What's Your 30 minutes of Waiting Hell?

[easysurfer]

What's your 30 minutes of waiting hell?

Spent mine today. I went to a CVS Store to pick up a prescription for my sister. But, the pharmacy wasn't open yet. I figured what the heck, I had about 30 minutes so I'll kill time, by looking around the store til the pharmacy opened.

30 minutes flies by when doing something like going on here or being distracted like on Facebook. But waiting and waiting, could have swore time stood still and my watch was broken. Even looking at the aisles on what was in the store to distract me didn't help.

At least I survived .

 

[euro]

Doctor's office. First, you wait in the waiting room, then you wait again in the examination room. Very aggravating! There was a Seinfeld episode about this - I think it was Costanza who went through the waiting room hell

 

[Scuba]

DMV, hands down!

 

[scrabbler1]

At the waiting room in the ER nearly 2 years ago, when I was in some pain. Nurse Ratched, as my LF described, was a slow gatekeeper in taking down some personal info even though the ER wasn't terribly busy. After moving on to the window where they take your insurance info, I could no longer walk on my own to the ER area (I collapsed, my legs buckled). It was an awful night which began 12 days in the hospital. But it was the 30 (or more) minutes waiting to see Nurse Ratched which began my hellish adventure.

 

[athena53]

TSA lines.

 

[euro]

DMV, hands down!

I have to agree with this one too - just had my license renewed last week. The wait was an excruciating 3 hours. Only upside: once I got to the window, the staff was VERY efficient and it took less than 5 minutes to complete the task (for government standards, this was highly impressive).

 

[Bamaman]

Sometimes I get my best nap of the week sitting up in CVS waiting for a prescription.

Doctors' office exam rooms are really tough sitting for 30 minutes. At least my doctor has magazines in the little rooms to read.

My mother used to go to the Emergency Room quite often. To avoid the long wait, she'd call 911 and have the ambulance carry her in. Then she'd act like she was dying--and they'd attend to her immediately. She developed some very good acting skills in her last years.

To me, it's sitting in a line of cars at McDonalds waiting for a danged old Egg McMuffin.

 

[Sojourner]

DMV, hands down!

+1

A close second (because it's much more frequent) is waiting for my car to have tires rotated and oil changed, etc. Seems like it always takes twice as long as it should.

 

[W2R]

I always carry my portable 3DSXL video game console with me in my purse. It's way better than a smartphone for dealing with waiting. I can play on it for hours and actually don't mind waiting at all. In fact, I look forward to waiting because it's such a great opportunity to play my favorite happy/peaceful video game (Animal Crossing).

Once you have something with you so that you really don't mind waiting, nobody will ever again require you to wait very long. That's just the way life is. I purposely get to doctor or dentist appointments a half hour early to play my video game, and they just usher me in before I can even sit down. (sigh) Haven't had to go to the OMV (=DMV) in person for over a decade.

 

[Bestwifeever]

The DMV is an exceptional people-watching place. I like to guess the over/under on how old people are vs my age and then try to see their paperwork without being arrested. Always fun.

Doc's chilly examining room in a paper robe with no reading materials is pretty bad, especially if there's a potentially life-threatening issue to dwell on while you wait.

 

[erkevin]

Waiting to get the results of an MRI scan to see if I had a brain tumor.

I did not

 

[MRG]

Doctor's office. First, you wait in the waiting room, then you wait again in the examination room. Very aggravating! There was a Seinfeld episode about this - I think it was Costanza who went through the waiting room hell

For 16 years my former PCP was always on time. I don't think I every waited 5 minutes in the office or exam room. Never hurried or rushed. Have no idea how he was always on time.

Now I wait in the waiting room for 30 minutes and another 15 in the exam room. I was the first appointment of the day not long ago and they were still late. I mean if you start late.....

 

[ownyourfuture]

DMV, hands down!

Agreed. So when it come to things that I don't 'have to' go there for, like my annual license plate stickers, I always do it through the mail.

