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Just Another Number



I'm exhausted right now, and I've only been awake for 4 hours. The problem is the 2 hours I stood inside the Social Security Administration building (and I mean stood) felt like an entire day inside a middle school classroom. For one thing, every time an employee called for a number, you would hear a beep followed by the number. Considering the amount of time we were all spending there, you would think people would listen intently in the hope their number would be next. Instead, the conversations grew louder so they could be heard over the interrupting employee. This is not unlike students at the end of the day who miss out on their bus change because they were too busy talking over the announcement.

Another favorite moment today was when the security guard announced that anyone parked behind the building without a permit would be towed. People started throwing questions and complaints at him. "But I parked on the side of the building!" "Is it okay if I parked out front?" I had flashbacks of assigning homework. "Complete questions 1, 3, 4, and 5 for homework." "What about 2? Do we need to do 2?" Don't get me started on the number of minutes we all lost to people who didn't use their wait time wisely enough to complete the paperwork before they reached the counter. (Can anyone say, write your name on your paper as soon as you start the assignment!)

So in the end, I did something really mean today. One guy, dressed in his work attire of button-down cotton shirt and black trousers kept complaining about how he didn't have time to sit there and wait. I don't know how many times the security guard reminded him that he had to wait his turn just like everyone else (including the people who lined up at the door at 6 a.m.). He was really antsy as we finally neared my number, and he canvassed the room to find out how many people with a number before his were actually there. I happened to have 2 tickets, 2 numbers apart. I gave the second one away from someone who I knew was before him.

And it felt good. I know it was mean, but I just really cannot stand people who think they should be above the system. The woman I gave it to was there just as long as I was, but she didn't complain one peep.

In the end, I will say that I do not begrudge the federal employees when they take their union mandated twenty minute break even when there's a line out front that makes the fire inspector chew his nails. After all, they spend all day dealing with people like me who are irresponsible enough to lose their social security card and then complain about the wait to get a free replacement.

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Christy said…
What a nightmare! I would have done the same thing with my ticket, by the way. I probably would have done it in plain view, waiting for the moment when he was most likely to see me handing it over....
6:03 PM
frabjouspoet said…
I almost did that, but it seemed a little too cruel. He was nearby, though.
7:38 PM
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