IDES: No empathy, no manners...

No kidding.....

Just plain old ugly rudeness!

I had an interview today w/the IDES, and was met with a very irate, impatient, angry little person who made it a point to barrel over me verbally when I asked a question as, after all, this is the first time I've ever applied for unemployment. From everyone I've spoken to re: phone interviews they've NEVER been treated this badly. I thought the conversation was going to be short; I attempted at a bit of chitchat mentioning how I'm new at this & didn't get much sleep due to an ill child, but she was condescending and even barked at me, "what you think this is a joke? THIS IS SERIOUS! I'M SERIOUS!" I was asked if I applied for employment and had to be as descriptive as humanly possible even with her asking me "DO YOU HAVE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE WASHING DISHES AND CARING FOR CHILDREN?" She asked what are my skills and I basically said I can do anything but she shouted, "ARE YOU A JUDGE? CAN YOU BE A JUDGE?" I asked, "are judges in need?" I mentioned how I applied for the above mentioned jobs as I need part time work to be with my children and she kept saying I was UNWILLING to work. I am NOT unwilling, I am UNable w/my children who get out of school at a certain time, I don't have daycare, cannot AFFORD daycare and no one in any DAYCARE facility will consider one of my kids due to their autistic nature and seizure disorder; therefore, I must be in the vicinity of my child if, God forbid my child happens to have a seizure. My interviewer made it a point to inform me basically that the system wasn't made to be perfect for me, therefore I have to work when asked and just deal with it.

Uh, yeah...I can now see why some people do go "postal" as the term goes.

Let me toss some numbers your way....

The unemployment rate in the US edged down in August to 8.1 percent, in the state of Illinois it's closer to 9 percent. Since the beginning of this year, the rate has held in a narrow range of 8.1 to 8.3 percent. The number of unemployed persons, at 12.5 million, was little changed in August.

Among the major worker groups, the unemployment rates for adult men (7.6 percent),
adult women (7.3 percent), teenagers (24.6 percent), whites (7.2 percent), blacks
(14.1 percent), and Hispanics (10.2 percent) showed little or no change in August.
The jobless rate for Asians was 5.9 percent.

The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to
as involuntary part-time workers) was little changed at 8.0 million in August. These
individuals were working part time because their hours had been cut back or because
they were unable to find a full-time job.

Via ABC News, the percentage of unemployment benefits dropped most likely due to exhaustion of benefits and/or people just not wanting to bother with being treated like some kind of nimrod bottom feeder. As is, this is a very demeaning thing one has to do to make ends meet until something better comes along...and let me tell you, with the lack of professional experience of being a dish washer or a child care provider or lunch room monitor, anything is better than unemployment.

I can see why a show like "Weeds" is so popular among the masses. Furthermore, a friend of mine mentioned about how people who are usually evil, nasty, rude, ugly spirited, etc...are usually the ones who are the most miserable; and misery LOVES company.