Bureaucracy

From Facebook Archives

13 August 2010 at 16:33

We’ve had an afternoon of petty bureaucracy.   

First up to Oxford Centre to get Ease-extra cards: which entailed signed passport photos, copies of birth certificates and proof of address (they sent the forms to me so have that anyway) for combined under 16 travel/library/proof of age card.   

And I had to have both boys with me to get their photos taken for the card.

Back home, get myself and Ferretfingers into wellies and raincoats and up to FourLaneEndsMetro travel shop to put in the form for his concessionary travel; which involved passport photo, form from Social Services and proof of address.   

So I took Schools Transport letter and two letters from Department of Work & Pensions re Disability Living Allowance and told the woman to choose one.  

Am now wet through from the knees down - despite wellies.   

How come bureaucracy spelled correctly looks wrong?

Miss Fiddle  Wish I'd worn the wellies - I've wet feet from doing the supermarket shopping :-mainly from the flood in my drive - the holes my neighbour drilled through the concrete have filled up....

Bentonbag  Don't fall in them - you may never be seen again ...

Miss Fiddle   But I'm not Dr Foster!!!

Bentonbag  Nor are you from Gloucester.

Mrs Frayarn  They are a pain in the ass.  My daughter and son aged (back then) 7 and 5, were charged full fare because they didn't have their under 16 card on them.  I wasn't there, a friend had taken them to school who didn't want to cause a fuss and coughed up.  Still makes me mad thinking about it.  I remember taking both in at age 5 to have their photo taken etc and, like you say, all the ID that goes with it.  Over the top.

Bentonbag In other parts of the country (including London) there is some common sense and you don't have to prove your child is young enough.  God only knows why Tyne&Wear Nexus has to be so mean spirited.  Can you imagine visiting here with a young child?  It must do wonders for the tourist trade.  It also costs money to make and administer the system and it would be so much simpler to take people's word for the age of their children.

Miss Fiddle Good job Kent didn't insist on proof of age - I used to pay half fare until I was in my early 20s......

Thankfully over the past sixteen years some common sense has been applied and things are much simpler for parents now – well on this front at least.   Although, being a cynic, I think the cost of administering the system weighed more heavily than either common sense or the inconvenience of parents.