Dear Mr. Editor,
Permit me some space in your valuable well-read newspaper. Earlier today [Monday – Ed.] I went to the Census office in the morning to collect my car’s number plates, for I had already made the payment in January. As I approached the building, I saw a small group of people huddled together on the outside. I would have never thought that those same people were also there to collect their paid plates.
When I got inside the building, I was told by a kind security guard that I would need to join the line on the outside. As it was my day off, I didn’t have the time to stand around all morning. The same kind security guard told me then it’s better if I came back before they closed at 3.30pm. As I returned a little bit before 12:00pm, the line was still long, but on the inside of the building, so I took my chances to stay and wait until I got assisted.
What I want to add is that there needs improvement on the collection of number plates. Year in, year out, we are using the same old method. We are already 16 years into the 21st century, and we label ourselves as modern and advanced. From what I heard, someone mentioned that a tent could have been set up on the outside of the building adjacent to the door of the building, or at the windows and have at least several employees go back and forth getting the plates out.
Another suggestion would be to perhaps have the plates sorted by M-plates from 100-5000 digits picked up on certain days, and then do the same for the P-plates, etc. Or why not make temporary use of Festival Village right next door? And please, let us not forget our senior citizens. Open a window just for them. From what I witnessed today, it’s kind of absurd to have everybody together at once standing in line to collect their plates, while there was another line for making payments as well.
It is a public secret that the Census Office building is bursting at its seams, due to the population growth in the last few years. In a small cubicle like that, it’s hardly impossible that tempers would flare, which they did. For after standing, waiting for so long, human nature at its worst starts to kick in. People do tend to get agitated and or aggravated in that small enclosed space. Come on, St. Maarten, we can do better than this; after all, it’s our hard-working taxpayers’ money you are collecting.
I must make mention of the young and dynamic staff that they had on duty today; they were doing a great job with staying focused and very calm, despite their environment. I give them 3 kudos!! They have picked up where the elderly folks have left off!
Hoping to see much-improved methods in continuing to serve us, the general public.
Magnolia van der Mark
