Government efficiency?

Any Canadians reading this will probably either just shake their head, or nod knowingly if they've been through the 'joy' of this.

I had to renew my OHIP card(Ontario Health Insurance Plan--our free health care, gotta love that) which, if you have a photo card, expires every five years on your birthday (which isn't for a few more weeks). If you have an old red and white card (non-photo card), they don't expire, but that's a story for another day. I had been holding off going to the office, basically because I didn't want to sit around and wait...and wait...and wait.

I had gotten my renewal notice about a month or so ago and finally decided to go in yesterday.

When you get your renewal notice, the Ministry of Health sends you a document which lists the information you need to bring in. You need to bring in one item in each column in this list so you can prove you are who you say you are.

Now here is where the stupidity government in efficiency comes in...

List 1 is for Proof of Citizenship
List 2 is your Proof of Residency document
List 3 is a Support of Indentity document

Now, being a simple citizen, I was silly enough to think 'hey, wouldn't my old card have ALL that information since I'm in their computer?' The proof of citizenship is that I HAVE a valid card, the proof of residency is that I HAVE their letter which was sent to MY address, and once again the support of identity is my valid health card (which incidentally has my name, address, and signature). But I complied with their silly request and came with my passport, bank account information, and a credit card

So, after spending the better part of 1.5 hours in their office, my number was up (literally) and they called me to a counter. After all this, all he asked to see was my passport. I was going to question him about the documents that I was requested to bring and why the government spends money on such a silly brochure when, really, it's not needed. I thought better of it since he hadn't taken my picture yet and I didn't know if he would photoshop it to make me look like I have horns or something. :P

I had my new picture taken and he handed me a form saying that I'll be getting my new card in a month and if I don't have it by then that I should call and inquire about its whereabouts. I asked for my new version code (for any Canadians out there, that's the two letters after your number) and he said 'we have it, but we can't release it to you'. Huh? Isn't it *my* card? Anyways, they can't release that information until the old card expires.

Gotta love the government...not.

(Incidentally, I think I know now why I woke up this morning with a migraine.) :P