BUREAUCRACY

A foreclosure fiasco!! Former REGJB denizen Alan Soven at the center of a legal nightmare (again). Details on the South Florida Lawyers blog here.

We received this email:

Rumpole: Help!

Here is a description of my encounter with a an individual who works for a particular agency in the Justice Building. My goal was merely to provide them a certified copy of a motion to transport. I won't name the agency, but it rhymes with "directions".

Me: Hi- here is a copy of an order to transport.

Woman #1: Jello...can I help jew?

Me: (to myself: Jew??Hmm...this is not starting out well).

Me: To Woman #1: Yes. Here is a certified copy of a motion to transport.

Woman #1: Weeeeell, dis is not (unintelligible- but I'm guessing she meant "sufficient") Jew need 11 certified copies. (or some ridiculous number).

Me: (to myself: Jew again!)

Woman #1: also, Jew need to add the yale number of the defendant. To get the yale number you need to go to the 4th floor and look at dee big blue book which has dee names and yale numbers of all of dee defendants.

Me: (admittedly somewhat sanctimoniously) I know how to get a "yale number" I've in fact been to Yale. (actually Rumpole, I've been to both, but that's another long story.) I also know how to get jail number. I don't need the big blue book. I can get with a computer. In fact, I can get it with my phone. Can you please take the order?

Woman#1: No. Here is dees memo on orders. You need read.

Me: No. Here is the order. You need read.

Woman#2: (walking over) She jus tryin to hep you.

Me: Really? Because I don't sense that.

Woman#1: If jew read dee memo jew can get dee order.

Me: I have "dee order", please take it. Many people who have studied long and hard have contributed to creating this order.

...and on and on it went. Not much really to say except that it seems like everybody is out to make everybody's life much more difficult than it has to be. I appreciate they have a job to do and so do I. I don't have a problem following rules, and this issue was resolved when I obtained the requisite 37 more certified copies- and I won't even start on what it takes to get one of those from the ninth floor. The clerks look at you like either you are crazy ( you want what??) or you are threatening some horrible act. My point is that people who deal with the general public need more training. Not to say it is not a hard job. It is. But how many times have you been waiting in line only to have the person answer the phone or have another employee come over and start talking to the person helping you about something that could have waited. Yes, I am making fun of this woman's accent. It is more bothersome to have a bureaucrat start lecturing you when they can barely speak english. I applaud this woman for working, I just wish she could lectured me less and done so more intelligibly. Thanks for letting me vent.

Rumpole says: We live in a multicultural society, especially here in Miami. Our opinion is that dealing with an accent is a small price to pay in view of the strengths immigrants add to our country. In light of all the xenophobic rage over immigration, we would be well served if we didn't over react to the short term (hopefully) economic slow down, and remembered that at one time or another all of our ancestors came to this country seeking a better life. Lets not be like the Judges of Miami, who once having been elected, want to close the doors behind them and do away with elections.

NFL roundup: 1-1 yesterday, 22-15-1 for the season; -30 for the day and + 2320 for the season. Mr. Markus won (7-3-1) and so did we (9-2).

Later this week: Is the blog going to be shut down????!!!! Stay tuned.