i have decided to let them live

went to the main office of lto this morning to get a duplicate license.

everything went well in the beginning, actually. got an application, filled it up, then went to wait for my name to be called. i was there at 9 am. i figured i still had plenty of time and i wasn't worried about being late for work.

9:30 i was still okay. bought a newspaper from an ambulant vendor, read some, answered the crossword puzzle.

10:00 i was beginning to feel hot and irritated.

10:30 i went to ask what was wrong. turns out i was just in time to have my picture taken. at the same time they informed us people waiting that they were experiencing a system slowdown. fine.

went back to my seat and finished the crossword. fished out a hanky and a fan and stared and stared and stared.

11:00 i went to the window and asked what was happening. system slowdown. same old same old. so i asked if the thing could be processed before lunchtime. hmmm. not likely. then that girl there asked if i would like to pull my papers out. DUH? i saw red.

GUSTO KONG MA-PROCESS YAN. AYOKONG I-PULL OUT ANG PAPERS KO.

she said that the license was going to be processed. but the system was now OFFLINE. i was so mad i was close to tears. why couldn't they at least give us an idea as to how many more hours we had to wait? then this other girl says it was almost lunchtime, so i was going to have to wait.

i was livid and out for blood. but i waited it out. then the announcement came. they told us to go to lunch.

i, being the stupid person that i am, was wearing heels. of all days. and i had to walk for about 300 meters in the noon heat just so i can go have lunch. i think i actually shed a tear or two.

12:30 i went back. to my relief they had decided to cut their lunch break and were back now back in business. i got called to have my picture taken again. apparently they have to take your picture twice if you lose your license.

i was told to wait. so wait i did.

1:00 some idiot starts waving a fan in my direction, asking for change.

me: may paypay ako.
him: ma'am sige na para hindi ka mapagod.
me: layuan mo ako mainit ulo ko.
him: ma'am papaypayan ko kayo.
me: sinabi nang layuan mo ako mainit ang ulo ko.
him: (keeps waving fan)
me: SABI NANG WAG KANG LALAPIT MAINIT ULO KO EH!

he finally walked away. then some guy from gma tv approaches me and apologizes. apparently it was a challenge they gave that poor soul. well too bad tough shit he caught me at a bad time.

1:30 i got called to pay and got my license in 15 minutes.

i look ready to kill in my license. sigh.

4 hours of waiting for a license i will only get to use for the next 6 months. that doesn't seem fair.

i wanted to strangle, maim, murder someone. but i in all my graciousness decided to let them live. what of the other people who need licenses?

they don't know how lucky they are.

they live to see another day.