 

[jollystomper]

I ordered something on a store's online website (their name rhymes with Ball-Smart ) that was in stock in their nearby store for pickup. I go in several hours later, around 9PM, well after being notified that the item is ready, and go to their online pickup desk. No one is there. I can see my item right on the shelf among other pickups. I press the screen which says it will summon an associate.

15 minutes go by with no one responding. The desk is near a door leading to the employees-only area, and during that time probably a half dozen employees go in and out right by the the counter without saying a word. Finally one man asks me if I have been helped, I say no, he says he doesn't know how to operate the pickup process, but he will find someone that does. He disappears. another 15 minutes go by, with a few more employees passing the desk during this time.

He finally returns, asking me if anyone has come to help me. I say no. He says he will go find someone again. Returns in 2 minutes, saying he was told what to do though he has never done it, so will try. Naturally something comes up in the process that he cannot figure out, he goes off and in another couple of minutes returns with a supervisor who finally figures out with him what to do so that I can get my item.

I had fun filling out the "how did you like your online pickup experience" survey that was sent to me (which I almost never get after a bad experience ). A few days later I did receive a call from the store manager apologizing for the situation and wanting to get more details from me.

 

[Sue J]

The Urologist office.

I had a late morning appointment and he was already backed up about 45 minutes. I knew they would need a sample so I came pre-loaded and ready to use their restroom and cup. The receptionist checked me in and took my info and when I asked if I could go ahead and give my sample she said it would be just a minute and then proceeded to process 2 other patients and their insurance info and copay.

I tried to be patient and took a seat. What made it even more uncomfortable was the two men also in the waiting room. They started talking politics and went on to talking directly about the president at the time. (Mods - not getting political here, just stating what happened) How he wasn't born in the US, what his true religion was and how he was trying to impose his religion on all the pure folks who really belonged in the US. They also insulted my own background. It was scary and offensive.

Between having to pee really badly and sitting among people who acted this way in public, I just wanted out of there.

 

[kcowan]

I spend time in the waiting room finding an interesting magazine then I take it with me to all the other rooms where I wait. I also have an unread book on my phone just in case.

My best wait time story was renewing my DL in the Mexico DMV. The wait time was 40 minutes, then at the pickup window, they said it had to go to GDL for a name correction. OK come back in 7 days. Called and not ready. Went north for 6 months! Upon return, it was ready with no hassle. And good for 6 extra months.

 

[rayinpenn]

My knee operation was scheduled for 1.. yes it was a crappy time but I didn't want to wait once I made the decision. By 3 or 4 I was alone in the giant pre-surgical wing. My operation happened around 5. I laid on that uncomfortable 'bed', cold, a little scared, with achy knee for hours . Lots of time to think about the worst. It did do one thing - verified I needed that replacement.

All went well so I remain grateful.

 

[Fedup]

I waited 7 hours to get my husband's head sown up. They were too busy with the gangsters to give us an MRI. I insisted we were going to walk out regardless. We ended up getting no MRI, but my husband had some sutures.

 

[athena53]

I always carry my portable 3DSXL video game console with me in my purse. It's way better than a smartphone for dealing with waiting. I can play on it for hours and actually don't mind waiting at all. In fact, I look forward to waiting because it's such a great opportunity to play my favorite happy/peaceful video game (Animal Crossing).

While I can also amuse myself with Sudoku or a good book, I won't let a business off the hook for making me wait. I'm still in line, in the waiting room, on hold, etc. with my book but if I decide I want to ride my bike, update my church web site, mow the lawn, etc. I can't because they're making me wait.

There are some waits you can't avoid- if your doc is the best in your specialty, or you don't get on the plane unless you get through the TSA mess, for example, you have to make the best of it- but in general I won't put up with it. If a store has a very long line for the cashier, I decide how long I'm willing to wait and then re-assess after that time. If it still looks bad, I leave. I'm also not interested in waiting for an hour for a table at a restaurant that doesn't take reservations. I do have to bend that rule when DS and his family are in town because the legendary KC BBQ places sometimes have long waits, but if some chain restaurant tells me there's a 30-minute wait I'll go elsewhere.

