Julie Barrett is a freelance writer and photographer based in Plano, TX.

And Now...Praise!

Fresh when it gets here from Julie Barrett
Friday, August 3, 2012


Hey, it's not all cranky, all the time around here. It just seems like it in this heat.

This afternoon I went to the Plano outpost of the county Tax Assessor Collector office to get a new registration sticker for the car.

Yes, I am a fool. I usually do this by mail, but when I was looking at our insurance info recently I noticed the finance company was still listed as the lien holder on the car I drive. We paid it off in 2004. Uh, oops. No problem, I'd just pay my registration in person, do the title change deed, and be done. You think I could find the title today? Well, I did after one of those epic searches that had the good side effect of clearing out some outdated paperwork in various files. You know the ending already: the paperwork was there in the right place. I'd only glanced over it half a dozen times. And the title hadn't been signed. That task gets to wait until next week, but the registration had to be done today as there's a five day grace period.

So I went down to the office, fought for a parking space, and ended up in a long line in an almost unbearably hot space near someone wearing about a gallon of scent. These things rarely end well.

But I noticed something. The line was moving at a halfway decent clip. My turn came quickly, and the clerk who took care of my paperwork was efficient, kind, and even up to cracking jokes. And I noticed that the other clerks were also cheerful. Maybe they were looking forward to the weekend. Maybe they're always that way. But it was nice to go to a government office and have a (mostly) pleasant experience. They clerks couldn't help the air circulation and the guy (yeah, a guy) wearing too much scent, but they get big props for cheerful, efficient service. 

Made my Friday, it did. I raise my soft drink to them. Too early for a beer. 

Tags: Life

Filed under: Life            

 

Comments are closed






Search the Journal:

  

Search Tags:




Events and Appearances:
Looks like I don't have any events on the horizon. Would you like me to attend yours? Contact me!
All