LIARS

Read the posts dated February 26, 2007 or earlier for backstory....

Today is Monday, March 12, 2007.

It's now been 284 days since filing for Disability with the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), and I STILL have no fucking answer as to my Claim status.

I was promised two weeks ago, on February 26, that my Case Examiner (my CE) said "(I) would definitely have an answer within two weeks"

It's now exactly two weeks later, so today would be the last day to either Approve or Deny my Claim before the preceding statement becomes another lie.

It did.

I called at 1015am, spoke to someone who didn't know their ass from a hole in the ground, and was told "there's still no update on your Claim." I asked them to transfer me to the person who's been helping me for the past 9+ months (I'll just call her "my friend" as I don't want to get anyone in unnecessary trouble) and was told "she's busy".
I asked to leave a message for "my friend".
She said she will.

I called back at 1115am and the RRB was "busy".
(There was a pre-recorded message stating such).

I called again at 1130am, got the previous moron, so i hung up.

I called back, I got "my friend", and she looked into the computer file and said "She (my CE) looked at my Claim File on Friday" and then I was told "She (my CE) hadn't made a decision yet..."

"My friend" then said "Let's give her (my CE) until Friday".

Why?
If she looked into my File this past Friday, what didn't she see that would have convinced her to make a decision?
And why will waiting another business-week make any difference?
What will appear this week that they don't have from the past 11 years??

I was so depressed and frustrated that I feebly told "my friend" that "...I was lied to once again. There's nothing I can do against a huge bureaucracy like the RRB, so I have no choice but to continue to wait."
(And that's why they fuck you over : Because they can.)

I also asked her "What are the chances that on Friday I won't be lied to once again?"

(Of course, she cannot answer this, I didn't expect her to. "My friend" has been nothing but nice and sympathetic to me and has talked to my Case Examiner on my behalf before, and hopefully she will again, but I know there's nothing that she can do.)

I honestly don't know how or why I haven't actually killed myself before now...why am I waiting?

They obviously don't care that mortgages have to be paid, that utilities can be shut off, that food needs to be bought - in short The RRB doesn't care that real people are being hurt by their reluctance to provide an answer to a Claim filed more that nine months ago, and that it "usually (only) takes five months".

Maybe if my folks sent them my Death Certificate, at least a decision could finally be made : Denied.