Post AqgOmNfLSz00snNBc8 by andytiedye@sfba.social
(DIR) More posts by andytiedye@sfba.social
(DIR) Post #AqfmTrzEiJMXA2QIMK by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-02-01T11:18:21Z
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Real people I know are having trouble renewing their passports because of bigotry but, the problems are very inconsistent. One person was told they couldn't renew by one person at the office one day, then on another day there was no problem.I wanted to share this because it seems like it's not ... organized. It seems like the individual people at these office are just making it up as they go along.This is very very bad. A student almost had to cancel an international internship.
(DIR) Post #AqfmjdExJBS83iI90C by afeinman@wandering.shop
2025-02-01T11:21:04Z
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@futurebird in a "civilized" country this would get solved by bribes.No idea how it will shake out here.
(DIR) Post #Aqfmswbag9Oyj0JrtI by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-02-01T11:22:52Z
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And in the abstract it easy to imagine throwing a fit about this kind of thing happening. But it's so scary, that when it does happen you're just glad that things went through OK (for now) I don't know if calling the office and quizzing the person on the other end about who exactly was throwing their power around treating my student so badly would help. I worry such a call could highlight the issue and make it worse for others. Or make it worse for that student. I'm so disgusted.
(DIR) Post #AqfoCPBgjctkpM30Gu by jwcph@helvede.net
2025-02-01T11:37:34Z
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@futurebird This is how dictatorships work. The most defining characteristic after hate & anger is incompetence. They never try to fix it, though, because the uncertainty fuels fear & insecurity in both citizens & public servants; they really couldn't care less that nothing works - they'll just scream at, fire or even murder people for it as if it's none of their own fault.It's also why other countries are dangerously irresponsible if they don't disconnect from the US as much as possible.
(DIR) Post #AqftzedoZCciiTVSsa by Remittancegirl@mstdn.social
2025-02-01T12:42:31Z
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@futurebird Unfortunately, this is fairly common that when people see their superiors getting away with corruption and racism, the little bureaucrats down the ladder believe they can also indulge their personal prejudices and still keep their jobs. It's why holding people account at the very top is so fundamentally important.
(DIR) Post #AqfvDZkHfJcDXbjaxU by fatsam@mstdn.social
2025-02-01T12:56:12Z
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@futurebird they just denied mine for no reason, and I'm an old white guy. I don't doubt POC have it worse.
(DIR) Post #AqfwcA4mLBa57eblAW by raganwald@social.bau-ha.us
2025-02-01T13:11:51Z
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@futurebird My great-uncle marched into the Canadian Armed Forces office in Toronto to enlist to "do his bit" in WWII.He was told he need to enlist in Hamilton. So he went to Hamilton, where they told him to enlist in Toronto. But he was determined, and after making some trouble about it, they relented.He went on to become Canada's first -person of colour elected to a Provincial Parliament. But their "disorganization" is not an accident. It's a tool for arbitrary discrimination.
(DIR) Post #Aqfx1txsreNggRen0C by docdieterlen@urbanists.social
2025-02-01T13:16:30Z
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@futurebird former professor here. I'd call the office and make a fuss, throwing your title and affiliation around. Use your best "you are going to fail this class" voice. Whoever denied the application is a petty low level bureaucrat, and "professor" and "doctor" may awe them into being less horrible. Plus, if they get push back, they'll probably stop the nonsense.
(DIR) Post #AqfynsUDlRNrx7Dsyu by lipow@norden.social
2025-02-01T13:36:23Z
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@futurebird thanks for the info - waiting for a passport here that was applied for just because this shitshow got on the road - hoping it will fall into the hands of someone who knows how to do the right thing.
(DIR) Post #AqfzE12GbLC1zpbwxc by azzageddi@dice.camp
2025-02-01T13:41:06Z
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@futurebird I wish I’d renewed mine a few months ago. It ok until September, and I’ve been planning to start the process in March after a trip. As I live overseas, I need a valid passport as part of my permanent-resident visa. Now I wonder if we’ll still have a functional US Consulate here in my city…or even an Embassy here in Japan.
(DIR) Post #Aqg7G1LJEIP7A3z8Iy by paperwasp@sfba.social
2025-02-01T15:11:06Z
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@futurebird My first attempt to post anything so don't know how this goes... Just got my new passport through the UCBerkeley office - took 10 weeks and two days because the PO lost a week's worth of UCB's mail and wouldn't do a thing about it. So we-all applied again and for a day I had two applications going. Dept of State was really nice, PO was our problem. If UCB didn't have weight to throw around I hate to think... They said it was nothing they had experienced before. I'm relieved, but onward to new worries of course...
(DIR) Post #Aqg7TWYMV7AxivWsM4 by PamelaBarroway@mstdn.social
2025-02-01T15:13:31Z
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@futurebird It’s even worse — the online application (once you click past the dot-gov home page) has been taken completely offline since yesterday.Coughing up the extra $$ for expedited renewals for my family in December seems prescient now. I’m so sorry this happened to your student.
(DIR) Post #Aqg90ZlvecXtDWCQ9g by cstross@wandering.shop
2025-02-01T15:30:36Z
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@futurebird There was a phenomenon in the Third Reich called "working towards the Führer" that would explain it: Nazis would ask themselves "what would Hitler want me to do?" and then did it, regardless of lawfulness. As the tyranny escalated this frequently became a winning survival strategy, so random hateful volunteerism became a perilous obstacle for the targets of Nazi persecution. You couldn't tell which of your neighbours would suddenly decide to make the Gestapo proud.
(DIR) Post #AqgG5oD869577oMfIm by VaylLarkinPoet@disabled.social
2025-02-01T16:50:07Z
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@futurebird From the Disability salt mines - Trans here with a recent name change. I've spent the past two months repeatedly being told my paperwork was not received in Any of the ways I was submitting it. I've now lost low-income benefits including my caregiver. I'm in appeal, which I Very much hope they do not lose my paperwork for. Everyone has been very kind and helpful in my many phone calls to the offices, not that it's mattered.
(DIR) Post #AqgHi6EtcJ7Zzv0sKW by Call151@union.place
2025-02-01T17:08:12Z
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@futurebird Students going to Europe for school makes a lot of sense now because Trump is going to defund everything and the cost is much lower there even before this mess. My daughter’s tuition was $3500 for the year in the Netherlands.
(DIR) Post #AqgJ56ttQNFyfAj1tI by futurebird@sauropods.win
2025-02-01T17:23:38Z
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@HeliosPi If it'd help to have someone else call and ask a bunch of questions that might cause problems there is nothing wrong with asking a cis person with all their paperwork in order to do it for you. And volunteer to be that person if it's something you can do.
(DIR) Post #AqgNAeKIyTL3b2yZu4 by StephanieMoore@mastodon.online
2025-02-01T18:09:26Z
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@futurebird my oldest IS canceling an international internship because he keeps encountering chaos and just unhelpful bureaucrats at different passport offices (in and around Richmond, VA)
(DIR) Post #AqgOmNfLSz00snNBc8 by andytiedye@sfba.social
2025-02-01T18:27:27Z
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Thisis why I was telling everyone GET YOUR PASSPORT NOW after the election.@futurebird
(DIR) Post #AqgSr0upsV4Raa5DpQ by katzenberger@mastodon.de
2025-02-01T19:13:04Z
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@futurebird I'd attribute the "no problem" to professionalism. The inconsistency is that parts of the system are still functional, even under attack.