 

[euro]

I always carry my portable 3DSXL video game console with me in my purse. It's way better than a smartphone for dealing with waiting. I can play on it for hours and actually don't mind waiting at all. In fact, I look forward to waiting because it's such a great opportunity to play my favorite happy/peaceful video game (Animal Crossing).

Once you have something with you so that you really don't mind waiting, nobody will ever again require you to wait very long. That's just the way life is. I purposely get to doctor or dentist appointments a half hour early to play my video game, and they just usher me in before I can even sit down. (sigh) Haven't had to go to the OMV (=DMV) in person for over a decade.

Well, the DMV will be a VERY save bet for you then!

 

[euro]

The DMV is an exceptional people-watching place. I like to guess the over/under on how old people are vs my age and then try to see their paperwork without being arrested

 

[target2019]

We renewed 2 driver licenses in NJ DMV. In and out in 30. Minutes.
Next to the last day of the month. Lots of laughs. People talking to themselves in line. Crotchety state workers. Like Parks and Recreation. Enjoyed every moment, then over to the diner for French toast and scrapple.

 

[W2R]

I can't even begin to describe how awful our DMV offices are, or how many hours you may have to wait there, only to be told to come back the next day. They are pretty much impossible.

BUT....

Louisiana has figured out this problem.

(1) First, you can do nearly everything online. Renew your driver's license, car registration, and so on, are pretty easy to do.

(2) Second, there are private businesses in strip malls that have the capability of doing just about everything else. They charge a fee. So, if you have $15-$20 or so, you can avoid a trip to the DMV. Believe me, it's worth it! You are given a comfortable seat in a nicely air conditioned, ventilated, uncrowded room, along with maybe 4-5 other civilized customers. The wait, if any, is usually five minutes or less. You are addressed as Ma'am or Sir, and treated very nicely. The whole experience is so uplifting compared with a visit to the DMV.

When I moved, I needed a new driver's license and registration with my new address. Easy! I chose option (2) above. Likewise, I got my handicapped hangtag there with a filled out, signed form from my orthopedic surgeon. When I lost my new driver's license, I got a replacement there. And so on. Haven't been to the DMV for about 10 years by now.

 

[kimcdougc]

In May of 2013 I was in the hospital for open heart surgery to replace my aortic valve. Surgery was scheduled for 9 am. I hadn't had anything to eat since 12 the night before. My surgeon had to go help another dr with a patient that was currently having open heart surgery. Fast forward 5 hours and I finally got to have my life saving surgery. That was the worst 5 hours of my life. I was mentally and physically prepared at 9 am but all kinds of things went through my mind (and my families minds) during those 5 hours.

Thank the Lord, all went well.

 

[scrabbler1]

In May of 2013 I was in the hospital for open heart surgery to replace my aortic valve. Surgery was scheduled for 9 am. I hadn't had anything to eat since 12 the night before. My surgeon had to go help another dr with a patient that was currently having open heart surgery. Fast forward 5 hours and I finally got to have my life saving surgery. That was the worst 5 hours of my life. I was mentally and physically prepared at 9 am but all kinds of things went through my mind (and my families minds) during those 5 hours.

Thank the Lord, all went well.

I had a somewhat similar experience at the end of the hospital stay whose beginning I described in an earlier post with the encounter with Nurse Ratched.

I had a minor surgical procedure which went off on time in the mid-afternoon. I hadn't had anything to eat since dinner the night before so I was pretty hungry by the time I had returned to my hospital room around 5:30.

But I was the last patient my doctor had operated on for the day so he left the hospital without letting the food service people know I could eat again, and only he had the authority to release the hold on my food service. Hospital staff on my floor tried desperately to find him before the food service area closed at 6:30 but couldn't reach him or page him.

I was becoming rather grouchy from not having eaten in 24 hours and snapping at everyone including one of my other doctors (I had two different ailments being treated during my stay) who had nothing to do with my lack of food. Finally, my ladyfriend went out to get me some dinner which took about 30 minutes. THAT was a long 30 minutes but the meal was goooood when it arrived, and I must have woofed it down in 5 minutes LOL!