#bureaucratic stupidity

[vr-trakowski]

What bugs me the most is that they made it so hard to do the right thing

I got sick this week.

High fever, fatigue, chills, shortness of breath, loss of appetite. Some kind of virus. A lot, in fact, like the time I got COVID a couple of years ago.^

My OTC test popped negative. But - it took two days to go positive the last time. And I know the OTC tests aren’t always accurate with the newer strains anyway.

So I thought I’d better get a PCR test. Where to start? Why, with my state’s testing centers, of course. My wealthy, blue state.

Found the page. Link to the search is dead. The phone number’s disconnected.

Okayyyyy…on the county.

County site says “call this number”. Which is the CDC.

CDC at least gives me a live person. Why aren’t you asking your primary care physician? she says. Well, for starters, because I don’t want to walk into a room full of people most likely not wearing masks and potentially give them what I’ve got, even though they’re idiots for not wearing masks in public and particularly at a doctor’s office?

All right then, here’s a site where you can search for places offering the test.

They’re all pharmacies and the like. Apparently there are no testing sites left, at least in my area. Oh well, one of them is my pharmacy. Nice and convenient, even if it presents the same risk to others as the doctor’s office. Not like I have a choice at this point.

I go online and make the appointment. I’m very clear that I want the PCR test, not the OTC one. At least I can get an appointment later the same day.

Arrive for appointment. Breathless walking in from the very small parking lot, even with cane. Took ibuprofen to break my (almost 104) fever because an hour and a half of shivering with chills is ridiculously tedious, so I’m now soggy with sweat. Check in; have to wait about ten minutes but at least there’s an unoccupied corner.

Medical professional takes me into the appointment room and opens up the test…which is the OTC version.

No, I say, I wanted the PCR version.

Oh, you have to make an appointment for that.

I did make an appointment. I said so when I checked in. I specifically wanted the PCR version.

We go around this circle a few times and get no forreder. Finally I tell her I’ll take this test, in part because it apparently checks for a couple of varieties of ‘flu as well and I’ve already paid for it, but I want the PCR test.

Test done, she sends me out to wait for a bit, then calls me up to the counter. Spends about seven minutes on the computer (not her fault that I can barely stand at this point - standing is always harder than walking) and finally confesses that she can’t make me an appointment, there’s something wrong. Here’s a corporate number I can call, they should be able to help.

(This test comes up negative too, on all counts.)

Next day: I call the number. It’s one of those artificial person phone systems that’s designed to make it nearly impossible to reach an actual human, but eventually I do. I explain the whole mess, she’s sympathetic but I’ve ended up in the wrong area, she’ll transfer me to the correct one.

Which turns out, of course, to be where I’d originally gone in. This time I get to a point that tells me the only way to make a testing appointment…is online, or in person at the pharmacy. Not over the phone.

Somehow I resist throwing my poor phone at the wall.

The sites have failed me, the pharmacy has failed me. I call my primary care doctor. Sorry, they don’t do COVID tests.

The only other thing I can think of is urgent care. I call the one near me. Yes, they do PCR tests. I can even get a same-day appointment. Of course, my insurance hates this brand of urgent care, so I’ll have a copay and then a stiff bill later, but what choice do I have?

I manage to clean myself up a bit, and go. Traffic’s appalling (about two miles out of my way due to mismarked detours), my blood sugar’s in my socks, and the online check-in (on my phone, whose stupid idea was that, typing on the phone is slow and miserable) is absurdly repetitive. Certain information has to be entered at least three times and the choice of “have you been exposed to COVID-19” is limited to “Yes” or “No”, no option for “I have no fucking idea because people are stupid”.

At least they don’t make me switch out of my Flo Mask, which I appreciate deeply.

Finally, finally, a PCR test. They tuck me in another room to wait for the results, and while the TV in there (why does it need a TV?) is playing “Zillow Gone Wild” (gag)* it is at least doing so at minimal volume (I do look for a remote but I can’t spot one).** I can ignore it in favor of my phone, or drowsing.

PCR test…is negative.

I don’t need Paxlovid, I don’t need to worry about taking more brain damage from that wretched virus. I don’t need to isolate at home for a week, trying to WFH with a truly terrible Internet connection (it took two minutes for an email to send this morning).

I don’t need to worry about infecting my elderly, frail parents, or my immunocompromised friend, or my idiotic (affectionate) colleagues who don’t wear masks. I mean, sure, I won’t go near the first three until I’m recovered, but. But.

