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It’s been almost three months for me here in Toronto and almost two months for my wife and kids. We’ve gotten into a routine and things are going relatively well. Will have a post about public school in a couple more weeks once we see more of how it works – there are a few things I have to say about it.
Today however I want to talk about the slow machine that is government bureaucracy in Canada. When I changed my driver’s license from Korean to an Ontario issued license. I got the necessary paperwork from the Korean consulate and then proceeded to the office where I needed to get everything done. The line up was over one hour and that was after I went through a 20 minute line up to get a spot in the second line.
Finally I get to the guy at the counter do what needs to be done and he takes my picture and then tells me that my license will arrive in the mail in 4-6 weeks. Why couldn’t they just print the license on site and give it to me there? That’s exactly how it works in Korea – they take your picture you wait 5-7 minutes and they hand you your drivers license all nicely printed with holograms and various security protections built in.
This exact same process happened when my wife changed her license and again when I did a change of address – my original license I used a friends address as I hadn’t found a place to live yet.
Also when we went to get registered with Ontario Health Insurance we had to wait an inordinate amount of time and then told that the card would arrive in the mail in 4-6 weeks. It’s been almost six weeks since then so I’m expecting my card any time.
Really why can’t you just print the cards up in the office – would be faster and more convenient.
Comments(2)
Paulie: Saturday Sep 10, 2011 at 07:53 PM
Dude, you lived in efficient Asia for too long… How about a post on the positives? I’d like to hear about the way people drive considerately in Canada. I want to read about the clean streets, grassy yards, and spit-free sidewalks. What about an entry on not bumping into people while walking around, or the fact that people wait for you to exit an elevator or subway car instead of pushing you aside and plowing through… In other words, I want to live vicariously through you!