# Evidence of retardation... of govt employees



## lovemeparis (May 20, 2006)

*This is my story...*

Saturday, I took my son to the passport service at the Post Office to renew his passport. I had to bring him to apply in person because his previous U.S. passport was issued when he was under age 16. 

And according to the instructions posted on https://travel.state.gov/passport/get/first/first_830.html, it is required that my son must submit a previous issued, undamaged U.S. passport for evidence of U.S Citizenship, which he did and he also submitted his student ID per request by the post office employee named T. However, she also requested my son to submit a birth certificate which he did not have at the time because the instructions on the application *Form DS-11* only asked for *either* a previously issued, undamaged U.S. passport *or* a certified birth certificate.

Miss T did not accept my son's application to renew his passport because he did not have a birth certificate. This is ridiculous because my son already had a passport and therefore he has proved his citizenship. 

Miss T argued that I did not listen to her and then she showed me the *Form DS-82,* which is for the renewal of passports that were issued at age 16 or older. So because my son was under 16 when he got his passport, now he must submit his application as first timer, and to her first timers are required to submit a birth certificate. THIS IS SO IRRELEVANT!* *

*... and so this is my story. *


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## theCardiffGiant (Sep 16, 2007)

My wife went through something similar with bureaucrats in a college payroll office who couldn't understand that acceptable forms of ID needed to come from EITHER (1) section A OR (2) sections B & C. They all read it is (1) either section A or section B, AND (2) section C. They were wrong, and when we contacted the social security administration we were confirmed.

The big hang-up was a social security card, from section C, while the passport, from section A, was deemed insufficient, even though a social security card is required to obtain a passport, and is really just a piece of paper with a number on it.

That stupid piece of paper also caused headaches when she transferred her out-of-state driver's license. Again, they require a social security card, which is possibly the least secure proof of identity imaginable.


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## AscotWithShortSleeves (Apr 12, 2009)

USPS employees are not employees of the federal government.


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## Karl89 (Feb 20, 2005)

LMP,

Strange. I just renewed my passport and all that was needed was my old passport and the application forms. Of course I used an expiditing service and its cost me an extra $99 USD but I had no problems and my new paasprt arrived in 3 days.

Karl


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

You have been over 16 for awhile, (at least as far as we know.)


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## Andy (Aug 25, 2002)

lovemeparis:

I'd go back and try to get a different clerk or go to another post office!


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## Liberty Ship (Jan 26, 2006)

AscotWithShortSleeves said:


> USPS employees are not employees of the federal government.


Neither are AMTRAK employees, Federal Reserve employees, etc., etc. However they comply with and worship the bureaucracies of the Federal Government and, operationally, should be considered party members.

Bureaucracy + Low IQ = Totalitarianism + Job Security

"You can't get your papers unless your papers are in order. NEXT!" And the technocrat is one day closer to a fat retirement that you will pay for regardless.


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## G Charles Blue (Oct 18, 2009)

*A Tip For Making Government Work For You . . .*

Whenever dealing with a government or quasi-government agency at any level (town to fed, etc.) if you aren't getting the answer you want or think you should get, politely ask to speak to the person's supervisor, then keep working your way up the chain until someone is willing to take responsibility and make the appropriate decision. The main thing is to ask politely, keep it at a business level at all times.

Based on many years of dealing with and in governmental bureaucracies.


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## Beresford (Mar 30, 2006)

G Charles Blue said:


> . . .politely ask to speak to the person's supervisor, then keep working your way up the chain until someone is willing to take responsibility and make the appropriate decision. . . .


The way our country is presently run, you'd probably get all the way up to Obama and then be called an obstructionist.

I've never gotten that far. I've only gotten to U.S. Senators and Representatives of my state, who make nice speeches but don't do anything.


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## Karl89 (Feb 20, 2005)

Beresford said:


> The way our country is presently run, you'd probably get all the way up to Obama and then be called an obstructionist.
> 
> I've never gotten that far. I've only gotten to U.S. Senators and Representatives of my state, who make nice speeches but don't do anything.


This is just silly. I didnt vote for Obama and wont in 2012 however its not as if the country was running efficiently and smoothly during the last administration.

Those who oppose Obama should stop demonizing him. The Democrats did the same to Bush in 2004 and I reall believe thats why he won reelection.


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## Earl of Ormonde (Sep 5, 2008)

AscotWithShortSleeves said:


> USPS employees are not employees of the federal government.


The USPS, unlike the privatised "postal services" in the UK and Sweden, is (still) an independent government agency and as such it's employees are government employees.

Best regards

James, working for a central Swedish Civil Service government agency under the Ministry of Defence 

Prime Minister
Cabinet
Government Offices
Ministry of Defence
SCCA - I'm here!


