Oh Canada!

For anyone who thought my last post was amusing or funny, I am glad. That was my intention. I wanted to come home after the experience and rant about the Ontario health care system. Instead I got the idea in my head to use it as a writing challenge. I decided to try and make it as witty and fun as possible. What a challenge.

I find most of my experiences with any government agencies or institutions do not end well, or when they do end I have not had an easy time of it.

Today I went off to the passport office to apply for A's. passport. I was there last week but needed different documentation. My experience last week was excellent. I was served quickly. The person who served me was smiling, witty and had a sense of humor. I applied for four of the five passports I needed. He gave me the information I needed to come back with for the fifth one, and wished me a good day. Today's experience was even better. The woman I dealt with today actually thanked me for my behaviour on my last visit. Saying is was nice that someone would just accept that they did not have the required documentation, go get it and then come back. She joked with me and interacted with A. I was in and out in 20 minutes. Hats off to the passport office.

My experience a couple of months ago when I went to replace one of the childrens health cards was not so pleasant. Now I must admit this was not so much to do with the staff although they were certainly not smiling and happy. We got there fairly early in the morning and it was packed. The office itself was filthy, so much so that I was afraid to let A. out of her stroller. I took a number and waited for about an hour before I was called.

During that hour there were drunks almost falling down, this was in the morning!. A. screeched a few times not being in the best of moods that day, and I had people all around me complaining. Give me a break, with the kind of people that my child and I had to be exposed to that day, a few baby shrieks should have been no big deal. At one point an oldish couple sitting behind us said "that baby needs a spank" and then latter remarked that "ear plugs were made because of babies like that little brat". I would like to point out here that A at the time was just a year old. I didn't say anything, I kept my cool. I could tell by the crowd in the office that had I exclaimed on the rudeness, and or the abusive nature of the comments being made, a third of the crowd would have jumped me, a third of the crowd would have sold tickets to watch and started taking bets, and the other third would have set up bleachers for viewing. By the end of that days experience I felt a need to take A. and I through a detox chamber for fear of louse and who knows what else.

There was also that time a few weeks ago when I went to the city to pick up some court documents, and had a long wait. I didn't have a horrible experience although it was not the best spent time of my life. So I guess between the Emergency room, the Ontario Health card office, the Passport office and the Court house, I have gotten a mixed bag of  experience from, Very strongly disagree to Agree totally, if I were filling out a customer service card on my treatment.

The difference must lay in the clients more than the service providers. I also imagine there is a  giant governmental training building for civil servants. There are long line ups of civil servants who go in for training. These Civil servants get their training and knowledge from this huge building, it is all hands on, and they learn by experience. So while the majority of civil servants go through this hamster trail of tunnels, and wickets and dour faced people to get their experience. I believe that the Passport office people, found themselves in a lovely garden with calming fragrance, and gentle music, where all of their efforts were praised with positive reinforcement and they never heard a raised voice.

Oh Canada, I praise all civil servants for their hard work and for having to deal with every corner of society that Canada has to offer, although I still think many an office would benefit from a mop bucket and some dettol.