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Docs in a Box and other tales of terror
Jan. 7th, 2006 09:46 amSo remember that whole thing about the TB test for substitute teaching? I wasn't able to get a timely appointment at my regular doctor's office. Fortunately, SCCOE had given me a voucher good for a test at any Doctors on Duty. There's one of those a block and a half away from home, so I went over there.
Oh. My. Goodness.
If you're not familiar with Doctors on Duty, they are a chain of walk-in clinics that serves the "Central Coast" area of California, from Santa Cruz down to King City. They're open seven days a week, 12 hours a day. Since they're walk-in service, no appointment necessary, their popular nickname is "Docs in a Box". (This is especially funny in Santa Cruz, where they happen to be located across the street from Jack in the Box. at least DoD doesn't have a drive-through window.)
So anyway, I'd never been to a DoD before, as family emergencies tend to take place in hours when they're closed. I'd heard lots of stories, though. Hordes of the Great Unwashed in the waiting room, wait times of hours (days...), chairs designed by the Marquis de Sade, etc.
Well, there were some truths to those stories. Mostly greatly exaggerated, though.
The waiting room was rather crowded. (In retrospect, going on Friday afternoon may not have been a good choice.) There were no members of the Great Unwashed, unless you count the somewhat scruffy service dog that belonged to one of the clients. (And he just smelled powerfully of Dog. not my favorite smell, but there are many that are worse.)
The chairs were pretty comfortable. The reading matter was more up-to-date than my regular doctor's office (nothing older than June '05, and current issues of all periodicals). There was also a television running CNN on one corner.
I did not, however, get my test. Why?
Well, remember that yesterday was my wife's birthday, and I'd made dinner reservations? You got it - ran out of time.
I'll go back today, though. Might be more crowded on a Saturday, but I have plenty of time to wait today. And this time I'll bring my iPod and a book, perhaps.
Update: Took half an hour this afternoon. All hail slow Saturdays!
Oh. My. Goodness.
If you're not familiar with Doctors on Duty, they are a chain of walk-in clinics that serves the "Central Coast" area of California, from Santa Cruz down to King City. They're open seven days a week, 12 hours a day. Since they're walk-in service, no appointment necessary, their popular nickname is "Docs in a Box". (This is especially funny in Santa Cruz, where they happen to be located across the street from Jack in the Box. at least DoD doesn't have a drive-through window.)
So anyway, I'd never been to a DoD before, as family emergencies tend to take place in hours when they're closed. I'd heard lots of stories, though. Hordes of the Great Unwashed in the waiting room, wait times of hours (days...), chairs designed by the Marquis de Sade, etc.
Well, there were some truths to those stories. Mostly greatly exaggerated, though.
The waiting room was rather crowded. (In retrospect, going on Friday afternoon may not have been a good choice.) There were no members of the Great Unwashed, unless you count the somewhat scruffy service dog that belonged to one of the clients. (And he just smelled powerfully of Dog. not my favorite smell, but there are many that are worse.)
The chairs were pretty comfortable. The reading matter was more up-to-date than my regular doctor's office (nothing older than June '05, and current issues of all periodicals). There was also a television running CNN on one corner.
I did not, however, get my test. Why?
Well, remember that yesterday was my wife's birthday, and I'd made dinner reservations? You got it - ran out of time.
I'll go back today, though. Might be more crowded on a Saturday, but I have plenty of time to wait today. And this time I'll bring my iPod and a book, perhaps.
Update: Took half an hour this afternoon. All hail slow Saturdays!
