[no-s]

Not being able to get a human on the phone but once...she should have gone in person.

Y'know, that's the point. The bureaucracy constantly works to dehumanize the process, because actually dealing with people is expensive, time-consuming, and interferes with the actual work of the bureaucrat - wallpapering the bureaucratic maze. People can not live their lives waiting in line for the next bureaucrat to forward them around the circle - thusly the bureaucracy evades responsibility.

[wiggen]

Its damn frustrating dealing with any govt agency. They like it like that of course.