Rage against the DPS
We interrupt your happy holidays for this (jaded?) rant.
My driver's license expires in two weeks. I had hopes of renewing it yesterday before I go out of town later next week. So I set out for the Department of Public Safety office a little after 2 p.m. But I did not find a waiting line, government forms and a new mugshot for the ID waiting for me. No, instead I found myself staring at my dim reflection outside of a locked glass door reading a sign that said:
"We will close at 12 p.m. Friday because of the Christmas holiday."
On Dec. 24, I would have no problem with being in this situation. Even Dec. 23 wouldn't be absurd. But I would like to point out the ridiculousness of finding myself in this situation on Dec. 21 -- four days before Christmas. What did that half day give them? An extra 5 hours to drive to their holiday vacation locations? They already had two full weekend days to get wherever they were going before Christmas Eve came around. To top it off, the office will remain closed Dec. 26. So they already were looking at a five day holiday -- Saturday through Wednesday -- before they decided they needed an extra five hours off.
Perhaps it's just me being callous because I've worked on just about every holiday in the past 16 months, but it all just seems a little excessive. I'm all for time off around the holidays. And usually it's not a problem. If one business closes shop a little early, there's some other business that probably kept its doors open. But this is a government operation. It's not like I can take my money and my driver's license to another business. Surely my state sales tax isn't going toward these peoples' vacation pay so they can take a superfluous half-day the week before Christmas. But I guess it does, and I guess I don't have much recourse. So I rant. On here. To you.
And my license continues to speed toward uselessness. Here's hoping the DPS can find a few hours to come in Thursday or Friday morning to work before they begin their New Year's holiday, which, no doubt, will extend from noon Dec. 28 through Jan. 2.
I now return you to your happy holidays.
My driver's license expires in two weeks. I had hopes of renewing it yesterday before I go out of town later next week. So I set out for the Department of Public Safety office a little after 2 p.m. But I did not find a waiting line, government forms and a new mugshot for the ID waiting for me. No, instead I found myself staring at my dim reflection outside of a locked glass door reading a sign that said:
"We will close at 12 p.m. Friday because of the Christmas holiday."
On Dec. 24, I would have no problem with being in this situation. Even Dec. 23 wouldn't be absurd. But I would like to point out the ridiculousness of finding myself in this situation on Dec. 21 -- four days before Christmas. What did that half day give them? An extra 5 hours to drive to their holiday vacation locations? They already had two full weekend days to get wherever they were going before Christmas Eve came around. To top it off, the office will remain closed Dec. 26. So they already were looking at a five day holiday -- Saturday through Wednesday -- before they decided they needed an extra five hours off.
Perhaps it's just me being callous because I've worked on just about every holiday in the past 16 months, but it all just seems a little excessive. I'm all for time off around the holidays. And usually it's not a problem. If one business closes shop a little early, there's some other business that probably kept its doors open. But this is a government operation. It's not like I can take my money and my driver's license to another business. Surely my state sales tax isn't going toward these peoples' vacation pay so they can take a superfluous half-day the week before Christmas. But I guess it does, and I guess I don't have much recourse. So I rant. On here. To you.
And my license continues to speed toward uselessness. Here's hoping the DPS can find a few hours to come in Thursday or Friday morning to work before they begin their New Year's holiday, which, no doubt, will extend from noon Dec. 28 through Jan. 2.
I now return you to your happy holidays.
posted by Jonathan at
6:24 PM
|
0 comments
