This had me mad enough to yell to myself about it, so I figured I should try to put a little distance between me and crazy and share it with y'all instead.
This is a combination of a sucky bureaucracy, a brusque employee of said bureaucracy enforcing sucky policies, and a slight self-sighting.
As some of you know, I now have two kids. Baby Shirts was born late September. For this story, let's say that the middle name that Mrs. Shirts and I picked for her is Bernadette.
At the hospital, Mrs. Shirts filled out the Social Security form. I filled out the birth certificate form. We were both careful to spell out our daughter's name just as we wanted it, using all capital letters so it would be easy to read. Someone on the hospital staff made a mistake when submitting our requests (which they do electronically) and left off the second T in the baby's middle name.
I was a bit confused when the birth certificate and the social security card--issued by completely different organizations--both had the same error. I contacted the county's Vital Statistics office about the birth certificate. They contacted the hospital, confirmed the error, and had me send back the incorrect certificate so they could send a corrected one. Easy. I then emailed the Social Security Administration (though I had to wait until the government shutdown thing ended). The email I got back told me that I needed to bring the corrected birth certificate, the incorrect SS card, and my ID to the local SS office to get a correction. They're only open 9AM - 3PM weekdays, so that would be a challenge, but I figured I could handle it.
Friday, I left work right after lunch. It was a slow day, so I could get away. I had checked the SS website. I printed and filled out the application form that was required. I gathered the three documents the email told me to bring. From what I read online, that was all I needed.
Some of you can now guess where this is going.
I got to the SS office. I took a number. I waited for about 90 minutes in a boring room with other restless people. I listened to the PA announcements.
"Number S334 to window 5."
"Number S335 to window 1. Please remember to have your ID out and ready when your number is called."
-- I check. I have my ID. I'm good. --
"Number S336 to window 2."
"Number S337 to window 5."
"Number S338 to window 7. When applying for a social security card for any reason, you must fill out the application form. Forms are available on the table near the entrance. Please have the application completed and ready when your number is called."
-- I check. I have the form. It's all filled out. I'm good. --
"Number S339 to window 4."
"Number S340 to window 7...
-- That's me. I get my stuff. I go to window 7. As I sit down, the guy finishes his PA announcement. --
...If you are applying for a social security card for a minor, a birth certificate is not a valid form of identification."
The first words out of my mouth, with an expression of utter disbelief on my face:
"A birth certificate is not a valid form of identification? Really?"
So the guy kind of explains. He's impatient and impersonal. He pretty much brushes off all of my comments.
First he tells me that he can't help unless I have valid ID for my daughter.
Me: "She's not even two months old! What ID is she going to have other than her birth certificate?"
Then he tells me that, in order to correct the misspelling on her social security card, I have to get a letter from her doctor, on clinic letterhead, detailing the correct spelling and the reason that the card needs to be replaced.
Me: "Right, because it's the doctor who decides the correct spelling of a person's name; not the parents."
I ask if I can get the letter and send everything in by mail or something.
Him: "Yes, but you will need to send the original birth certificate and your original ID. We can't take copies. We'd mail them all back in 3-4 weeks."
Me: "Well, that won't work. I'd be driving around without a license for a month. Sounds like a bad idea to me."
Him: "Just take your passport with you when you drive. You have one, right?"
Me: "No, I don't." (He rolls his eyes at this, like I just said I don't have indoor plumbing.) And a passport is not the same as a driver's license anyway."
Then he tells me the """"good news."""" According to him, a person's middle name "doesn't matter." On the social security card, I could spell it Bernadette or Bernadete or Brnadet or Burn A Debt or just B, and it would be fine.
Him: "If anyone checks her ID in the future and notices that the SS card and birth certificate don't match on the middle name, nothing bad will happen. They only look at first and last name. So it doesn't matter."
Me: "For one thing, that's not a risk I'm willing to take. For another thing..." (I gather my stuff and stand up.) "...It matters to me!"
And I walk out. I got a list of the accepted forms of ID for a minor. I intend to get at least one of everything on that list when I go in again.
