As some readers might remember (at least now that I remind you), last week I found out that in order to renew my "Mobile Bank ID", I first needed to get a physical National ID card (a kind of ID card that I've never needed before).
So for that purpose, I had booked an appointment today at our local police station - from my point of view situated in a street "across the city centre", and with no really helpful bus connections from where I live. I contemplated taking a taxi, but as the snow is gone and it wasn't really raining (just foggy on the verge of a light drizzle), I decided to walk. It took me about 40 min. My knee felt fairly ok, but I'm still far from "speedwalking"...
The mural above is on a wall along a sidestreet near the police station. It's been there for a number of years by now, but it's not a place I usually walk by.
I arrived about 20 min before my 12 o'clock appointment, and checked in digitally on a machine. Just then there were only a few more visitors in the waiting room, but all 'cubicles' seemed to be closed. After a while I came to the conclusion that the staff must be on their lunch break. In the meantime, more people kept arriving, so at 12, when they opened again, all seats in the waiting room were taken, plus a lot of people standing as well. As I had a booked appointment I did not have to wait long after they opened, though. (Most people were probably there to collect previously ordered IDs, which does not require pre-booking.)
It's been almost a decade since I last visited the police station for a similar errand (then a passport), and my memories of the procedures then are vague. But what somewhat surprised me now was the absence of a couple of items that I would have found helpful: A hook to hang my coat on, and a mirror to at least be able to check my hair before having my photo taken by staring into a blank (but not reflective) screen. Fingerprinting no longer involves ink, and they only wanted my index fingers - but (interestingly) I needed to do one of them thrice before the police office was satisfied. (Do fingerprints wear out with age? Answer at the bottom of the post...) *
And then of course I had to write my name with a digital pen, which felt oddly clumsy, and made my signature look that too. The officer then briefly showed me what the document was going to look like (too small for me to really see properly) and asked if I was satisfied. I said I was definitely not satisfied with my hair... But probably everyone says that, because he seemed to take that as an acceptance anyway, and told me I'll get a message when I can pick it up (in a week or so)...
Walking away, I made a mental decision that when my driving license is up for renewal next year, I will make sure to do that. (I don't really drive any more, but it's accepted as ID in most everyday situations, even if not for the digital bank ID. And for the driving license one is still allowed to go to a professional photographer to have one's photo taken...
The way back home seemed very long. I looked in at the pharmacy for a short errand (some non-prescription stuff), but then decided to see if I could catch a bus part of the way. There is no bus that takes me "all the way" these days, but I managed to catch one that shortened the way a little bit (two stops). With a little detour to a neighbourhood corner shop for some fruit and vegs, I was home again at 1 pm, amost exactly two hours after I left.
The whole adventure had me so tired that after a quick lunch (microwaved leftovers, and salad from yesterday), I fell asleep for a couple of hours in the afternoon...
And now it's just about bedtime for real!
*) AI tells me: "Yes, fingerprints can wear out or become less distinct with age, largely due to reduced skin elasticity, thinning skin, and the flattening of ridges. While the underlying pattern remains fixed, these changes often make it harder to capture clear prints in older individuals " (And I suppose I have to accept that at age 70, that's what I now am...)
