It kind of figures that the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has a Department of Vital Records where one needs to get a new or replacement birth certificate. Based on my experiences today with a few less than helpful people, I can clearly see why some see a trip to these official places to do the simplest of things can turn into the trip to mental hell. Crazy man, Crazy. I must have stepped on a black cat while walking under a ladder that a mirror had just shattered under after falling from my bag or something, as I ended up in the Coven of Ineffective Nepotism with the queen of the harpies as what they call “customer service”. Someone NEEDS to tell these people if I fill out a form as required AND bring in materials as requested AND have proof that I was emailed answers to the questions I’d asked (not once, but twice), I should be able to walk out of there with what I need and NOT my blood pressure much higher than it needs to be. To make matters worse, I was told flat out that “we don’t send out emails” when I noted that the lease with my signature on it WAS one of the items I was told I could use as proof of ID. Hell, all it would have taken to get me out of there was ONE phone call to the rental office to prove I’m who I say I was, as for some STUPID reason, they don’t take ANYTHING official with your name on it that’s past 60 days old… Continue reading →