Covid Travel Testing Day

Today was our Covid Travel Testing.

If you have seen the queues for testing on the media, they are fairly much accurate to our experience this morning. Yesterday, I, TOGuy, rang in the first instance, waiting on hold for over 30 minutes, to try and book a time for all five of us to be tested. Since that would have meant waiting until January, and we were traveling in December, that was pointless. So I expressly asked about particular testing sites, and we settled on the one closest to us as it was walk-in (LMAO read that as queue-in), and easy to park at.

In true TOG prepper fashion we packed a cut lunch of ham and cheese rolls, bikkies, and bottled water. We got a park outside the centre at 7:15am and joined a queue of around 150 people, going out of the premises and around the corner. Only TOGirl, TODaughter, and TOFiance stayed in the line, TOGrandmother and I, TOGuy sat in the car to wait.

As the line moved, a staff member came around to ensure we all registered online. We had some issues with TOGrandmother not receiving the notifications, so we ended up using my number for both of our registrations. Ending TOGirls mild panic. It was when we got close to the premises entry that things got interesting.

At the entrance they made us form two queues, domestic and international travelers. The international line had around 10 people in it and soon cleared, at which time we lined up behind them. Then we got inside the premises, and after around 10 minutes a staff member came around to check on us, and uttered the words "international traveler?". I said no they cleared, we are domestic and followed them in. Her response, "we're only doing international travelers now, you need to go somewhere else". I said "No, you are doing us, we have waited nearly 4 hours in line, we have completed the paperwork, I rang yesterday to check, I am disabled, and I am not going anywhere else!". Her response "things change!". Cue the red rag to a bull. Me "well we are not going anywhere, you are going to test us, we just changed things back!".

Then the guy behind me started to go off "that's exactly right, well said, we are not going anywhere". Then he storms into the testing area demanding to know who is in charge. No-one apparently is in charge. He comes back then gets on the phone to the premises head office, asking his wife to get on the phone to the media outlets.

Luckily before anything more drastic happened, we all got tested.

We left, but not before talking loudly on the way out past the queued people, asking each other do these people know only international travelers are being tested? No idea what happened after we left, but I bet it will not be a pretty sight.

Album
2021-12-26 - Boxing Day
2021-12-25 - Xmas Day
2021-12-24 - Xmas Eve
2021-12-23 - Country Day
2021-12-22 - Casual Lunch & Dog Park
2021-12-21 - Pasta & Wine
2021-12-20 - Beach Day
2021-12-19 - The first babysitting
2021-12-18 - BNE to MEL