And you thought the MVA was bad???
Ugh! Let me tell you a little something about the Passport Office... on a scale of 1-10 for frustration, the Passport Office rates 2.7 MILLION! The MVA only rates a 10! Ya wanna hear the WHOLE story? Or the Readers Digest condensed version? Buckle up... you're in for a wiiiiiild ride!First, let me say that EVEN my congressman was UNable to "get through" to the Passport Office to TRY to locate Krysti's passport! They called me back Wednesday afternoon and said that they couldn't get through so they were just going to give us a letter of dispensation and that would get us IN to be seen. Don't believe it! They barely glanced at that letter and were totally non-plussed by it! And 97% of the people in the room today NEVER spoke to their congressman's office!
But... Wednesday they called and said to come pick up this letter, and then take 2 more passport pictures, and take them down to this "special" office in DC, and we would be seen! So Krysti got the pictures taken, drove to Greenbelt to pick up the letter (about an hour) ... then drove into DC where she only got lost twice on the way to the passport office. However... the intern at the Congressman's office had told us that the passport place would close at 5:00 - but that is wrong! It closes at 3:00! So Krysti got there at 4:45 and was SOL! On top of that she was lost again (for the 3rd time) and called home sobbing! I tried my best to get her out of there looking on a street map online.... *sigh*... but she finally saw a cop and flagged him down. He got her out of DC - but going in the wrong direction and she ended up in Virginia! She called sobbing again! THIS time we knew exactly how to get her home! No prob ... long drive - but home, safe and sound! I made her a pan of brownies and things were soon looking up! But she swore she was NOT driving back down there again alone! Sooooooo....
... I got the 2nd shift off this morning, and Krysti and I headed down -- taking the METRO this time! We got down there and found the place with no trouble -- got there about 12:15! We were lookin' good! We thought! We checked in and she was handed a number -- D00136 -- and a receipt that said our estimated wait was 2 hours and 1 minute! Not bad. Then we started hearing the stories.... of the people who had been there since the doors opened at 7:00 AM! Oy. When we arrived they were calling D00069 ... and there were twelve windows... so we thought 2 hours sounded like plenty of time. But it wasn't. Turned out only ONE of those windows was calling "D" numbers. All the others were calling "A" numbers. We wondered what the difference was between an "A" and a "D" ... but we didn't want to waist anybody's time asking questions! We HAD a number! Well, by the time our 2 hours and 1 minute were up, they were all the way up to D00085 -- still 50 (51 actually) away from us! What's more, we've now figured out that only people who's flights are leaving TOMORROW are getting their passports TODAY. Everyone else is being told to come back TOMORROW to pick up their passport! GRRRR! We pretty much resigned ourselves though that that was just the way it was going to be! Soooo... it turns out that the office does not CLOSE at 3:00 -- but they do lock the doors at 3:00 and no more people can come in! However, if you are already there, you get to stay! (lucky you!) Oh... another funny thing about the 3:00 "bewitching hour" -- the ticker timer suddenly says the wait is now "0" minutes! Oh boy! We are ALL going to be seen immediately! All 350 of us! Yea.... right. We actually did finally get seen at right around 4:30 -- about 4 hours and 15 minutes after we had shown up. (or 2 hours and 14 minutes past our estimated wait time!) However... being "seen" was not the end for us! Ohhhhh no! Krysti just happened to ask if there wasn't ANY way that we could POSSIBLY get her passport tonight. WELL! It turned out that because HER passport papers were actually IN that very building (and not in Boston or Connecticut or Miami) that she COULD stay and wait for a "late" issue. They said it would be around 7:00. So we figured okay... we would just go get a bite to eat and come back. WRONG! You can not leave the building without a pass to get back in. So Krysti went and asked for a pass and was told that "No" we could not have a pass to go get dinner. They ONLY give 15 minute passes to go fill parking meters! So... I went over and asked for a pass to go fill my meter. ( I figured I'd run get us something and bring it back! Even though no food or drinks are allowed ...) BUT I was told "NO" I could NOT have a pass to go feed my meter because it was too late in the day and the meters didn't need to be fed MUCH longer. (not that that would stop DC cops from towing my car IF my car had indeed been parked on their streets!) So it turns out that not only are they holding her passport hostage, now they are holding US hostage too! At 6:30 we met a guy who had been there since 7:00 AM... and he had been seen before noon and was told his passport would be ready by 2:00 pm - come back then! So he DID go and get a bite to eat, and came back... his passport wasn't ready at 2:00 -- and it still wasn't ready at 6:30 either!
