How dense could I be?

I thought I would use my lunch hour to renew my driver license, given that it expired on my birthday. Now, granted, I don't have a car these days, but I rent the occasional one or end up driving some one else's for them. One also needs a driver license (or state sanctioned I.D.) to travel by air these days, so I am forced into dealing with the bureaucracy. The last time I renewed in-person (ten years ago) the process was about an hour total with a bit of waiting time. Ultimately it was made entertaining by my cousin who worked at the DMV then, and whom I had not seen in a very long time.

This time around, however, I took one step into one of three Driver License Division offices and turned right back around and went back to work: the place was packed and there was very little evidence of movement. People were hanging out on the counters, it was so back-logged. There were also quite a few people who were obviously huffy about the egregious wait-time. I didn't get huffy, per se, I just realized that this was never going to work for me today.

But you've got to love cheap-skate Utah: people bitch and moan about the few taxes they pay, and then bitch and moan about the problems that their smallgubment! antics cause. There are a total of 3 driver license offices in Salt Lake County, all open from 7 until 5:30 at night. They are utterly understaffed. The Salt Lake valley, according to the last census is just 25,000 short of 1,000,000 people. That's 3 locations for roughly 36,000 people who have a birthday any given month in this state. Half that (18,000) and you get the number of people who have to visit the DMV to renew their license in-person per month. This doesn't account, of course, for the folks who are there for other reasons at any given moment.

It looks like I'll have to take the day off to renew my little-used driver license.

Rhetoric of anger, any one?

I am less friendly to our beloved Utah Transit Authority than I have been in th past:

While I understand the mechanical problems this morning with TRAX were completely out of your control, UTA could have informed all of its drivers who arrive at TRAX stations to inform riders that there will be long delays or that there would be alternate bus service. The lack of information form UTA to the commuting public is unacceptable. Having drivers roll around TRAX stations yelling at people to get on (having no idea where they are going) is not an appropriate contingency plan.

I expect a reply to this message. I am quite disappointed that you have refused to reply to my previous complaint about the bus stop on 21st South and 21st East. Is this how the new UTA runs? Ignore your customers?

I have decided to be blunt this time since my previous rather cordial letter received no response at all. I my note that my complaint to Thanksgiving Point also received no response. Should I write to them again?

Perhaps I should start a new blog called "It's Not Wise to Upset a Wookie" or "Let the Wookie Win."* What do you think?

*For those of you not geek:

[R2-D2 and Chewbacca are playing the holographic game aboard the Millennium Falcon]
Chewbacca: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrgh
C-3PO: He made a fair move. Screaming about it can't help you.
Han Solo: Let him have it. It's not wise to upset a Wookiee.
C-3PO: But sir, nobody worries about upsetting a droid.
Han Solo: That's 'cause droids don't pull people's arms out of their sockets when they lose. Wookiees are known to do that.
Chewbacca: Grrf.
C-3PO: I see your point, sir. I suggest a new strategy, R2: let the Wookiee win.

Grrf!

Update (2:30 pm): I just received the following from UTA:

I do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. At this
time I have forwarded your concern to the appropriate department for
further review. Our commitment to our customers is to continue to
improve the service we provide. Please contact us should you have any
further questions or comments.

Thank you,

X X
UTA Customer Comments

Pulling out all the rhetorical tricks

Rather than waiting for today to write my email to TgP folks, I decided to take it on late last night. I'm rather pleased with my tone in the following letter. I sound like someone straight out of 1875:

Dear Mr. [X],

I had the great fortune of attending this night's concert of the Arcade Fire and LCD Sound System at Thanksgiving Point (September 26, 2007). The show was very good and you should be commended for programming these two extraordinary bands.

My evening was spoiled, however, by the overly zealous security that proclaimed my Nikon D40x camera as "too professional" to be allowed into the venue. This surprised me, as my friends who had compact cameras (which the Nikon D40x is not) were allowed into the show. Many of these cameras were of higher resolution than mine. While they were allowed into the show, I, in the mean time, had to hike back to the car and secure my camera, thus missing the majority of the LCD Sound System's set. I might note, that I am a fan of the LCD Sound System, and feel somewhat robbed by that experience.

I would have left my camera at home, but, after checking the Thanksgiving Point web site as well as my ticket I saw no notification that cameras of any type were barred. I took my camera in good faith that I would be allowed to take pictures of what I experienced and of my good friends' enjoyment of the show and of Thanksgiving Point.

Was I mistaken? Are certain cameras allowed and others are not? Why was such a distinction not made public? Why was it not posted on your web site?

Honestly, I am really not certain where the distinction in cameras s being made here. As most people who attend concerts, I only take photos of things I want to remember, and if I share them on the Internet (as my friends who brought compact, higher resolution cameras have already done) it is only for the purpose of sharing my experience with my friends. The arbitrary rules excluding my camera or other such digital single lens reflex cameras at Thanksgiving Point seem out of place in our day and age.

Can you explain to me why I was forced to 1) not be able to take pictures that would advertise the beauty of your venue to my friends, and 2) miss a substantial portion of the show that I paid $36.00 for in order to secure a camera that is of lower resolution than cameras that were allowed into the show?

Sincerely,

[Theorris Boonasty, Esq.]