Okay...so I made some time this afternoon to call about two things to two governement agencies.
First - my local Tax office because they sent me a property tax bill they shouldn't have. That was a little frustrating because I had to simply wait on the line and listen to the recording 5 times without inputting anything to get to a RECORDING that would tell me a number to call and get a person. I hate phone menus more than anything in the world I think....SO I finally get that number and call and I am instantly transferred to a busy signal. Great, I call back and get someone else and she answers my question just fine and I'm done. GReat - half hour tops on that one I can handle it but it wasn't altogether pleasant.
I hate recordings.
Recently I got a traffic ticket in San Francisco and I live in LA. So...now I have to take care of it over that distance. So I need to call someone up there and ask them a few questions ; I've paid the fine online and indicated that I want traffic school. Then I get something in the mail saying I have to appear in the end to finish it up or I end up with the point. Crap...I don't want to appear because that means I have to go to SF and I don't want to. So... I head to the web site to look for a phone number and I find a few - they all go to recordings that don't go to people and can't help me with my questions. I spent a good hour looking and can't find a damn helpful number and the "contact us" link goes to a web form. So I put my complaint in there and said I want to talk to a PERSON not a recording or to anyone via email and gues what...it bounced back to me as an invalid email! The automated ticket help line has you put in the citation number and my citation has a "Z" and an "S" in it and in the menu those are not options to input. Freaking great...
So now I'm SOL apparently because there is no way to contact anyone at the traffic courts to get information regarding anything.
I hate San Francisco.
