There’s a famous Seinfeld line in which Jerry finds out that the rental vehicle he reserved wasn’t available.
The clerk tells him that she understands what a reservation is.
“I don’t think you do,” says Jerry. “You know how to take a reservation, you just don’t know how to hold the reservation.”
That sounds a lot like Fraser Health and the COVID-19 vaccinations.
I’m really excited that I got my vaccine (#TeamModerna) but Fraser Health managed to do it in such a way that it felt like I was being punished.
When I was booking my vaccination online, I choose the option at the former Fortius centre on Kensington Avenue instead of the new drive-thru option in the parking lot of BCIT.
I figured that since I had a reservation, it didn’t really matter because a reservation means I will get my shot pretty close to that time slot.
And then I showed for my “appointment” just brimming with excitement. But as I walked past the sign that warned people to not show up more than 10 minutes before our “appointment” I noticed that the line to get inside the building snaked all the way around the corner and then around another corner. There were at least 100 people lined up outside on a day that was thankfully not raining.
So, I got in the line and waited. And waited. And waited. More than two hours later, I got my shot – way, way, way past my reservation time. Fortunately, I’m an able-bodied person, but I saw a lot people struggling in that long line.
And when I got out after being vaccinated, the line was even longer. I overhead one clinic staffer mutter that it would be “another late night.” The whole thing felt so disorganized. Nobody communicated with people in the line about the situation. They gave us a form to fill out on a clipboard and then someone took away the clipboard and nobody ever read the form that I filled out. It was ridiculous.
Yeah, yeah, I know I'm supposed to be all grateful that I got vaccinated, but they make it feel punishing.
A week later, however, I found myself zipping through the BCIT drive-thru clinic with my younger partner. We were in and out in 30 minutes and only missed the reservation by about six minutes. Like clockwork.
Since then, I’ve driven past the Fortius site and see short lineups and really long lineups so it wasn’t just an unlucky night.
Like I said, I’m happy to be vaccinated and urge everyone to get the jab. But Fraser Health needs to get its act together, get organized and cut down on these lines at the Fortius site. We’ve been through enough already – we don’t need to get punished again while trying to do the right thing.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
