My trip to the Dr. turned out to be waste of time. But later I got to teach him some guitar.
By The Horse
@TheHorse (238428)
Walnut Creek, California
June 5, 2020 12:41pm CST
I mentioned that I had a Dr. appointment Monday. When I got to the office, the nice lady behind the counter informed me that I had a telephone appointment, and that the Dr. was not in the building. I was in a good mood, so I just laughed it off and made a telephone appointment for the next day.
I don't have a decent cell phone, so we used Horse Jr's phone the next morning. I asked the Dr. to speak in code a bit, as Horse Jr. doesn't like marijuana, and my Dr. always asks me if I've cut down on my pot smoking.
At the appropriate time has asked me about "THC," and I told him (truthfully) that the shelter in place order had kept me away from my music buddies, so THC wasn't an issue.
At a certain point, Horse Jr. the Dr., and I started having some friendly banter about smoking (yes, I've cut down), music, and other things. Eventually, I showed the Dr. a blues riff (he plays, but he is a beginner) that would make him "instantly cool," and we all got a laugh out of that.
How did I wind up at a Dr. appointment on Monday with no Dr. present? He checked his notes, said he HAD ordered an on-site visit, but that his assistant had erroneously booked me for a telephone visit on Monday. He actually apologized, which meant a lot to me.
I'm so used to being victim of the incompetence of others, it hardly bothers me any more, as long as it doesn't kill me. Have you had someone screw up and waste your time recently? Are you able to deal with it without getting too ticked off?
14 people like this
13 responses
@marguicha (230365)
• Chile
5 Jun 20
I have little patience for people who screw up and make me waste my time. I have discovered a long time ago that time is precious.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (238428)
• Walnut Creek, California
5 Jun 20
@marguicha I'm actually not sure.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (223055)
• United States
5 Jun 20
Yes, the incompetent office staff didn't call me to let me know that the doctor would be at a different office the day of my appointment; so we drove 1/2 hour there and 1/2 hour back for nothing. Ticked me off greatly.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (136167)
• Marion, Ohio
5 Jun 20
Not recently. It depends on how they act on how I deal with it.
1 person likes this
@xFiacre (14821)
• Ireland
5 Jun 20
@thehorse Took my father to doctors. He said memory was letting him down and he was forgetting stuff so dr booked him for a 20 minute memory test. I took him to that but stayed in waiting room. Father came out after 5 minutes and said doctor said his heart was fine. I questioned further and the problem was that The doctor had forgotten to do the memory test so just listened to father’s heart.
1 person likes this
@petatonicsca (7070)
• Japan
6 Jun 20
I wish we could have online doctor visits here! We have to see the doctor in person even to get our regular medicine! Have I had someone screw up and waste my time recently? No, because I'm still teaching online. I haven't even thought about that, but my time is only handled by me right now (and the kids... ok, some of them waste my class time by doodling on my presentation).
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (93194)
• Bangalore, India
5 Jun 20
I hate it when people waste my time. But if the wasted time leads to some fun, laughter and light moments...it's a time well wasted and I don't mind it.
1 person likes this
@FourWalls (86993)
• United States
6 Jun 20
Hmm. You gave the doctor a lesson.
1. Did you charge him $140 like he charges you?
2. Did you make him wait even though there was no one ahead of him, the way he does you?
As for incompetence, I’ve been a patient at the VA for 35 years, so by now incompetence rolls off me like water off a duck’s back.
As for incompetence, I’ve been a patient at the VA for 35 years, so by now incompetence rolls off me like water off a duck’s back.
@JudyEv (382811)
• Rockingham, Australia
6 Jun 20
The doctor will enjoy being 'instantly cool'. And it's nice that he apologised. Anyone can forgive an honest mistake.
@Hannihar (130150)
• Israel
9 Jul 20
@TheHorse
One time this secretary booked me for a time to see the doctor and he does walk ins at that time and so it was on a day he was there doing it and I just saw him as walk in. He has apologized to me about things too.
That was cool that you connected with him through music.
@cperry2 (5608)
• Newport, Oregon
6 Jun 20
I tend to respond poorly when people waste my time. I just finished dealing with an eyeglasses company, who, after telling me I had to visit their office to get my frames "fitted to my head" only to arrive the next morning as they requested and the doors were locked. seems they decided to close the office because of fears of the coronavirus. Now, this would not bother me if they had called me and said, don't come. But they didn't bother. So, I spent 1 1/2 hours driving there for nothing at all. (And of course, another 1 1/2 hours to come back home.) I was a bit angry about that.
It doesn't help that we had called them the day before to request they mail the glasses to us so we did not have to risk ourselves in light of the virus. But, oh no, you really need to come in.
