Trapped At The Stearns County Service Center

Before I begin my rant I want to make sure that one thing is clear. The folks at the Stearns County Service Center have always been amazing in my experience. I have usually been in and out quickly and the employees have always been very, very nice.

My mistake was being lazy and choosing to use the Service Center's drive-thru, not realizing that once you are in line you are apparently in it to win it. There is no escape once you are trapped in this queue.

There are only two lanes, each leading to the service window. There is a lawn filled with giant rocks on both sides so when someone pulls in behind you, you are completely stuck. No turning back.

I sat there baking in the hot sun while the endless line of people who probably weren't prepared enough took forever to get their things processed. I used the drive thru because I had my tabs form all filled out and my money ready to go. It took the woman helping me maybe two minutes to get me out of there when it was my turn.

It took nearly an hour for me to get to the front of the line. I didn't want to leave my car running the whole time so I thought I would roll down the windows for a bit. That was my second mistake.

The woman next to me was a dedicated chain smoker who also enjoyed cursing on her Bluetooth-enabled phone. So if I wanted my windows down I got to breathe in cigarettes and listen to a very personal, explative-laden conversation. Hooray for me.

Next time I will take a number and sit in the nice, air conditioned lobby.