However.

It shouldn’t be this hard.

It took me two days to get this test. While dealing with the illness itself. A little bit sicker, a slightly higher fever, and I wouldn’t have had the stamina to keep trying.

I know. The cruelty is the point.

But still.

^Fever dreams are wild. I particularly liked the one with the bunnies.

*The commercials were interesting, though. Decent mix of ethnicities, and I kept seeing things like laundry detergent or ovens being advertised using men as well as women. I stopped watching commercial TV years ago so maybe that’s standard now, but it wasn’t what I was expecting.

**I really, really hate the modern trend of TVs that can only be used with a remote. At least put on/off and volume buttons on the device itself! And while we’re at it, any computer monitor that requires more than a blind button push to shut off is unnecessary. One of mine at work requires three separate moves to power down.

[podcast-hemocytoblast]

When you think about it, it was pretty on brand for Elias to start the apocalypse by giving Jon Evil Paperwork.

[creepyscritches]

Defending a for-profit healthcare model to protect widespread access to basic care is the clown nose I never thought I'd wear but here we are. Some punks must honk during the workday.

[july-19th-club]

funniest thing criminal minds ever did was a two-scene gag late in the series in which dr tara lewis is working as an in-house counselor at the fbi and her clients are two agents played by young actors bearing a striking resemblance to mulder and scully and who are in fact mulder and scully - his theories are just alien woo; she's religious; he manspreads delightfully, it is clear that they've spent the whole session complaining about each other; dr tara lewis asks them if they've ever considered putting in for different partners and they both get very indignant and the scully goes he's my best FRIEND!! . then later in the episode dr tara lewis has been reassigned back to the regular team and they're just sitting in her office without her looking at each other and then after a second they start making out

[afabulousjello]

I know it in my heart of hearts, soul of souls, that if Tarkin ever found out that his decrepit Emperor was a crazy magic ligthning wielding Sith, he would have been so disappointed

[disasterhimbo]

If I try hard and want it bad enough I should be able to just get past and ignore my disability, that’s how it works, right?

[formlessdemi]

You cant just say a tool has no uses because you don't like it. You can say it does a lot of things bad, but clearly if people are using it, it has uses. Maybe even, said people that use it are painfully aware of its flaws and know how to avoid them, or work around them, or fucking proof read and research and rewrite them.

[defira85]

on GOD I finally passed the medical legal exam after two weeks

I'm just gonna lay here on the ground wheezing for a bit

[missymurder]

first time im posting smth from twitter to tumblr whooooaaaa woooow anyways look at the demon lesbians

[running-in-the-dark]

I don't want to be a man or a woman, I don't want to choose, I just want my boobs gone and then think about the rest. like I'd love to have a beard but I don't want to go on t probably so that's unlikely to ever happen, but I'm okay with that I think. not okay with the boobs tho

[pummelingbat]

tuesday afternoon post-errand date 🥰

[llycaons]

3:30 for this one ain't so bad. we'll likely be out before 9 pm. unless there's another clamp delay.

[wizard-mp4]

Bureaucracy makes me very mad

"It's the only way to do things at scale"

Don't scale up then

[irascible-iridescent]

I hope they raze to the ground every mention of chantry in the DA5. Like my most hated aspect of these games is this pseudo catholic bullshit.

[nature-played-a-trick-on-me]

So sleepy after being spammed with phone calls grrrrrrr and now I'm surrounded with laundry I have to fold and I've to make my bed and I just want to sleep already. This was supposed to be a rest day and not a day to get even more stressed out. 🙃

[awfullyqueerwriter]

I'm the person who sent this ask. Today is results day, and I ended up getting a six in philosophy (the IB grades out of seven, so I did really well). Unfortunately, there were some issues, so I need to talk with my first choice, and see about getting some papers remarked. However, I am almost certainly getting in- eventually! I entirely thank you for this, since I don't even know where I'd be right now if I hadn't watched your videos.

Hi! I'm a long time fan, and I wanted to send this to you (partly for luck!). I have my last philosophy exam tomorrow. Well, my last two, but same difference. I do the IB program, so it's a pretty big deal! How well I do tomorrow might effect if I get into my first choice university program. I'm rewatching your video on effective altruism (I'll probably watch it twice), partly for luck, and partly because it's such good revision. You're the reason I chose to take philosophy, so I feel like its pretty fitting that you're what will see me through my exams. In general your videos have done a lot for me, so thank you for this last bit of help!

Heyyyyy, good luck!