When Ben found out we had orders to Germany, he went to some office and got paperwork for Maddox and I to get free government passports. This was months ago. I've been putting off going and getting them done because of a couple reasons. 1.) I had no idea where to go to get the passports done. 2.) I didn't feel like going alone and having to chase Maddox around the office while they take my picture and do whatever it is they had to do.
This is Ben's last day of leave, so we decided to take care of the passport situation. We looked up where you had to go to get it done and the only place in Pulaski County was at the Court House, but you had to bring your own professional head shot. Well, forget that. Then we searched google to see if there was a passport office on post. Yes, there is and they will take your photo there - much easier.
Maddox and I got showers and got dressed nice and neat to get our pictures taken. We got to the office and read the note on the door: "Closed for lunch daily 11:30 - 12:00". It was 11:26, guess they closed early. It was raining cats and dogs outside so we decided to wait in the building instead of dragging Maddox back into the car and then coming back. So, we sit around and waste a half hour, which felt more like two hours. Maddox entertained himself by taking off my flip flops and wearing them on his hands and running up and down the hallway.
It was 12:01, so we headed back to the office. The door was still closed, but it was unlocked, so we automatically went inside. Surely since they closed early for lunch they would be done at exactly 12. Maddox busted through the door and ran halfway across the room. There were about 5 people sitting around at desks, with plates and cups out, looking at us with a blank stare.
One man wipes his face with a napkin and says "Uh, we're closed, Miss." Guess we weren't supposed to just walk in. I replied with an apology and the 3 of us walked out and stood in the hallway. A lady opens a curtain that was closed over a long counter, but then walks away. I hadn't even noticed the counter when we walked by earlier. Another man comes and opens another curtain...and walks away....
Finally the lady comes back. We tell her we're here to get passports and she takes out a form with a bunch of instructions on it. She informs us that we can't get them today, that we have to fill out a bunch of things online, print it out, then make an appointment to come back and get them done. I was not happy. Why didn't they tell Ben that months ago when he got his first set of paperwork done at the office upstairs.
So the Army makes you do paperwork in order to go to another office, so they can tell you to go home and do more paperwork, and come back a third time to finally get it done. I wonder if you have to go back a fourth time to pick it up. Probably. What a pain in the rear, an inefficient system, and a waste of time. And why does the whole office have to be closed from 11:30 - 12?? There are a ton of people in that office. Why can't they rotate lunches so people don't have to wait around for a half hour to get turned away and told to come back a different time.
Needless to say I will be filling out a customer service survey and it will not be positive.
Let the frustrations begin....
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