EIDC is Evil

I saw the face of evil today - at the EIDC. No joke. We went location scouting, found some beaches we would like to shoot at, we called the contacts, got information regarding shooting. The place we wanted has us go through EIDC to book the beach. We fax and email a permit application to EIDC to get the permit started. I call to follow up - they say, "You have to come in in person, we throw away requests from students that do not come in." I yell at them over the phone. I call Joe to confirm this is the new rule. Apparently, it's always been that way. Bullshit. I've got six permits via fax (you have to pick up the final permit). So I go in this morning. They refuse to issue the permit and refuse to help us book the location. Their reasoning - "You're too far ahead of time. You need to cut back on your dates (1+week), even though they permit for 2 weeks. You will get booted if a production company wants to shoot."

"If you were me, what would you do?" I ask.

The guy could barely answer other than by mumbling his usual - come back end of may, you get booted if a production company wants to shoot (I heard you the first time, dumbshit)...the entire concept of empathy or putting oneself in anothers shoes is totally foreign to this bureaucratic cog.

I don't know if this is what Arendt meant when she spoke of the banality of evil, but I sure think its in the same ballpark.

Down with the EIDC, I say!