greeter" was the person charged with telling motorists about its computer problem, said she didn't hear many complaints.

"Some people left some things to be mailed to them," she said, holding up some of the forms they filled out.

Mike and Gail Shaw of Columbia chatted quietly during the delay with Betty Jo Mills, the DMV staffer trying to help them replace Gail Shaw's stolen driver's license. Mills offered them the option of filling out a form or coming back later.

"If you come back in, come back to me and if I'm waiting on someone else, I'll wait on you next," Mills said.

"Ms. Mills has been super-kind to us," Mike Shaw said.

A few minutes later, the computer came back up. Problem solved.

"Patience is a virtue," Mike Shaw said.