You can't make this stuff up. My friend in a small Northern California city tried to log on to her Social Security account last week. Janice has been on SSI disability, from lifting too many patients as an RN. She entered her password, but was rejected, as the SS site had “updated” its format, and she needed to reestablish her account, re-enter the answers to the security questions, etc. That didn't work, either. So off she hobbles to the regional SS office, armed with her less- than- two- years old 2023 drivers license for photo ID purposes. She's in her upper 60s, The 30-something counter clerk asked for those security answers again, and she gave her parents' places of birth, their birthdays, etc., without a cheat sheet. The clerk says “You don't look like your DMV photo”. Well, she does, except she isn't buying Lady Clairol anymore, and is now gray-haired, not black. TSA maybe wouldn't have a problem with this, but 'not a good enough explanation for this DOGE-surviving clerk. He wouldn't help her enter her SS account.
She asked if she could speak to his manager.
He said he didn't have one, as 10 staffers had recently departed (hello, again, DOGE!). “OK, how about do you have a staffer who is more experienced than you at looking at older clients?” He allowed as the most senior folks employed there were the two security guys, guarding the entry. Possibly, they weren't qualified to scrutinize humans, either. He repeatedly sent her info, via computer to a headquarters (AI?) somewhere, and the text return message was always: “Does she look like her photo”? Sherlock remained convinced that she did not. Janice got nowhere, and left....
'Makes you kinda wonder if she'd been OK if she was on chemo, and showed up bald... or with purple hair? It wasn't wise to ask, just then. Her plan now is to go to DMV, to request a new drivers license with a photo showing her gray hair. And try again. Maybe the 30- something arbiter of all things visual will have taken really early retirement. WTF?
Apologies to all the hard -working SS personnel still trying to serve their clients, in these difficult times. Hang in there, and thanks, we need you.
