AT THE POST OFFICE
The Encyclopedie Dictionary says: “With the denomination of tic it is understood all those stereotyped movements, without a precise purpose, that the individual performs involuntarily. The cause that brings about such movements without control still remains unknown, even if these systems may present themselves as a signal of inner discomfort, traccable to family, social, professional problems, at times concealing a suppressed aggressiveness...” I don't know what the reasons are behind the discomfort of the post office clerk who is now in front of me and frankly I'm not interested, but I can testify that her aggressiveness is far from suppressed, on the contrary, it is shown in all its' fullness and unloaded on top of us poor clients that happen to fall into her clutches.
Let's go back to the beginning.
I need to send a letter by registered post and pay a bill into a current account. Upon the machine that distributes the tickets to take your turn, it is very clearly indicated that it is possible to do both transactions at the same counter, simultaneously. What the notice does not say is that at a certain counter it is not possible to carry out financial transactions, so therefore, I do not know this, and have no way of knowing this. Unfortunately, after the usual hour-long wait in the queue the computer sends me to exactly that counter. Without explanation, the clerk returns my payslip. After a while she says simply that it is not possible to pay it there. For a moment I am rather perplexed – I must do another hour in the queue to be able to pay what I owe? - and I turn towards the noticeboard in search of inspiration. It is thanks to the clerk that I am brought back to reality. With the same rude and impolite tone she tells me to hurry up and give her the money, as she needs to finish the transaction.
For how long must we tolerate this type of situation? How long must we, victims of the perversity of the public service, wait our turn, to be badly treated by the poorly educated? If only they weren't forever telling us that we are the ones giving jobs to the state employees and that, therefore, we should be treated with respect...
By saying this, it just adds insult to injury.