There are those who can't help themselves, in terms of doing their jobs properly. Sometimes, it's the system they find themselves in. Sub standard training practices and limited resources.
The facilities themselves reflect years of neglect, with outdated equipment and software that belongs in a museum. In such cases, it's a bit understandable that performance falls short.
However, the attitude that some of these government individuals behave with their apparent indifference to public needs goes beyond mere systemic failures.
Their demeanor suggests a disconnect between their role as public servants and their self-perception as bureaucratic gatekeepers.
Some of them are just the opposite of public service oriented, treating each citizen as an inconvenience rather than the very reason for their employment.
The irony of this situation isn't lost on those of us who ultimately pay their salaries through taxes.
Long Boring Adventure
I spent a full day at the immigration department just to renew my ID card. Going through multiple hoops that could just have been a one stop service point, imo.
The process involved moving between four different departments of the same governmental body, speaking with three different officials, and more or less repeatedly explaining the same situation, as if information sharing between departments was somewhat a foreign concept.
What's most telling about it all is these public officials were dressed as if they were heading to a fashion show.
Of course, who doesn't want to look presentable - there's nothing inherently wrong with taking pride in one's appearance.
But I think, this negates the fact that they're serving the public. Their priorities seem a bit misaligned with the fundamental purpose of their positions.
There's incompetence and there's bold incompetence, the latter is when you wear designer clothes while providing subpar service.
Inefficient processes are everywhere to notice with my mind as an observer.
As an outsider looking in, the impression that surfaced from this long boring adventure is institutional decay. This reinforces the idea in my mind that bureaucracy has more downsides than upsides and it is at the peak of mediocrity that these individuals find themselves in, some have willingly wear the badge of complacency.
And others, are quite unconscious of it all. Maybe, I'll go as far as saying they're evidently part of a broken system.
In terms of my fellow ID seekers, I'm reminded of how people can think alike, even though they may come from different backgrounds.
Also, the diversity of human experiences is something I like to observe whenever people congregate. Of course, I don't experience this often. So it was oddly refreshing.
Now, I have to wait for 3 weeks to check back in again with them. And the probability that the identity card will be ready by that time is 50/50, from what I've been told.
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