DIGITAL BUREAUCRACY
As usual, I pay rent for three months ahead of time, so my mind will be free. Last two years I was not able to fly to Europe and lost tickets, finally, this year, on May 26, 2022 I fly to Vienna, Austria for sure, by SAS (Scandinavian Aurline), than I‘m taking long distance train and it takes 1 hour and 25 minutes to reach Sopron, Hungary, where I go.
There is no police control there, there is no border and there is no one checking your possessions or giving a passport stamp. It is open border there between Austria and Hungary.
We all know, when you need to fly, even for a week, you must prepare all you have to have with you and it takes time, but I fly for almost three months.
TMOBIL is my internet provider and money automatically withdrawn from my account every month, so I do not need to write check and think about it, spending extra energy, so limited in our short life on planet Earth.
On May 25th I deposited in mail box my envelope with a check on amount of $4975 to a landlord company, send $350 advanced payment to PSE&G (GAS AND ELECTRIC) and my long time friend Natasha, gave me smooth ride to Newark Airport, only 17 miles away, but because she used her digital navigator, this ride, which suppose to take only 15 minutes, took one and a half hour.
It is not first time I noticed, that people, who trust their digital navigators, spend longer time driving in strange roads, often in absolutely opposite direction than I would go, knowing well shorter roads, than they, always explaining to me, that digital navigator tries to avoid road blocks in traffic.
First time in my life I see Airport, being packed with people so tight, you can not move around. And all those people stay in one only line!!!!!
I thought, I will not be able to reach a registration desk, in order to obtain a boarding pass.
Natasha patiently was waiting in her illegal spot outside, in case I will miss my plain.
But somehow, I was able to get to my seat in time.
Natasha, thank you for your generous heart, driving me to Airport!
Seven and a half hours later, I’m in Swedish Airport, changing plain to Vienna, Austria.
Somehow, I guess I made a mistake and went, as I realized only, when I already was returning in August, that I entered Swiden, as I was going to Stockholm City, passed border control with my baggage checked through and obtained passport control with a passport stamp, as if I entered the City, and, (but please do not laugh too hard), I again entered Airport, not going outside of it! And again, went through the passport control and again baggage checked!!! But I did not realize it. I fallowed digital display stand and as always looked on it for SAS - my flight.
I was lucky, that I had almost two hours between plains.
Finally I found, that I must fly to Vienna with some different company and - again, baggage checked and passport control, as if I entered Stockholm!!!!! But, as I mentioned, I did not realize, that I made mistake!.
Finally, I’m in Vienna and finally, in Sopron!
Summer was perfect!
I went to Shamorin, Slovakia, where Irenka, who is a director of Art and Music School, was very hospital and her son, Gabor, curated Art Exhibition in previously abandoned part of old church and it was great opening and a lot of good people - artists and just city visitors came to look at art, to listen to the music and to have a good time!!!
My neighbor came over, to give me thick package of bills I must pay for gas, electric, water supply, some city taxes and communal expense.
Gas and Electric Company cancelled all my past bills, I guess, because of COVID, so I have to pay for water and other services to companies, only starting from June of this year! Those agencies spread all over in different locations in this town, no one knows where to go and pay for all those services.
Almost three months passed fast.
During all Summer I received in my mail box only one piece of paper, a document that I paid for my internet!!!!
In Jersey City every week I’m getting “tons” of unused ads and requests to donate money.
Vienna Airport is not too far away, but to get to it from Sopron is not easy, because you are coming to Vienna Main Train station, after that, you must take a subway and change few times train to get to Airport.
Budapest, capital of Hungary, is three and a half hours away, but Vienna is only one hour away from Sopron. As I mentioned before, Sopron is not connected with transportation, like bus, with surrounding countries. Only train can bring you to Austria, Slovakia, Romania, or any other countries.
I was always thinking, why administration of this beautiful town, making it so isolated?
At list main points of communication must be connected by shortest bus lines or straight train lines. Finally, this time I discover change, not so great one, but it is a first step to improve communication by public transportation: one train started to bring passengers of Sopron to Vienna Airport, with one time changing a train, but it is already a huge help!!!!!
Finally, I’m flying to Copenhagen, where I have to change plain to fly to Newark Airport.
In a passport control window, Dutch police women, looked at my passport, and asked me: “How long did you stay in Sweden?”
“I was newer stayed in Sweden” I responded.
“But you have a stamp in your passport that proves that you entered Sweden!”
At first, I did not even understand, why she brought up this question, but suddenly, I remember, that I passed passport control there 3 times and somehow, three times checked my baggage, while transferring plain in Stockholm!
So I told her, that I couldn’t understand why I did that!
She definitely had sense of humor and looked at my itinerary and realized, that I was completely absence minded, by not paying careful attention to my schedule and I got a stamp in my passport that I left Airport, and ten minutes later entered it again!!!!!