You just can NOT imagine the frustration levels that were in that room. And I have to say that 99% of the people TOTALLY kept their cool! I was amazed that there were a g'zillion children in there -- some who left the house this morning thinking they were going on vacation, only to get turned away at the airport because although they had been told they ONLY needed to show proof that they had APPLIED for their passports - when it came down to it - that proof was NOT acceptable without their BIRTH CERTIFICATES! But... the passport office has their birth certificates because you must give them your ORIGINAL when you apply!!! We met a LOT of people who were going through that! And what I started to say was I was AMAZED at how well behaved all these kids were. In all those hours I did not witness ONE major meltdown! Really kept ME on MY toes!!! So... next time you have to visit the MVA (DMV in some places) ... just be thankful you're NOT at the passport office!
Krysti DID finally get her passport! We got out of there just a little before 8:00 PM... and were home by 9:45 .... I still had to make a pasta salad so it will be cold in time for Relay For Life tomorrow night. And then I just HAD to come tell this story! Sorry I wasn't around to visit today -- and honestly, I won't be around much for the next 3 days! I've got a weekend that is too busy for real! I WILL try to visit a few of you here and there when I have a few minutes -- but it's just gonna be crazy! Now, I'm off to bed!
posted by Melli at
12:20 AM
19 comment(s):
Now I am for once wordless ! this story should go in the Guiness Book ! That beats everything I ever heard or experienced and I have quite some experiences with stupid administrations. But what I am surprised of is the patience of all the people there. Here they would have done a riot they always do when it's too long or too stupid and usually then it works. I remember once a men in a post office there were 12 people standing at one window and the other 5 were closed. He took his ombrella and smashed it against one of the closed window while the others screemed "scandal" and finally they opened a second one !
I can imagine in what state your nerves were ! My godness. But now she has it and can go away ! I am sure that's a story you will never forget !
By
Ingrid, at
6/14/2007 11:56 PM
I think that is the most horrid story I have ever heard. Good gravy! You have more patience than I could ever HOPE to have!!! ;)((HUGS))
By
Jennifer, at
6/15/2007 1:23 AM
WEll, Melli, I am so busy with my packing and my tossing and my hair poulling and my eBaying that you don't need to come visit me.
By
Anonymous, at
6/15/2007 2:15 AM
Melli, this is insane!!! what a horrible experience with Mr Bureaucracy. I have never heard anything like it and believe me, I have had to deal with certificates, seals and permits for the past 25 years (because I have a PhD in Alien Issues, lol). It is also a true proof that no matter how angry and frustrated we are, we can all act in a civilized way... I don't know if I could have handled it as nicely as you did. At least Krysti got her passport!!!
Wishing you a nice weekend, you busy lady :)
By
MaR, at
6/15/2007 7:06 AM
My hubby worked before retiring for the USA government....and I KNOW just what kinda *chit* one has to go through and it's uncalled for if you ask me. Why even getting an address change on your retirement papers in the office can take 2 hours!! So, this all doesn't surprise me one bit.
Ya know, the other day while in the hospital, watching TV---what else can you do when you can't move? LOL---they stated that the Passport offices can handle the influx of people trying to get one!!---If they are going to implement this need for crossing borders/passports---they should have been ready BEFOREhand!!!
*shaking my head*---"TYPICAL"
By
Hootin Anni, at
6/15/2007 7:57 AM
Your tax dollars at work!!!! I am glad she finally got her passport. It is very frustrating I know!
By
Jane, at
6/15/2007 9:53 AM
I'm glad she finally got it..but WOW it seems like it could be different, right?? I kind of feel sorry for all the people who work in that office..I mean was it the SAME workers in there too???? Either way, seems like it should be easier.
I'm praying for a wonderful Relay weekend for you!!
