Infrastructure

I've really tried to not use this blog as a vehicle for complaining.  I hate complaining.  So I'm going to try to write this post without that tone.

The US has its share of difficulties.  But one thing that I, as an American, had taken for granted was its infrastructure.  I had taken it for granted, that is, until I moved to Argentina.

In the US, basic stuff just works.  You have water, power, gas, electricity, internet, phone, etc. without having to think about it.  That frees you up to focus on other things.  It would seem ridiculous for an Ameican to be without any of these things for any amount of time, barring some natural distaster.  And it would seem equally ridiculous to have to periodically get on the phone and fight with these companies to restore service.

Now let's talk about Argentina.  Where to begin?  Did I mention I didn't have gas for 8 months?  Or that periodically the water doesn't work because they are cleaning the tank?  Or that I've lost power more times than I care to count?  Or that my internet connection will randomly go off?  (Sometimes due to workers accidentally cutting through the cable.)  More than once I lost my internet connectivity in the middle of a business transaction and I had to take my laptop to a McDonalds with working wifi to finish it.

So why write about this now?  I tried to add credit to my cell phone line.  Such a simple thing.  I use a prepaid line and so recharging it involves buying a card with a number you punch in. 

Lo and behold: there was no number on my card.  I took it back to the store.  They said to call a number and talk to the phone company directly.  We called.  After much playing with the phone tree, the lady said the line has been recharged.  I checked.  Nope.  Called again.  More phone tree action.  Another lady said the line has been recharged.  This time it did indeed work. 

Now, I had also purchased a second card.  I decided to check if it was also lacking the number.  Yep.  So I went back to the store again and told them now a second card was missing the number and that I would like another card - you know, one that is not defective. 

They said its not their problem.  I said selling something defective certainly is their problem.  Ah, but I forgot: this is Argentina.  So I just told them I wouldn't return to their store.  Ah, but I forgot again: this is Argentina - they wouldn't care. 

You see, in the US, companies will bend over backwards to try to make their customers happy and thus keep them as customers.  But in Argentina, companies feel they are doing you a favor by letting you use their services.  It's probably part of the reason why the economy is terrible and getting worse by the day. 

All told, the endeavor wasted about an hour of my time (as well as that of my friend's, who helped translate) and about 14 pesos of credit on my phone. 

Update (9/16/11): So today I decided to use that second card.  This time when we called the phone company, they said they could not recharge the line over the phone, even though they had earlier.  Great.  They said to go to Corrientes 301 to the Movistar center and do it in person.  

Now this is obviously silly, but it is only the beginning, my friend.  I went to Corrientes 301.  There is no Movistar place there.  Now I'm upset.  I start heading back home.  On the way, I see a Movistar place.  I stop there, tell them about my card with no number.  They said I erased the number.  I said that, no, I didn't.  There is no number.  They say "ah no, we don't handle that here, go to that place over there."  

Have you ever seen one of those cartoons where the character gets angry and his face turns red like a thermometer?   

So I go to the second place.  "Ah no, we don't handle that here, go to this other place."  

There are no words.

I get to the third place.  I tell them my problem.  "That will be a 40 minute wait."  I express my dissatisfaction. But after the wait, I am happy to say I did indeed get my 30 pesos charged on my phone line.  This adventure added another hour and a half wasted.

Ok, one more.  If you rent your apartment here, you not only have to pay the rent and utilities, but also "expenses."  These are like common charges in a condo back in the US.  To pay them, you have to go to a bank and deposit the funds directly into the common account.

Now, banks here always have lines.  I would say I wait an average of 10 minutes when I go to pay these expenses.  And you can't use your cell phone while in line.  Not even to play a game, listen to music, or read something.  In fact, all banks have a guard whose sole purpose, as far as I can tell, is to prevent you from using your cell phone.

So the other day I decided to try paying the expenses using an automated deposit machine rather than waiting in line for a human teller.  A girl at the bank was very helpful in helping me with the machine.  My bill amounted to 669 pesos.  She got the envelope ready.  I had 700.  I asked if that was ok.  She said yes.

So I inserted the envelope and the machine spit out a receipt.  She said it was all set.  But asked her about my change.  She looked surprised/confused.  "The machine doesn't give you change."

"So how do I get it?"

"You can't."

"That is ridiculous."

"If you want change, you have to make the deposit at the human teller."

Now, when faced with a completely illogical statement, I often do not know how to respond.  It's like my brain is trying to process this input to find some semblance of reason.  And if it can't, it simply treats the input as garbage and determines that as such it does not necessitate a response.  So I just left.

So, my fellow Americans, yes you have problems in the States.  But appreciate the little things that just work.  At least, for now.