Government in the Time of Increasing Orchestrated Indifference

To the NH DMV Monopoly, 9/9/2020 ('cuz, c'mon: what good would complaining to it do, anyway?)

I needed to register a new-to-me vehicle that I purchased in MA on 8/31. I obediently followed, to the letter (but also including, undemanded and additionally, my phone number on the envelope), the instructions published on the NH DMV's own website to obtain the mandated temporary plates so that I could go retrieve my property without being accosted and plundered by opportunistic legalized road agents.

I submitted on 9/1 all demanded paperwork via the prescribed "dropbox" (because that's now the only acceptable mechanism for this transaction, in the age of irrational hysteria) at the "officially closed -- no appointments, even" Milford, NH, DMV outpost. On that "dropbox", notably, there is (or maybe at this point, was?) posted a sign that says in part, "Transactions will be processed within 24~48 hours. Unless otherwise noted the documents will be mailed to you." (emphasis your humble chronicler's)

I have yet, and also notably, to find any notation otherwise. So I obediently waited for my plates. My government wouldn't mislead me...

Around 3:30 or so on the afternoon of 9/9, still waiting, I (finally) called 603-227-4030, to be eventually connected, after over an hour on hold ("unusual volume" compared to what, exactly?), to someone who, confident she didn't work for me, clearly simply could not have cared less if I'd paid her extra to do so, and eventually hung up on me, "I-don't-have-to-listen-to-this-'cuz-you're-not-the-boss-of-me"-style, rather than answer uncomfortable questions -- as a competitive, customer-focused business would require that she do -- if it wanted to survive, anyway.

I was told, essentially, that nobody knew nothin'. That, jeeze, says here the plates were ready and waiting in Milford! Had been, in fact, since 9/2, whaddaya want from us? That the DMV had, in fact, dearly wanted to contact me, but didn't have my contact info. Didn't have my contact info. The DMV. Yes, the Dept of "Safety". Arguably the heart of the police state.

And this was even despite my phone number having been helpfully printed on the envelope (remember the phone number on the envelope?) in which the paperwork (including the check that had nevertheless been cashed the week prior) was contained. That I was supposed to have known that I was supposed to do... well, something. Call them, maybe? At some time? At the office that officially isn't even open ('cuz, and among other things, the plates wouldn't be anywhere other than that closed office, right?)? And I should also somehow know to knock at the outwardly deserted outpost, with the "special" knock, hoping somebody just materialized. And I should know not to question my employees. EVER.

So the DMV having nowhere requested this suspiciously systemically missing -- and, indeed, unnecessary, since everything is gonna be, y'know, "mailed to you", right? -- data, how do you normally proactively contact your customers in situations similar to this where there aren't even any "complications"? How many of them nevertheless volunteer the data you somehow don't realize you need, right there on the envelope where you can't miss it?

No, she had not even the slightest passing interest in hearing a puny opinion that her system was fundamentally broken and consumer-unfriendly -- as if that would have been a problem, even if it were possible. Address it? Uh-uh. Suck it up. Not her department, anyway. <*click*> Hell, this is government: that department doesn't exist. Besides, even if, for some inexplicable reason, it had existed, like Washington's Monument, it would have been the first "service" on the chopping block. Long, long ago. 'We don't care. We don't have to. We're the fiat monopoly.' You ungrateful taxpayers, you...

And so now on 9/9, I (finally) have temp plates, prominently dated 9/2 (which is already a day later than I would have had them, in saner times), that nevertheless are good for only 20 days and need to get an inspection in 10 days, 7 of which are already gone. Do not even try to tell me that your enforcers "will understand" -- I'm telling you about my most recent experience with your officious bureaucrats right here.

I'm only now (finally) intending to pick up the truck to which they're to be attached tomorrow, 9/10, and proceed to the "registration" phase of this sadistic farce (not really, 'cuz as I belatedly remember, my town offices close at 1 on Thursdays, so I'm not putting this shitshow behind me quite yet -- 9/11 is really more appropriate anyway, don'tcha think...?).

And for those playing along at home, that will be 9 of 10 days gone -- and #10 would be a Saturday. Because my "servant" government has screwed me and exasperated me - without consequence, without remorse, with self-assured dismissive indifference -- yet again. And the thing is, I know I'm not alone. So do you.

And you refuse to even be ashamed, DMV. Ahh, to be unaccountable government...

Yes, I am personally well aware that there are <shudder> far worse DMVs than NH's out there. That excuses exactly nothing. Please assure me that's not your metric for grading mandatory force-monopoly government "services". Or politicians, for that matter...

And now, in this "shitshow-on-steroids" year of 2020, it's worse still. By fiat. Thanks, government...!!

But then, relentlessly making life more arduous (and expensive) -- at its own whim -- is why We the People instituted government, right...?