Ye gods, the bureaucracy!

[wiseheart]

Today I went to the government office again to compare Mum's personal data as they stand in her ID with their database as there seem to be some inconsequencies between the two. Well, guess what - since I didn't have a written empowerment from Mum, I didn't get any further than the info desk. Speak about owing the devil a trip, as we say in Hungarian! The most annoying part is that last night I even thought to get such a writ, just in case, but forgot about it in the morning. Getting old and distracted sucks!

The current stand of things is (including our most recent clashes):
bureaucracy:3, me:1. I'll have to go back another time. We wouldn't care as a rule, but we'll have to switch to optic phone cable eventually, as the old system won't be in use much longer, and the landline is on Mum's name. We tried - and failed - to transfer it to mine because (what a surprise!) her personal data didn't match the ones the Home Office has. And we still have no idea why!

Anyway, I had to leave without being able to achieve anything and came home in a really sour mood. Worked a bit on Christmas card #34, did a bit of writing, we had some leftovers for lunch, and then the physiotherapist lady arrived and I left for choir practice.

Before choir practice I made a detour to the horologist to see if our two dead alarm clocks could be repaired. Well, the shiny new one (that an on a battery) was a lost case and had to be replaced by a similar one. My decades-old, mechanical Russian clock, however, wasn't beyond help and will be repaired - for three times the price the new one cost. I left it by the horologist anyway; it's a good clock, it was part of my life for a very long time, and I prefer mechanical clocks to these new battery-driven ones anyway. My wrist watch is roughly 80 years old (Mum got it from her uncle as a young girl) and still works better than any these smart things or whatnot. Yes, I'm old-fashioned and stubborn. It's an expensive character fault, but it's my money to waste, right?

Comments

[artemis10002000]

The joys of bureaucracy...

And man, while I understand privacy and security concerns with needing a Vollmacht, all the ways and places you need one makes the paperwork side of elder care such a hassle. Like, yeah, I need to make phone calls for mom, her hearing isn't good enough to talk to mumbling, quietly talking call center agents,, and she sure isn't gonna be be the one getting talked through some complicated online registration thing or other.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Exactly! Plus, those phone lines are usually so bad, even I have difficulties to understand the people on the other end of the connection. Which is especially weird when I try to talk to Vodafone's customer service, which is, after a phone company...

[artemis10002000]

You would think at least the phone company would have good landlines and phones with good sound quality, but no....

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I wonder about their priorities. I think they want us all to switch to mobile phones. No chance in our house.

[red-day-dawning.livejournal.com]

Bureaucracy is a nightmare. And telephone companies are extra sadistic.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I ask myself who gives them so much power...

[elwenlj.livejournal.com]

I'm all for getting new stuff where needed, but sometimes there are sentimental reasons for keeping things. I love the sound of old mechanical clocks, even though I don't have any nowadays. I have very fond memories of the big wooden mantle clock in my grandmother's house.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

We never had a big wooden mantle clock. But I love, love, love the old-fashioned alarm clocks with their big bells on top.

[noadvertising.livejournal.com]

Why does bureaucracy almost always win?

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

That's the nature of the beast, I'm afraid.

[meathiel]

Gah ... how can it be that there's a mismatch between your mum's documents and the database?
I hope you can solve this soon.

[wiseheart.livejournal.com]

I can't imagine, either. Perhaps it's a simply spelling mistake. Grandmother's maiden name (which Mum has to give every time the data are compared) was Polish, with a rather bizarre spelling. Mum's maiden name is German, the spelling of which is beyond the understanding of most Hungarian clerks. And Mum was born in Bucharest, which is spelled "Bukarest" in Hungarian and "Bucuresti" in Romanian, where the "i" on the end isn't pronounced at all, so who knows what way it was written in the database.

[adafrog.livejournal.com]

OMG, what the heck!

[mirasaui.livejournal.com]

Been through something similar this week:

Signed up for renters insurance and paid an annual premium for the policy. Was sent an email with links to the policy document and proof of insurance document. The email also contained a link to the company website and a temporary password to use on first time sign in. However, neither of the two document links work and the website has no place to "log-in". Sent them a return email and waiting to hear what they have to say. Not the best introduction to my new insurance agency. Makes me want to immediately cancel and find another company. Wish you the best in making it through the red tape.