Just a daily rant
9 February 2010 18:44So...today I went into town for a bit to have lunch and mail a package. Random thoughts came to me...
1. My country decided we don't need a post office anymore. It got closed in my city last October and we don't have a real post office anymore. They are now spread all through the city, located in stores and such. Which is annoying, because it's never sure what kind of service they provide. Some only sell stamps, others will send packages international, others don't. Annoying much. Why not just have a real post office, with people working there who actually know what they are required to do? Yesterday I sent 5 packages, got a track and trace code for all of them. Today I went to another store so mail another package. The kid working there had no idea about track and trace and showed me a map with instructions he got. That was it. Again: why no post office like we used to have? It made everything so much easier. And there is nothing we can do about it. The government decides and you have to deal with it no matter what.
2. I'm a teacher. Have been one for a little over 7 years. These days children with special needs don't go to special schools anymore (well, hardly), they just go to a normal school. Because, so the government says "It's in the child best interest to not feel too left out" or something like that. What they are actually saying is "We don't want to spend any money on good education, deal with it!". When we've got a kid in class who clearly doesn't function well, we're required to fill in all sort of forms. When you don't express your needs well enough, or when you don't use particular words to describe the problems, they will tell you "sorry, not enough proof the child can't stay in school or requires help (read: money)". And you're fucked. So is the child. Classes grow bigger, tasks for teacher have less to do with teaching. It's frustrating, because there, again, is really not much we can do about it. Some dude from the government decides what is good and what is not and we have to just deal with it. They have NO idea what is like to teach a class full of different kind of children. They just expect every kid to be the same and results should reflect that. They seem to forget how they needed education as well back in the days and that without it, they wouldn't be where they are now. Seriously...we earn so little as teachers and we get restricted more and more, expectations get higher and higher. All money goes to stupid roads, arts and projects that seem so unimportant.
And yes...I live in a democratic country: I can speak my mind without going to jail. I can vote for whoever I want. But that's about it. Speak your mind, yes. But no one listens though. It's like talking to a brick wall.
3. Paypal/ Ebay. It's SO unfair how they treat people there. Especially sellers. Ebay/Paypal couldn't exist without them, yet they treat them like crap. Buyer complains? Then they are always right. Even when you can proof otherwise, they simply don't care. How is that possible? How can a company like that still exist? They are scam! These are things I simply don't understand. And it's yet again something you can do so very little about.
4. My bank. When I get cash and want to put it into my own bank account, I have to pay a fee of €12.50 for it. It's MY money, they make so much money with my money already, I NEED a bank account, otherwise I won't receive payments for my job, won't be able to pay bills. Yet I get restrictions. How fair is that? Not at all, but what can you about it: nothing. They are protected by law and I'm just a big no one. Again, it pisses me off.
And there are so many other things I don't understand, like our health care system. And so many other things. And they frustrate me, and make me wonder "Why".
1. My country decided we don't need a post office anymore. It got closed in my city last October and we don't have a real post office anymore. They are now spread all through the city, located in stores and such. Which is annoying, because it's never sure what kind of service they provide. Some only sell stamps, others will send packages international, others don't. Annoying much. Why not just have a real post office, with people working there who actually know what they are required to do? Yesterday I sent 5 packages, got a track and trace code for all of them. Today I went to another store so mail another package. The kid working there had no idea about track and trace and showed me a map with instructions he got. That was it. Again: why no post office like we used to have? It made everything so much easier. And there is nothing we can do about it. The government decides and you have to deal with it no matter what.
2. I'm a teacher. Have been one for a little over 7 years. These days children with special needs don't go to special schools anymore (well, hardly), they just go to a normal school. Because, so the government says "It's in the child best interest to not feel too left out" or something like that. What they are actually saying is "We don't want to spend any money on good education, deal with it!". When we've got a kid in class who clearly doesn't function well, we're required to fill in all sort of forms. When you don't express your needs well enough, or when you don't use particular words to describe the problems, they will tell you "sorry, not enough proof the child can't stay in school or requires help (read: money)". And you're fucked. So is the child. Classes grow bigger, tasks for teacher have less to do with teaching. It's frustrating, because there, again, is really not much we can do about it. Some dude from the government decides what is good and what is not and we have to just deal with it. They have NO idea what is like to teach a class full of different kind of children. They just expect every kid to be the same and results should reflect that. They seem to forget how they needed education as well back in the days and that without it, they wouldn't be where they are now. Seriously...we earn so little as teachers and we get restricted more and more, expectations get higher and higher. All money goes to stupid roads, arts and projects that seem so unimportant.
And yes...I live in a democratic country: I can speak my mind without going to jail. I can vote for whoever I want. But that's about it. Speak your mind, yes. But no one listens though. It's like talking to a brick wall.
3. Paypal/ Ebay. It's SO unfair how they treat people there. Especially sellers. Ebay/Paypal couldn't exist without them, yet they treat them like crap. Buyer complains? Then they are always right. Even when you can proof otherwise, they simply don't care. How is that possible? How can a company like that still exist? They are scam! These are things I simply don't understand. And it's yet again something you can do so very little about.
4. My bank. When I get cash and want to put it into my own bank account, I have to pay a fee of €12.50 for it. It's MY money, they make so much money with my money already, I NEED a bank account, otherwise I won't receive payments for my job, won't be able to pay bills. Yet I get restrictions. How fair is that? Not at all, but what can you about it: nothing. They are protected by law and I'm just a big no one. Again, it pisses me off.
And there are so many other things I don't understand, like our health care system. And so many other things. And they frustrate me, and make me wonder "Why".
