Oh Bureacracy

7:27 pm EST November 10th, 2009 | News | 22 Comments

So today I went to what is effectively the town hall for Takoma Park in order to get a passport (Sidebar: I had one when I was a kid but it expired, the only international travel I do is to Jamaica and I used to be able to go there using just a birth certificate/driver’s license. Now, things are tougher thanks to 9/11).

First, it turns out the city doesn’t take credit cards, so I had to go up the street to the post office to get some money orders.

Then, I bring the money orders back. She takes one – for the State Dept. – but I can’t hand her the other one, even though that’s the one for the city. Nope, I have to go up one floor to a cashier. I hand the cashier my money order and she gives me a receipt.

Then I go back downstairs and hand the first lady my receipt.

And thus the transaction ends. Hilarious.

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22 Responses to “Oh Bureacracy”

  1. icruise says:
    November 10, 2009 at 7:57 pm

    Comment from a right-winger comparing this to the “government take-over of health care” in 3…2…1.

  2. Stuart says:
    November 10, 2009 at 8:34 pm

    Odd.

    We recently moved to Takoma Park, and I’ve generally been impressed by how unbeaurocratic it seems…

    Of course, I haven’t really dealt with the city directly.

  3. brif says:
    November 10, 2009 at 8:47 pm

    This is the 1st time in my life i’ve ever heard of anyone going to a city hall for a U.S. passport. oliver, why didn’t you go to the state department website?

  4. Jaim says:
    November 10, 2009 at 8:53 pm

    When I renewed my passport last year I was amazed at how quickly they took care of me via USPS. Took under two weeks, although they say it will take four. Or you can pay more for express service, which should take less than two weeks.

    DAMN YOU SOCIALIST FEDERAL GOVERMENT FOR PROVIDING CHEAP AND EFFICIENT SERVICES!

  5. Oliver Willis says:
    November 10, 2009 at 8:57 pm

    You fill out the form on the state dept site, then you can drop it off at a local processing place. The closest one to me was the Takoma Park city hall.

  6. brif says:
    November 10, 2009 at 9:52 pm

    so why would you drag yourself all the way down to city hall instead of just mailing your application?

  7. brif says:
    November 10, 2009 at 10:00 pm

    oliver, the state department website specifically says that acceptance facilities only accept personal checks, money orders and bank drafts as forms of payment. It’s not bureacracy’s fault that you are unable to follow simple instructions.

    http://www.travel.state.gov/passport/get/fees/fees_837.html

  8. Oliver Willis says:
    November 10, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    Another page I was on said I could use debit/credit.

  9. Oliver Willis says:
    November 10, 2009 at 10:30 pm

    “All the way down” is like 4 miles from my house. And I need it by the end of December.

  10. Frank DiSalle says:
    November 11, 2009 at 12:26 am

    Jaim, last year, wasn’t the President that oafish, bumbling Hitler wannabe ?

  11. bryan says:
    November 11, 2009 at 1:18 am

    Maybe this is why only 20% of your population has passports.

  12. 2ndAmndmnt says:
    November 11, 2009 at 9:53 am

    Imagine when they have control over your HEALTH CARE!!

    your welcome icruise…

  13. 2ndAmndmnt says:
    November 11, 2009 at 10:11 am

    Imagine going to the DMV for your health records! UTOPIA!!

  14. brif says:
    November 11, 2009 at 12:20 pm

    and where’s the link?

  15. jojo says:
    November 11, 2009 at 2:06 pm

    Or you could have just gotten a passport years ago, and renewed it when it expired every decade. Why would someone in this day and age not have a valid passport, especially when you now need it to even get into Canada?

  16. Frank DiSalle says:
    November 11, 2009 at 2:15 pm

    Multiply that by 1,000 in each of 50 states, each month, and you’ve got ObamaCare !

  17. Fred says:
    November 11, 2009 at 2:16 pm

    Maybe because until this past year or so a passport wasn’t needed to go anywhere in North America (except maybe Cuba)?

    I have been to Canada and Mexico many times without every showing a passport. I finally got one when I planned a trip to Europe, but before that it wasn’t needed.

  18. Fred says:
    November 11, 2009 at 2:20 pm

    If I get to deal with health insurance that is run as well and as fairly as the post office instead of the #&^@%!$ bunch of lying money grubbing bastards I have to put up with from my health insurance company …

    … BRING IT ON!

    now please

  19. 2ndAmndmnt says:
    November 11, 2009 at 3:23 pm

    The USPS is set to lose 7 BILLION this year! Sounds like its run pretty well Fred! Bring me some Obammy Care

    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/08/business/08nocera.html?_r=2

  20. Frank DiSalle says:
    November 11, 2009 at 4:26 pm

    Why would someone in this day and age not have a valid passport?
    Because they have not both the cash and the desire to leave the country at the same time?
    Amazing how you lefties spend all this time “caring” about the “poor”, and then are astonished to find out how they really live.

  21. mambochicken23 says:
    November 11, 2009 at 4:46 pm

    Amazing how you extrapolate from a single blog comment (that I happen to disagree with) to all liberals. That’s a fuckin’ magic trick.

  22. isms says:
    November 11, 2009 at 5:02 pm

    “then are astonished to find out how they really live.”

    Just makes us fight harder for healthcare reform.