Our lives have turned upside down in many ways. The recent attempts in Rhode Island to deliver the COVID-19 vaccine are adding new chapters to the saga. Now, private companies have added to the display of highly questionable logic. Well, the same subject, but this time there will be a dozen images as a tribute to the upside-down world.
Upside Down In More Ways
Two major drugstore chains, Walgreens and CVS will receive the vaccine directly from the federal government and administer it in their states. That’s the good news. The bad news is the logic on their related Web sites and how they handle the vaccination appointments.
The CVS Guessing Game
I have been a CVS customer for many years, and I visited their site first. After the registration became available, the related page asked for some qualifying information. It then presented a stark form, asking which ZIP code or city I was looking for where to receive the vaccine. I entered my ZIP code only to receive a message that no place was available in that code and that I should try another! That turned the application into a guessing game. How am I supposed to know in which cities in Rhode Island CVS has vaccines available?
When the world was right side up, they would have presented a list of cities for me to choose from. But the upside-down world race continues!
The Walgreen’s Out of State Offer
With some difficulty, and after two chat sessions in two days, I finally logged on to Walgreen’s Web site and completed the vaccine application form. The information I provided included my street address, city, state, and ZIP code. In the end, the site found a pharmacy where an appointment was available on Monday. Good! But, not so fast! The pharmacy was in Connecticut. One of the questions I answered related to my existing medical conditions like heart, and lung problems, cancer, etc. I had them all and said yes. Since the pharmacy was in a neighboring state, I wondered if the medical conditions elevated my need to be vaccinated there. But I decided to call the pharmacy anyway.
I waited on hold for a while since they were busy, and finally, a pharmacist answered. I asked if they would give me the vaccine since I lived in Rhode Island. She said no, it was available only to their state’s residents. I thanked her and suggested that their programmers may consider restricting the search to the state where the applicant lived. She said, “you are supposed to know and not go out of state!”
Well, the upside-down world race continues!
My Upside-Down Contribution
To celebrate our upside-down world, I would like to share the following photographs. You may find a photograph of a galaxy far away, starry blue skies, trees hiding behind some obstacles, and so on. If the world has turned upside down, I thought I would take photographs of the puddles on the road and turn them upside down to celebrate the new world order! Oh, the last photograph? That’s the only sane one in the collection, right side up.
Update
Jan sent me a link, and I learned about Olivia Adams and her utterly logical solution on her site. Walgreens and CVS, visit and learn! Also, consider consulting with her.
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Sal Capirchio
This ISN’T AT ALL funny! But I’m sitting here laughing – not believing that people have to be dealing with this crap after everything else they’ve had to deal with. Really? They have to have databases designed to handle this stuff for there normal day-to-day business…No?? Anyway, if you are looking for an alternate title to this post, since you already had “Who’s on first” – this one could be “What’s on Second”….because you know that “I Don’t Know’s on Third”…is right behind!
A. Cemal Ekin
Yes, Sal, it is the Abbot and Costello routine! That young programmer in MA got it right. Simple, informative, useful. There is no reason for this kind of crap unless they are deliberately trying to slow the people down.
You got the routine right though! What’s on Second, and continuing. I finally got the appointment with a tip from Jim. Tuesday is the first shot.
Cemal
Haluk Atamal
Originally coming from Turkey, I thought you were already immune to “upside-down” things. Obviously you have lost some of your Turkish talent over there :)
Take care and best regards,
Haluk
A. Cemal Ekin
You may have a point, Haluk. But, in 45 years I might have lost that immunity! This afternoon around 4:00 PM I will have my first shot! Still waiting for Jan’s turn.
Take care,
Cemal