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

LOL. Paraphrasing the words of Shakespeare, "Oh what slings and arrows of outrageous over-characterization we (Simple Servants) must suffer? Should we endure (and continue to suffer) or should we oppose them and by our opposing, end them? Aah, that is the question!" Following Rahm Emanuel's example, LmP had better begin preparing her apologies to the Head of the Special Olympics Organizing Committee!


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## beherethen (Jun 6, 2009)

I've a friend who who books Black* blues musicians. Anyway he had a gig lined up in Japan for this 80 year old guy who was born in Miss' and lived on Chicago's West side.When this guy was born, there were few records kept of poor Black kids.
Anyway they didn't want to give the passport because there was no paperwork showing him to be a citizen. After about an hour of wrangling, my friend asks for the supervisior to be brought in and then said "Talk to him-where the **** else could he have possibly been born?" 
!/2 hour later they got a passport.:icon_smile:



* It's impossible to book White blues musicians-when you hear Sweet Home Chicago, you expect a certain look.


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## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

If you think that your experience of US bureaucracy is bad, just try getting into a US port on a merchant ship, even with a passport, a Seaman's ID book and a visa. It is worse, and more bureaucraticly time wasting than entering the USSR was!


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## lovemeparis (May 20, 2006)

*I could never think of that...*



Andy said:


> lovemeparis: I'd go back and try to get a different clerk or go to another post office!


Andy,

Most of everyone working at that post office are the same... they are blantantly rude. I had a problem with one of them a few months ago when I was trying to tell them what was going wrong... the guy just jumped into my throat.

The story? Ok we, the customers suppose to get a number then wait around to be called. However, the clerks never changed the number on the electronic board (or whatever we call it) when they call for next customer in line... so they just kept calling out the same number again and again. We, the customers standing there looking at them dumb face.

Luckily my number got called and when I got to the counter I told the guy what has been going on... and then the guy just attacked me with his wise words. Geezzze sometimes I wonder if we are their customers at all.

I can always go to another post office but... what a shame.


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## 16412 (Apr 1, 2005)

Chouan said:


> If you think that your experience of US bureaucracy is bad, just try getting into a US port on a merchant ship, even with a passport, a Seaman's ID book and a visa. It is worse, and more bureaucraticly time wasting than entering the USSR was!


Of course they let you in! They just never let you out! Enslavement is what the communist are all about. With them you don't have a life, they own it.


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## Chouan (Nov 11, 2009)

WA said:


> Of course they let you in! They just never let you out! Enslavement is what the communist are all about. With them you don't have a life, they own it.


What a strange response! I went to the USSR 3 times, with less trouble getting in than the US, and no trouble at all getting out!


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

If you think that's bad, try living in DC during a blizzard!!


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## Miket61 (Mar 1, 2008)

Chouan said:


> What a strange response! I went to the USSR 3 times, with less trouble getting in than the US, and no trouble at all getting out!


The only foreign country I ever go to is Canada. I have no trouble getting into Canada, but I always get grilled coming back!

One time I was with a friend - for some reason the customs & immigration people were on the lookout for two portly white guys in a rental car with Vermont tags (driving back into Vermont).

The agent wanted to know what business or connection we had to Vermont. Considering that you can't enter the US from Canada by car directly into Massachusetts, I'm not sure why he thought this was relevant.

After my friend mentioned that he had lived there and used to work for the major television station, all questions ceased.


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## DougNZ (Aug 31, 2005)

Over the past two days I have noticed council contractors take down the chains between the bollards in a neighbouring carpark. They then cut up the concrete between the bollards and concreted in new bollards between the existing ones. These will then have to be painted; probably a further day's work. 

I asked the contractors today "why all the work?" The reason? Someone tripped climbing over the chain when they didn't use the main exit. That's about a $3,000 trip! Thank goodness we all enjoy paying our rates!!!!


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## lovemeparis (May 20, 2006)

*I did it...*



Karl89 said:


> LMP,
> 
> Strange. I just renewed my passport and all that was *needed was my old passport and the application forms*. Of course I used an expiditing service and its cost me an extra $99 USD but I had no problems and my new paasprt arrived in 3 days.
> 
> Karl


I received my son's passport today, and those were exactly the two things that they asked for when I took my son to another post office two blocks away, two saturdays later... just in-time before they increased the fees two fold.:devil::devil::devil:


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## philip in china (Aug 4, 2011)

And you need evidence of retardation? It was ever thus.


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## Apatheticviews (Mar 21, 2010)

An expired passport (regardless of when issued) is a birth certificate. An active passport is identification & a birth certificate.


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