Rachel (my wife for those of you not playing along at home) has been struggling to get parking passes for our cars. In our neighborhood in Seattle, you need a permit to park on the street for longer than 2 hours.
How hard can it be to get this pass? The website says "to have an application mailed to you, please call (206) 684-5086."
The response at that number: "We're sorry, but the voice mailbox for this number is
full"
Two days later: "We're sorry, but the voice mailbox for this number is full."
So Rachel decides that this isn't working and goes downtown, parks (no easy task) and treks up to the 37th floor of the Seattle Municipal Tower. Let me set the scene for you. There are two workers helping citizens with their Traffic Permit needs. There is a third that gets up to help Rachel. Then there is a rotund woman sitting next to a ringing phone. I wasn't there but I imagine that she had an unpleasant look on her face. Let's call her Bertha.
Rachel: "I'd like to get my zone parking permit"
Helpful Dude: "Great! Do you have your forms filled out and your check
ready?"
Rachel: "No. I tried calling to get the form but the voice mailbox
was full."
Bertha (who chimes in from her chair next to a ringing phone): "Well it isn't
full now."
Rachel: "I called twice and it was full both times."
Bertha: "I just emptied it. It wouldn't be full if you people didn't
call so much."
Rachel: "The website instructed me to call. Why don't you guys just
put a PDF of the form on the website so that people don't have to call?"
Guy in next line: "That sounds like a great idea!"
Bertha: "Nah, that would never work. People wouldn't know how to download
it or they would screw it up and it would just create more work for us."
Rachel: "All right then. I'll just get my pass and be on my way.
I see that I've done all that I can do here."
Seriously folks, I can't make this stuff up.