A Harty (Ferry) Rant

WELL… I now officially dislike people…. or let me clarify… I dislike people involved with the  jobcentre where I have just had to go and “sign on” for the first time ever in 25 years of my working career so far… just so that they can pay me £64 a week, as long as I can prove in triplicate that I am actually genuinely looking for a job, and not just playing the system…. cos IF I’m just playing the system, then apparently it seems I can claim lots more, and don’t really have to prove I’m actively seeking employment…..

I tell ya though… I had previously wondered why they had 2 huge security guards walking around in there…. Now I know…. I’m normally a very placid easy-going sort of person, but I very nearly lost it today…. and I took about 6 months worth of rubber off my tyres driving home….

I had 2 appointments… One at 2pm, to “prove” I’m looking for work, and one at 2:35, just to get a form so I can claim on my mortgage insurance (yeah right)….. Well the 2pm kinda annoyed me, as I’d got a complete list of jobs I’d applied for…. through “recruitment agencies”….. They wanted “employer” details…. which I couldn’t give them, as you don’t GET that information through agencies…. Surely they should KNOW that…. Anyways, I gave her the first 2 jobs that I’d applied for, from my long list, and she said “That’s enough… I don’t need any more”….. WHAT !!!….

Then I was told that if the 2:35 appointment was free earlier, then I’d be able to go straight to that…. Apparently it wasn’t… Apparently it was taken right up to 2:30…. It was 2:05 at this point…. So I left and came back at about 2:20…. Sat in the waiting area opposite some desks where the job centre peeps were merrily sitting there doing nothing….. Sat there for 15 minutes across the room from some woman sat at her desk…. Then at 2:35 precisely SHE looks up and says “Mr Stevenson”…… “I couldn’t believe it”…. I’d been sitting there 15 minutes, and had been told she was BUSY with another person right up to 2:30…. and she’s sitting right in front of me … doin’ nowt…

Then it got worse…. She was the most snotty arrogant conceited individual I’ve met in a looooong time… Sat there looking down her nose at me like I was a piece of #@!$ on her shoe…. So I politely explained why I was there…. And she said “Have you got your insurance policy”….. Ummmmmm NO…. I’m here to get a form from YOU, so that I can claim FROM my insurance company…. Why the heck do THEY need MY insurance policy details…. They’re not paying me…. They just need to give me a form that says I am claiming benefit…. That’s IT….

She said…. “I need your policy, or I can’t give you a form”…. I was still polite, and said… “Well it would have been helpful if someone had told me that when I made the appointment”…. She said “Well you’ll need to book another appointment, and this time don’t forget to bring your policy with you”…. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…. So I politely said… “Ok, can I book another appointment then please”….

She said…. “You have to phone us up and book it”….. WHAT… You have GOT to be kidding me !!!!….. I’m sitting here right in front of you…. but oh no… She’s not allowed to book appointments… I HAVE to phone up to do that…. So I had to come home… and phone THEM… Where I’d JUST been…. to make another appointment !!!….

Ooooooooh…. I tell ya…… NOT a happy bunny….. They make this sooooooo degrading to those of us who’ve worked ALL our lives, just to support the….. Ooooooh…. Don’t get me started on that… That’s another beef of mine completely….

Does anybody know anyone who requires a full time photographer ??… Now there’s a dream job… :)

SOOOOO… To mellow things down, here’s Today’s Sounds from one of my all time favourite albums…