Okay, so this happened to me last Friday but I thought I'd share my horrific (okay, I found it horrific) story of the gross inadequacies of some of my colleagues. On the bright side - it's none of you so you can all go on thinking you're rock stars.... ;o) And it's long - make some popcorn.
I decided when I bought my car that I wanted to drive to work. It's a short commute and with the insanely late hours I work at certain times of the year, I wasn't comfortable doing the commute on public transit with some poorly lit areas along my route home. Plus, for some reason, it's cheaper for me to drive to work even with the cost of gas being what it is than to have an ECO-pass (eco - as in ecologically friendly or how about ECONOMICAL?!?!?).
So I called the parking office in May to find out how I get a spot in a particularly cheap lot that I like. I was told that I just needed to come in and get the pass set up, there were tons of spots in the lot I wanted and I didn't need to worry about reserving a spot. I then checked with payroll that I had to keep my Ecopass for a year and just had to turn it back in and they would stop it coming off my paycheque. Sounds simple enough. But for safety sake, as I anxiously got that much closer to August 1 and my blessed no-more-public-transit mornings, I thought I'd call again in July and ask one last time. To both offices I called and got the EXACT same reply as in May.
August 1 was a Friday - so I was off. I made a special trip to come into work to get this taken care of. Silly me, I had grandiose plans to go see a double feature at the Imax an hour and 15 minutes after I arrived on campus thinking that that should be enough lead time. I had to park half way across campus from the building I needed (only pay spots available apparently) and pay $3 for an hour (yeah, cheap, I know).
First stop - HR reception.
L: Here's my Ecopass, I'd like to stop it for August 1
HR Receptionist: *obviously confused* ugh..okay, just a sec
She goes to an office where I can see and recognize two people talking. Knowing her place on the proverbial totem pole, she patiently waits to jump in the conversation. But wait! It's an interesting conversation about where they should all order from for lunch. Egads, poor HR R can't not participate in that conversation - she has a right to decide where she eats too! Finally, she gets down to business only to have one of the two tell her that I need to put it in writing. Holy Bure-fucking-aucracy. You have the pass, you don't think that's indication ENOUGH that I need it to stop?!? So, on a post it note I have to scrawl that I want them to cancel it as of August 1 with my name and employee number.
Stop 2-Parking reception (now moved to the same building as HR)
L: Hi, I need to get a parking pass for August 1 for Lot 5
WoP* Parking Receptionist: Oh, did you book your space online
L: No, I didn't know I had to.
WoP: Yup, because I can't see into the system to see if a spot is available.
L: Okay, and you have a computer in front of you so can we do it right now.
WoP: Oh, well you can use a computer in Athletics (back PAST my car in the paid spot)
L: *huge sigh* Okay, if that's the ONLY way....
WoP: Yup
L: And is there any reason why the two times I've called here in the last 3 months that NO ONE has told me that I had to RESERVE my spot before I could get it?
WoP: *silence and dumbfounded look* Well you can book it and pay for it online
L: Oh, I can put it on my payroll deduction online?
WoP: Well no, you can pay by credit card
So I left the Parking Office and stood in the lobby of the building wondering what to do. If I stayed to get this sorted out, which I should do because I needed a pass for Monday and didn't want to have to deal with this on Monday am, I would miss the Imax shows. If I left, I'd make the Imax but didn't want it on my credit card and would still need to come back on Monday to get my physical pass before I could park and get this taken care of.
I actually left the building and came back in determined to use A or K's computer on the 6th floor to reserve my pass. On my way up, I realized there was a computer for students on the 3rd floor - not that the WoP could tell me that a terminal was available WITHIN SIGHT OF THE PARKING OFFICE FRONT DOOR!!! I log in and can't, for the life of me, get into the parking secure area of the website. All common passwords I use won't work. So, JJ comes by because she's been at a meeting and I rage on (poor) her about my morning. I plead with her to let me use her cell (I left mine in the car because I foolishly thought I wouldn't need it) to call down to the Parking Office to get my password because all attempts to have it sent to me at my email address doesn't seem to actually be generating a password - nor an email. (Now I know all you smarties would say "Why didn't you just get a new login?". I tried. Apparently it's attached to my Employee ID number so no matter what user name etc. I tried for a new account, it wouldn't let me get a new account.) The same WoP answers the phone and gives me my password. I type it into the screen and *ahhhhhh - the angels are singing* I get in. I promptly hang up and as I scroll over the icon to click on the big P to reserve my spot, the computer kicks me out - I've exceeded my 20 minute time limit on the computer apparently.
Now I'm raging.
I go back down to the parking office and lay into the WoP. Conveniently, when someone looks like they're about to go postal, she can get in and check for a spot.
WoP: Oh, there's none available for Lot 5
L: I called 2 weeks ago and was told that there were plenty of spots and I didn't need to reserve one. Now you're telling me there are none? I'm a staff member! (sadly, I know I get preferential treatment on parking space todem pole as a staff member)
WoP: Oh, you're a staff member, let me check.
And off she goes to the back room. And back she comes after some muffled conversation.
WoP: Yup, I can give you a spot in Lot 5.
So now she's going through the system looking for the code for that payment schedule.
WoP: Okay, so all I can find is this student code for September-April for $X.
L: Is there any difference between the student and staff price?
WoP: Nope.
L: Okay, and that can start today?
WoP: *in a hushed "I shouldn't be telling you this because it's breaking the rules" tone* Well, you can come in and get the pass and start using it the last week of August
L: BUT I NEED IT FOR TODAY! LIKE I SAID, I NEED IT FOR AUGUST 1! I've already turned in my Eco-pass so I have no way of getting to work now.
WoP: Okay, just a sec.
Into the back room she goes and there's more muffled conversation.
Back out she comes with one of the parking staff I've normally dealt with for parking related issues. New staff member sits down for about oh, 30 seconds and gets it all sorted out with the right price, the lot I want and starting August 1. She says to WoP, "okay, now you can just print out the pass and give it to her"
I finally leave with the pass and get to my car 3 minutes before my meter expires.
So, upshot? I tried not to rage, I tried to keep my cool. But with idocracy like that staring me so blatantly in the face, can you blame for for finally losing it?!? And worst of all, all I could think was, "I JUST got a permanent job on campus and I can't even hire any temporary help when I'm swamped and all because we have WoP's like you on campus. Great. Just fucking great."
*WoP=Waste of Payroll
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