:-) Susan
By
Susan, at
6/15/2007 10:26 AM
FOR HEAVENS SAKE!! Melli!! What a mess!! I did not know it took that kind of work to get a passport. Hubby and I got one to go on a mission trip in 91 and never had that kind of trouble. We applied for it about 6 weeks in advance and it came in the mail if I remember correctly!! MY!! What a crazy mixed up system is in place in our government. can you imagine those people that WORK there too? I am so happy that you kept your cool!! That is amazing!! I am thankful that she got her passport after all of this mess!! Boy!! Well take care and try to come down off of that mess!! Sandy
By
Ramblins of a middle-aged goddess, at
6/15/2007 11:24 AM
Eegads. I need a nap after reading that. I'm so glad she got her passport but WHAT A MESS!! Have fun at Relay for Life. I hope you have a blast and can't wait to hear all about it!!!!!
By
Anonymous, at
6/15/2007 7:04 PM
Whoa,what a mess, so glad your daughter got her passport! What a hassle that turned out to be..the goverment said everybody has to have a passport to go to Canada or Mexico and then DIDN'T prepare for a zillion applications...I think I heard to night they are now, 17 months behind! But I could have heard wrong!
Grams
By
Talk..to..Grams, at
6/15/2007 8:30 PM
thank goodness her trip was not ruined and she got that darn passport at last.
Have a good weekend, get some rest if you can..PJ:)
By
PJ, at
6/16/2007 7:13 AM
Motor Vehicle is hard to top for bureaucracy.
That's bad when they don't listen to a congressperson, aren't they the chief bureaucrats?
Poor Krysti, getting lost is the pits, and that's an expert opinion.
What a power trip these folks are on. Won't let you have a 15 minute pass. Good grief.
It's time for parents everywhere to get a second notarized copy of their children's birth certificates.
They really do make you suffer for "quick" turnaround.
I'm glad Krysti got her passport in the end.
By
Unknown, at
6/16/2007 7:37 PM
That's how it was at the financial aid office at my school every semester. A LOT of people had meltdowns tho' - screaming rages. I haven't been by your blog in a while it seems. Your daughter is going out of the country somewhere? That is good that through all the mess she got her passport. Oh my gosh!
By
Anonymous, at
6/16/2007 9:24 PM
What a horror story Melli...Really! One wonderrs how anything gets done anywhere with this kind of terrible beaurocracy!
The government needs 'managing'....Where is Bill Gates when you need him?
I hope your dear daughter gets off okay and you all can relax a little bit.
Do come by when you can. I have another post of some more BEAUTIFUL flowers from my garden...!
By
OldLady Of The Hills, at
6/18/2007 5:13 AM
Congratulations on hanging in there.
I had a similar experience in England some years ago. I'm Australian and needed a visa to go to France, so went to the French embassy in London. I spent all day there, arriving at 6:00 am, and when I finally got to a counter I had to practically beg for the visa - even though they had no reason to turn me down. I don't remember exactly how much the visa cost - somewhere around $100! But the most annoying thing was that just a few days after this France decided that Australians didn't need a visa at all. If I had waited three days I could have saved my self the time, money and grief. Still, it makes a good story...
By
Tanya, at
6/18/2007 8:25 AM
You'd think that if you apply new passport rules, that you'd have a system in place. Oh wait, I'm talking about the government. Silly me. I'm so glad mine doesn't have to be renewed for 5 years, and I'm going to do it about a year in advance. ;)
Glad you got Krysti's passport, and that you lived to tell about it.
By
Carmen, at
6/18/2007 10:51 AM
No posts since THURSDAY? I'm having serious withdrawals here! I am praying for you!! I wish you lived SOMEWHERE near my route so I could visit you this week (not that you'd have time for a visit!!)
Love you!!
By
Jennifer, at
6/18/2007 1:29 PM
I didn't believed my eyes when I saw the headline of your post. You see MVA in Norway means WAT.
But then reading through your post about your struggle, I could tell it was mostly as bad LoL
Sorry to hear what you had to go through, but happy to hear that the ending was good after all!
Hope the pasta salad tasted good and that you had a good night sleep:-)
By
RennyBA, at
6/18/2007 3:50 PM
*whistles* What a hard work... for such a simple task!!! Incredible yes. Stupid yes. Glad you succeeded at last.
By
Anonymous, at
6/18/2007 9:10 PM
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