We both started to laugh! All people in line couldn’t understand, why we are laughing so loud!
After landing in Newark in perfect time - 9:01 pm, I took 62 bus to Penn Station and 45 minutes later I was at my Grove St. Station in Jersey City.
I opened outside door, but noticed, that that usual light inside is gone. There is no light in the hall and above a staircase.
The second door, which was newer locked since I rented my apartment in 1978, and was newer locked, now, is locked.
Naturally, I have no key from this second door.
Now, at 11:45 night time, I have a real problem: my phone is disconnected by TMOBIL CARRIER, Street is empty, I stay with my suitcase outside in front of a brownstone building, where I live since 1978, in which below me is another duplex apartment , empty for full one year, because tenants left it a year ago - rain from the roof was pouring through walls of my apartment to their kitchen and mine and their apartment had mold everywhere, so they left.
I’m thinking, what can I do?
It is now 12:30 and I was banging to a locked second door for about 40 minutes and can not get in and can not call anyone. My phone is disconnected since I left Sopron.
Should I break a glass? No, I do not really want to create another problem.
Someone is coming towards me.
“Excuse me, may I ask you, please……”
Person, silently is passing by, not even turning a head.
“Somehow, I have to call police. Possibly, they can open this second door?, or I better will go to the park and sleep on the grass? No, it is not a good idea. While I sleep, my baggage can be stollen”.
Suddenly, I I see one guy and two young females are getting in to their car, right across the street.
“Excuse me, may I ask you, please?…..”
“Sorry, we are in a rush, ask someone ells”.
They entered their car and started the engine.
Suddenly, one female opened her car door and asked, if she can help. All three now are getting out.
“Please tell me, how we can help you?”, started one girl.
Their friend, obviously, doesn’t feel good that he did not even wanted to hear me before, now feels guilty.
“Well, the best you can do, please call 911 - police department”.
“No, they will not come” says guy. “I will call better 311”, but they will be not really helpful, but I will call”.
He dialed the number.
“They are coming. We will be here until they will come over”.
Me: “I really appreciate it. That was great help!”
Policemen and young women, both well equipped with full ammunition, ready to fight, but asking, what’s the problem, really ready to help, after my, pretty detailed explanation, pulled a small tool from ammunition showed it to me, saying that this tool easy can break any glass, if I want it, but I refused.
We talked and I introduced myself.
Conversation was changed on 180 degrees. They practically became my friends.
I suggested to call super - Roberto. He has keys and I guess, he is a one, who’s locked door and possibly turned off the light inside.
“Roberto doesn’t live here any longer, but he will be here in about twenty minutes”.
Guy and two his girlfriends left, wishing me good luck.
SUDDENLY (here, please look, how “spider Webb of a UNIVERSE is connected to all of us)!!!!!
I see Alex, my son is coming towards us on the street and joining three of us, as he knows exactly, that I’m outside of my apartment!!!!! Is it really possible?
Me: “How it is possible, that you are here, at that time?. I thought you are arriving from Mexico tomorrow with Karla?”
“We arrived here, to Jersey City, 10 minutes ago and I decided to visit you right away!”
AMAZING!!!!
Roberto went to empty apartment from parking lot and by turning a nob, opened locked door.
Friendly police guys left and Roberto went home.
Alex and I had a cup of tea and short talk until 2 in the morning.
I newer go to sleep, while not separating useful mail from junk and my plastic shopping back was full of Huns, so I hardly could lift it
I must say big thanks to Jenny Brother for collecting my mail during my absence!!!!!!
Next day I need to take care of my phone. Somehow, my debit card was blocked and payment did not go through. Unfortunately, it was no any TMOBIL station around here, but Metro OC is a closest one. Young female, lonely was reading something on her personal phone. After realizing my concern, she friendly filed TMOBIL number and digital bureaucracy started from here:
All representatives are busy, sieving other customers…… perhaps we all in the US know what will be next, or you wait for uncertain time, when, finally you will speak to a representative, or you live message and you will get phone call back, but you newer sure when exactly. In many cases you will be directed from one department to another and from this one, to another one, etc.
She is patiently cum and not rushing me. Nice. Finally, 45 minutes later, representative of TMOBILE. Picked up his receiver.
During my absence, I you have to received about 7 letters from TMOBIL to pay fine $160 for not payments.
I mentioned, that it is not fare to charge me for not used service and I’m ready to switch to another carrier right away!
“Please speak to your supervisor and if you cancel my fine, I will continue to use TMOBIL, but if “not”, I will sign to METRO PC right now.
My fine was cancelled and phone was initiated but still was not functioning, so I must take a bus to go about 6 stops to TMOBIL company and in five minutes my phone was functioned.
Grigory Gurevich, Copyright, August 24, 2022, Jersey City, NJ.