Tuesday, April 08, 2008

State Thumb Pressing Down



Anyone having read my articles will know of my deep respect and admiration for the Texas Department of Public Safety, the License Section of the Private Security Bureau. These are the wonderful folks who pull the strings of my locksmith license and therefore control my business collecting license fees and mandating continuing education courses in order to remain in business.

Requirements for a locksmith license in the State of Texas are covered under Section 1702 of the Occupations Code; one of the requirements is to maintain liability insurance and furnish the DPS/PSB proof of that policy each year. I trust them so much that anything sent to them has a US Post Office form which requires them to sign upon receipt of the document. Lucy got that signed form back showing the DPS/PSB received my proof of mandatory liability insurance on March 31, 2008.

The DPS/PSB sent an official looking letter advising us that our license has been suspended for failure to maintain proof of liability insurance; dated four days after they signed showing they received that very same proof of liability insurance. My guess is any envelope that doesn’t contain a check to be deposited is tossed in a basket to be looked at later.

We tried for 45 minutes to contact anyone working in the DPS/PSB office by telephone only to find nobody was there, a continuous recording explained that we were to remain on hold right up until 5:00pm when their office hours end. Lucy let the phone sit on the kitchen counter on speaker mode while she prepared dinner. It’s just as well nobody picked up; I don’t think they would enjoy what I had to say anyway.

I’m supposed to send the DPS/PSB a check for $150, proof of liability insurance along with a form requesting my license be reinstated in order to conduct business here in the great State of Texas. I know, last week I posted an article which had a “Cuss O Meter” and it should bother me to close this particular piece in a crude and less than socially acceptable way, all the same I leave my sentiments with and for the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Private Security Bureau

Kiss My ASS!

Edit update July 7, 2008

This article was published in the July issue of the Greater Houston Locksmith Association newsletter as shown here without the graphics.

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