Privilege is Sweet

Standing in line at the Hartford SSA office this afternoon with MYA, getting her a replacement card. The line - maybe 15 persons, each holding a "place in line" ticket dispensed from a small printer. We're all pretty grumpy - the SSA office is civil service at its apex, the line is moving slowly. A fairly diverse crowd - perhaps 3/4 POC.

In walks a white woman, well dressed, expensive cell phone - and steps to the front of the line. She sweet-talks another white woman - she was in yesterday, she says, and had to get a letter or something, it will just be a minute. The older black man who was in line behind me (but sat down to give his back a rest) notices her, and starts to protest. I smile at him and say "She does not have a ticket, she will get sent to the back of the line"

A minute or so later, that's what happens. She steps to the window, is told she needs a ticket. Smiles from those in line. I look over at the seated guy, smile and wink. But the story was not finished. After a minute or two of argument, she gets in line, but less than a minute later, she stomps out.

She apparently goes out in the hall, calls the SSA office with her phone hoping to bypass the line, and seconds later she is back in the room, standing by the door, talking on the phone. A security guard comes out, talks with her, commiserates, but she cannot get in. The woman at the window looks out "I told her to take a ticket and get in line and she'll get her turn". Meanwhile, those of us in line continue to watch the soap opera, and she is not popular - I overhear "Barbie doll is too good to wait in line"

She finally gets in line. About a minute later she makes a very loud exit.

One good thing about bureaucracies - they tend to frustrate across boundaries of race, class, privilege. Everybody is treated like crap, equally.

For what its worth, MYA is getting her replacement SS card with a minimimum of hassle - she has never had legal ID, we had a photocopy birth certificate, a school ID, and the right answers to a few questions (middle name, mom's maiden name) - and they were happy to put an order in. Relief on our part - she has gotten to this point in her life with a minimum of legal footprint, and trying to get her a photo ID, replacement SSA card, and certified birth certificate is like putting together a puzzle where the order of the pieces is critical. I think we are on our way.