Bureaucratic Nonsense (longish)

[Sapphire Silk]

Hmm. I got my Social Security card when I was 12 (they didn't issue them at birth back then). I remember going to the Social Security office with Dad. I filled out the form (with Dad's help), and handed the clerk my birth certificate. My birth card actually.

That same birth card got me my driver's license and my passport. It was accepted in the next two states I moved to for my new driver's licenses . . . until I got to California when suddenly it would not do. Except that their own literature said it would. After 10 minutes of fruitless arguing with the dumass clerk, I had to go home to find my EXPIRED passport, that they would accept.

I really think the clerk was just fucking with me because she could.

[sdg31000]

My Dad's middle name is wrong on my birth certificate. Say it should be Thomas, but they put Owen instead.
I only found this out when I needed a copy of my birth certificate when I was 19. I did ask about changing it, but the powers that be would need a letter from my Dad signed and witnessed. I had to say that he had died 8 years before so Owen it must stay.

[Gizmo]

600???? Holy crap

Basically we had to replace the entire flight tickets for the trip. This was about 16 years ago when the flights weren't dirt cheap.

[HawaiianShirts]

We also had the in-room deal when Baby Shirts was born, as well as matching bracelets for Mom, Dad, and Baby. It was a fairly small hospital, though--total of nine babies born the same day and never more than eleven babies in the maternity ward while we were there.

WTF? How does the nurse think she has the right to overrule the parents' choice of name for a child?

Maybe that nurse works for the Social Security Administration now.

I'm not sure I could have got used to calling him Tobert though.

I dunno. "Tobert" kind of has a nice ring to it. Sounds like Q-Bert's brother or something.

[raudf]

This makes me very glad that the hospital where I had my two boys had us fill out the paperwork for names BEFORE delivery. Of course, in my case, I had been induced with the first and c-section with the second. All they did was fill in date, time of birth and measurements. We already knew they were very obviously boys (it was proudly displayed on the ultrasound) and already had the names picked out. Oooh, I just checked my oldest's birth cert and his father's name is wrong on it! *headdesk* I checked it.. it's missing a D! Which I guess I overlooked all these years!

[the lawsmeister]

It was £25 to get my name legally changed, free to update the child passport or £600 to buy new holiday tickets....

600???? Holy crap

[Gizmo]

He still says it would have been easier to legally change his name to match it than it was to get the error fixed.

I had this as a youngster but not for a government issued matter.

Parents booked a holiday, the agent didn't ask the full name of the child and therefore my ticket was booked in my mothers married name. It was £25 to get my name legally changed, free to update the child passport or £600 to buy new holiday tickets....

[Kogarashi]

When I was born the hospital asked my dad how my name was spelled for the birth certificate as my mom was still out under the aneasthia from the c section. My dad being a crap speller, gave them the wrong spelling for my first name and that was what was put on the birth certificate. Even after mom woke up, they wouldn't change it. So that's how my name has been spelled my entire life. You can bet when my brothers were born, mom made sure the hospital had the correct names before the birth in case it ever happened again.

This is why I'm glad the hospital where I had my three waited until the next day to bring the birth certificate and social security paperwork to the parents, so I was conscious as well and could go over forms with my Hubby (though thankfully he's also a decent speller).

This was the same nurse who tried bringing Mom the wrong baby to nurse three times. I was in the neo natal unit (12 weeks early) and here she was bringing healthy 8-15 lb babies and insisting it was nursing time.

This is why I'm glad that most hospitals down here practice "rooming-in" nowadays, unless bub has medical issues that require him/her to be in the neonatal unit. Even then, mum is brought TO bub rather than the other way around.

And this is why I'm glad the hospital I had mine at had the policy to have mom, dad, and baby all wearing matching bracelets that could only be removed with a pair of scissors, and the nurses had to cross-check them every single time baby was brought to the room (as well as at other checkup times, if I recall). No mix-ups that way, because the bracelets were put on in the labor room itself before anyone went anywhere.

[fireheart]

This was the same nurse who tried bringing Mom the wrong baby to nurse three times. I was in the neo natal unit (12 weeks early) and here she was bringing healthy 8-15 lb babies and insisting it was nursing time.

This is why I'm glad that most hospitals down here practice "rooming-in" nowadays, unless bub has medical issues that require him/her to be in the neonatal unit. Even then, mum is brought TO bub rather than the other way around.

At the time of my sisters birth, she was born in a nearby hospital under a planned c-section and they did NOT practice rooming-in (for mum, this was not much of an issue as she wasn't breastfeeding). Far too often she'd have to remind the nurses that yes, she'd given birth to a baby girl NOT a boy because my sister was HUGE compared to the other bubs (ironically, she's shorter than me)

[the lawsmeister]

I have a friend who's name got spelled incorrectly on his work permit (greencard?) when he moved to the US.
He still says it would have been easier to legally change his name to match it than it was to get the error fixed.
I'm not sure I could have got used to calling him Tobert though.

[Aethian]

This was the same nurse who tried bringing Mom the wrong baby to nurse three times. I was in the neo natal unit (12 weeks early) and here she was bringing healthy 8-15 lb babies and insisting it was nursing time.

[wolfie]

Mine almost got changed to Amber Lynne cause the nurse thought that was prettier then Amber Joy.

WTF? How does the nurse think she has the right to overrule the parents' choice of name for a child?

[Aethian]

Mine almost got changed to Amber Lynne cause the nurse thought that was prettier then Amber Joy.

[KellyHabersham]

My sister and her husband had something similar happen with their oldest daughter - can't remember if it was with her birth or baptism certificate, but let's say they named her "Joanne", and whatever record was incorrect had her listed as "Joanna".

[dalesys]

... asked my dad how my name was spelled ...

Magrat, Thomas Note Spelling & James Note Spelling Smith.