standing in the unemployment line

Yesterday I went to the DC unemployment office to file my claim for benefits until the next disaster.

Arriving at 10:10 for my 10:15 "appointment," I checked in at the desk and joined 11 others sitting in a room with seats for 30.

Around 10:30 someone came in and called four or five away, leaving the rest of us to wait our turn. One woman tapped away on her Blackberry while another scrutinized the unemployment brochure.

The unemployed are clad in everything from business attire to ghetto garb, one woman dressed in a business suit, with another more suited for a night on the town than a job interview. At one point a man wearing a torn t-shirt and sweatpants joined us.

After about an hour, two women began discussing the inefficiencies of the office. "This is stupid," one said, getting up to register her complaint with the desk. Moments later she returned muttering "ridiculous" to herself. As she threw herself into a chair in the back of the room, the beads in her braids rattled as she continued shaking her head and muttering.

Eventually, at about 11:45, I was called into the office to finish my paperwork. Ten minutes later I was out the door.

If everything is filed correctly, in a couple weeks I'll start getting unemployment. Hopefully.