Bureacracy Lives! I've Seen It

Last week, we went to the local office of the Social Security Administration to check out some rights for my parents. The office atmosphere is a mix between DMV and social services offices. To say the least, it's an interesting place. But it is efficient.

One of the reasons for the efficiency is Mr. Nguyen (not his real name), the SSA clerk who took care of our queries. He is a small, fit, graying Vietnamese gentleman with the true heart of a bureaucrat. His desk was efficiently clean, very exact. His interview with my dad didn't deviate from the questions in the form he was filling out, and he didn't smile once or make the usual small talk you encounter when meeting someone new to make them feel comfortable.

While it was a little shocking to find someone so devoted to getting from point A to point B in the form, I had to admire his thoroughness and professionalism. By the time our interview was finished, we had a very detailed list of the materials we needed to bring in to finish the application, and how he wanted it to expedite the process.

I am glad that there are still people out there who keep the bureaucracy going.