I had to fill out a form in order to apply for an SOP – Special Occasions Permit. We need a liquor license for the upcoming bike show in Hamilton.
Got the form. Filled it out. Looked on the papers for what to do with the form. Nothing. Went to the website. Not a word. However there were Regional Registration and Enforcement contacts to call so I rang the one for London. It was a cop, the head of the London Liquor and Gaming Enforcement department. He said London doesn’t deal with Hamilton so he sent me to a cop in Niagara, also listed on the website as a contact. He asked, “why are you calling me?”
“Your info is on the website to call for information about registration.”
“I’m enforcement. You need to register at an LCBO store in the city where you’re holding the event.”
Bingo!
Nowhere on the site or in the literature does it ever say anything about taking the application to an LCBO store. The cop didn’t even know he was listed on the government site as the contact for his region. We drove to Hamilton and submitted the application. Done and done.
It’s just one more example that leaves us wondering who in the heck these people are who can’t communicate the simplest of directions on behalf of our government. Sheesh!
The saddest part of this whole story is that we’re paying their salaries.