Bureaucratic Fuckwittery...

Ever heard of the Emirates ID card? Quite a few people haven't by the looks of things, including the Emirates ID Authority. The Emirates ID is a biometric ID card that is about to become mandatory for all residents of the UAE. In order to be issued an ID card, you need to have your Passport, Visa and fingerprints scanned. In order to get the scanning done, you need to fill in a form. All well and good so far..... BUT..... In order to fill in the form, you need to, erm, well in my experience you need to look at the EIDA web site to try and find a Typing Centre, give up because the information about availability and location of the centres appears to have been written by an Autistic 8 year old, ask a colleague where to go, rock up to a dodgy looking photo copy shop in Bur Dubai at 7:00am, stand around for half an hour realising that the staff don't have a clue what they are doing, politely decline the invitation to leave your passport in a laundry basket under the counter for 3 months, give up, attempt to fill in the form online, report the script error that prevents the form from being submitted to the EIDA, get told that the EIDA are fully aware of the problem but aren't going to do anything about it, try another typing centre, tell the guy behind the counter to do one when he tries to withhold your passport for 48 hours, complain to the EIDA, wait for a call back that never happens and finally queue for three hours at a typing centre that isn't even mentioned on the EIDA web site.... all so that you can fill in an application form that asks for your name, passport number, mobile number, and PO Box. Brilliant!!!