Clusterf…

by Thomas Greco, Publisher

Next month, I will turn 65. On one hand, I am very happy to have made it there, since my dad passed at 60 and my mom at 62. On the other hand, I ask myself: How did I get so old so quickly? Wasn’t the idea to not have to work so hard and deal with less aggravation when you get to this age? So much for that. Allow me to explain.

Everyone knows that when you turn 65, you become eligible for Medicare. Now, I assumed that would be a simple process. You know, like with modern technology, you just go on a website, fill in some forms and boom, you pay a reasonable amount for health insurance instead of the highway robbery you normally have to pay these insurance company bloodsuckers. 

But no. It’s another typical government clusterf…that makes you jump through hoops just to get what you earned. So, I tried to log on to the Medicare website, and I kept getting messages telling me I wasn’t in the system. Of course. I called the support number, and a few days later, they called me back. The woman I spoke to was very nice and took all my information. I thought I was done, but then she added that I would have to go to the Social Security office in downtown Newark the following Monday at 8:30am to verify my name. Wait. Downtown Newark? 8:30am? Verify my name??? Clusterf…

Truthfully, the ride down wasn’t bad at all. I made it quickly and got into the building around 8:35am. I was the third person there, so when I signed in, I figured I wouldn’t have to wait too long (the nice lady warned me I might have to). Within five minutes, “Grady” (not his real name), the security guard, called my number and sent me to room 10. I walked down the hall and sat outside the window waiting for someone to open up. Five minutes went by. Ten minutes went by. Nothing. 

At that point, I thought I heard a voice calling my number out in the waiting room, but I figured it was someone else, since “Grady” had already sent me to room 10. Twenty minutes later, a woman came by also looking for room 10. I then knocked on the window, and some crabby lady opened it and yelled, “I didn’t call anyone!” 

I headed back to the lobby and calmly asked “Grady” if my number had been called again while I was at room 10. He asked again for my number and said it had never been called. I reminded him, “You called it a half hour ago and told me to go to room 10. Don’t you remember?” He just looked at me and said, “Have a seat. They will call you soon.”

Now, there were about 50 more people in the waiting room (including screaming babies and people on their speakerphones in what seemed like 30 different languages, all of whom had questionable wardrobe decisions). I sat there for another hour while they all were called to the rooms with the numbers. I went back up to “Grady” and asked again. 

“Have a seat. They will call you soon.” Another hour went by. 

At this point it was getting close to noon, so I figured if I didn’t do something, they would all go on lunch break, and I would be stuck for another two hours. I ignored “Grady” and went back to where the meeting rooms were. I found a woman whose window was open and asked her if she could help me, since I had been waiting since 8:35am. She was putting on her coat to leave, but took pity on me and asked what my number was. When I told her, she looked it up and said, “We called you three hours ago.” 

Thankfully, she was wonderful and got everything she needed in less than a half hour. On the way out, I wanted to choke “Grady,” but by that time, he was gone. 

Just like my patience. Clusterf…

Happy Thanksgiving!

Want more? Check out the November 2025 issue of New Jersey Automotive!