3 Minutes Late

As soon as I got back to the office I was regretting that extra time I took running my errands… I got to my desk and looked across the room to see a Mexican man in his late 30’s being helped by my ultra conservative right wing co-worker (she will be known as RWCW from this point on).

I say the man was Mexican because I saw his car in the parking lot on the way in, Mexican flag hanging from the mirror… But I probably would have figured it out anyway based on the cowboy boots and belt buckle.

The sweatshirt he was wearing bore the name of a local construction company… He flashed a polite smile when I walked into the room. He gave a short wave but didn’t hold eye contact. I could tell he was nervous.

I didn't actually know him, but I knew him… If that makes any sense.

As I sat in my chair and sized up the stack of papers I had waiting for me, I instinctively began listening to my co-worker's conversation with the Mexican man.

His English was a little shaky but he was getting by. Maybe he had come into the office because he saw the “Se Habla Espanol” signs, but started working with her when it became apparent that I wasn’t here… Or perhaps he came in here with no intentions of even speaking Spanish… Who knows?

My rule is always to start with English unless the person either asks for someone who speaks Spanish or just clearly don’t understand English.

In this particular case, even though things would clearly have been faster if I stepped in with Spanish, he was doing okay speaking English with RWCW, so I left it alone… But I kept listening just in case.

Things went fine until RWCW got to the question of Social Security Number… Without boring you with all of the technical details, I’ll summarize how it goes at my company and I suspect most Insurance companies:

You don’t need one.

We’re supposed to ask, but if they don’t have one, no big deal.

In fact, I don’t usually ask at all. For anyone... white, black, brown, American, Columbian, Canadian- nobody. If we don’t really need it, then why do we need it? I always just skip through that part and keep going.

The problem is, if you do enter a Social Security number, it has to be a valid one or the company starts asking questions. In some cases they eventually cancel the policy if they don’t get it straightened out. So it's either leave it blank, or put in a valid SSN.

Now, if you’re an undocumented worker you don't understand all that... You’re already nervous about speaking English to this lady, and if she's asking for it, you'd probably think she needs it, right?

And if you're an undocumented worker that last thing you would do is admit to some stranger that you in fact don't have a Social Security Number.

So what do you do? You make one up… Which is what the Mexican construction worker did.

“Had I just gotten back to the office 3 minutes earlier,” I chastised myself. I would have just skipped through the question and this poor guy would have already been on his way.

RWCW however, was not so forgiving.

“The computer says that’s not a valid number… Do you have your card with you?”

“Umm… No.”

“No! You don’t have your Social Security Card with you? Your supposed to carry it with you, you should have it.”

I could feel the panic in the man’s quivering voice.

RWCW went on to chastise the man for another 30 seconds before finally relenting and saying, "just bring the card in whenever you get a chance so we can make a copy."

The man signed the applications and paid his money in silence, not lifting his eyes off the papers in front of him. Finally everything was done he got up to leave.

“Don’t forget to bring that card in…” RWCW reminded him.

He walked past my desk on his way to the door. He did not make eye contact with me.

“Oye,” I whispered to him. He turned to look at me, surprised by my Spanish greeting.

I explained to him that he didn’t need to bring the card in, and that if he didn’t have a social security number it was no problem. I would just go into the computer and blank out the incorrect number.

He was very relieved and walked out the office with his chin up.

I could feel the burning eyes of RWCW staring me down.

“What did you say to him?” she angrily asked.

“I told him if he didn't feel like coming into the office to make payments that we accept payments by phone or mail.”

She knew I was lying.

“It doesn’t bother you that all these people come in here with out Social Security Numbers?” she asked in a harsh tone.

“It’s none of my business,” I replied as I turned back to my computer and pretended to be busy at work. Anything to close the book on the subject.

My heart was racing… So I can’t even imagine how that the Mexican man’s heart must have felt... The fear... All for a a stupid card that he didn't even need.

"Damn... Had I only gotten back to the office 3 minutes earlier..."