All I want is another T!
This is a combination of a sucky bureaucracy, a brusque employee of said bureaucracy enforcing sucky policies, and a slight self-sighting.
As some of you know, I now have two kids. Baby Shirts was born late September. For this story, let's say that the middle name that Mrs. Shirts and I picked for her is Bernadette.
At the hospital, Mrs. Shirts filled out the Social Security form. I filled out the birth certificate form. We were both careful to spell out our daughter's name just as we wanted it, using all capital letters so it would be easy to read. Someone on the hospital staff made a mistake when submitting our requests (which they do electronically) and left off the second T in the baby's middle name.
I was a bit confused when the birth certificate and the social security card--issued by completely different organizations--both had the same error. I contacted the county's Vital Statistics office about the birth certificate. They contacted the hospital, confirmed the error, and had me send back the incorrect certificate so they could send a corrected one. Easy. I then emailed the Social Security Administration (though I had to wait until the government shutdown thing ended). The email I got back told me that I needed to bring the corrected birth certificate, the incorrect SS card, and my ID to the local SS office to get a correction. They're only open 9AM - 3PM weekdays, so that would be a challenge, but I figured I could handle it.
Friday, I left work right after lunch. It was a slow day, so I could get away. I had checked the SS website. I printed and filled out the application form that was required. I gathered the three documents the email told me to bring. From what I read online, that was all I needed.
Some of you can now guess where this is going.
I got to the SS office. I took a number. I waited for about 90 minutes in a boring room with other restless people. I listened to the PA announcements.
"Number S334 to window 5."
"Number S335 to window 1. Please remember to have your ID out and ready when your number is called."
-- I check. I have my ID. I'm good. --
"Number S336 to window 2."
"Number S337 to window 5."
"Number S338 to window 7. When applying for a social security card for any reason, you must fill out the application form. Forms are available on the table near the entrance. Please have the application completed and ready when your number is called."
-- I check. I have the form. It's all filled out. I'm good. --
"Number S339 to window 4."
"Number S340 to window 7...
-- That's me. I get my stuff. I go to window 7. As I sit down, the guy finishes his PA announcement. --
...If you are applying for a social security card for a minor, a birth certificate is not a valid form of identification."
The first words out of my mouth, with an expression of utter disbelief on my face:
"A birth certificate is not a valid form of identification? Really?"
So the guy kind of explains. He's impatient and impersonal. He pretty much brushes off all of my comments.
First he tells me that he can't help unless I have valid ID for my daughter.
Me: "She's not even two months old! What ID is she going to have other than her birth certificate?"
Then he tells me that, in order to correct the misspelling on her social security card, I have to get a letter from her doctor, on clinic letterhead, detailing the correct spelling and the reason that the card needs to be replaced.
Me: "Right, because it's the doctor who decides the correct spelling of a person's name; not the parents."
I ask if I can get the letter and send everything in by mail or something.
Him: "Yes, but you will need to send the original birth certificate and your original ID. We can't take copies. We'd mail them all back in 3-4 weeks."
Me: "Well, that won't work. I'd be driving around without a license for a month. Sounds like a bad idea to me."
Him: "Just take your passport with you when you drive. You have one, right?"
Me: "No, I don't." (He rolls his eyes at this, like I just said I don't have indoor plumbing.) And a passport is not the same as a driver's license anyway."
Then he tells me the """"good news."""" According to him, a person's middle name "doesn't matter." On the social security card, I could spell it Bernadette or Bernadete or Brnadet or Burn A Debt or just B, and it would be fine.
Him: "If anyone checks her ID in the future and notices that the SS card and birth certificate don't match on the middle name, nothing bad will happen. They only look at first and last name. So it doesn't matter."
Me: "For one thing, that's not a risk I'm willing to take. For another thing..." (I gather my stuff and stand up.) "...It matters to me!"
And I walk out. I got a list of the accepted forms of ID for a minor. I intend to get at least one of everything on that list when I go in again.
All I want is another T!
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