The Locked Door in Columbia, Maryland

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Today, on my way to lunch, I walked past the Social Security field office in Columbia, Maryland. Two older men were standing outside the door. An African American woman rushed across the parking lot with an envelope in her hand. She walked past the two men and pulled on the door. Nothing. She pulled harder. Locked. She asked, “Is this office closed?” I stepped aside and checked the website for the Social Security Administration. It said the office was open. A security guard came to the door. “Do you have an online code?” She did not. “I’m sorry. We are appointment only.” She was just trying to drop off paperwork. During COVID, drop boxes worked. They reduced lines. They helped people who could not get appointments quickly. They kept service moving. This was not chaos. This was not a security incident. This was not after hours. This was a locked door in the middle of the day. There is a difference between “appointment focused” and “appointment only.” That difference matters. When a website says “open” but the door is locked, trust erodes. Public service is not measured by how well we manage calendars. It is measured by whether people can get help when they need it. Two seniors. An envelope. A locked door.  

We can do better. I'm going to visit more offices. Time for a trip to Maine. 

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