Day 92

Today I was called for jury duty. I got there about 20 minutes late because I opted to walk. This wasn't a problem, as I'd anticipated, since the rest of the morning was a series of waiting tasks. Waiting in line to go through security. Waiting in line to get into the juror's room. Waiting in a crowded, simultaneously too hot and too cold, large room filled with a cross section of the city until something happens. Waiting while we watch terribly produced videos of local judges telling us how to complete a survey. Waiting for my name to be called and given a number. Waiting for my number to be called and assigned a judge. Waiting, because our judge is not ready for us. Waiting for the woman who will take our group of 40 across the street to city hall to the civil court room. Waiting for the newly replaced but consistently malfunctioning elevator, while the security guard comforts us by saying only a few people have gotten stuck so far and they get rescued pretty quickly. Waiting for 40 people to line up in order in a hallway. Waiting while everyone took a bathroom break and then had to line back up again, seemingly forgetting both their number and neighbors in line while they washed their hands. Waiting to enter the court room. Waiting while they tell us what our civic duty is. Waiting to see if I have any objections or exceptions to the general questions. Waiting to be questioned one by one, and getting sent to lunch instead. Waiting for 1:00 to roll around, because an hour and 15 minutes is just too long for lunch but not long enough to run any good errands. Waiting back in the near empty court room, majority of jurors selected or dismissed while I was at lunch. Waiting to be called into the room, juror #28 who has suggested she has a hardship. The main guy asks me to sit, asks me gruffly whether I go by Miss or Mrs. I hesitate. I am neither. I am married, but not in PA. I am not single and have endorsed myself as married on my juror questionnaire. I should not have to clarify my marital status to be identified politely by a stranger. Waiting while my brain works this out, while the defense and the plaintiff's lawyers and security guard and main guy all look at me. "Doctor, actually" I finally say. The security guard smiles. The main guy then too emphatically says "well, doctor, what exactly is this hardship that prevents you from doing your civic duty?" and I explain that I am a clinical psychologist at the children's hospital in a specialty facial reconstruction center that holds multidisciplinary clinics one day a week for children to come once a year for a comprehensive visit and that I am scheduled to see a number of patients next Thursday who are not able to be rescheduled any time soon. He asks why I did not call earlier to express my concerns and possible scheduling difficulties. I report that I have postponed my service already, originally having been called to serve on a clinic day. He asks me why I didn't schedule my postponed service for a day that worked better for me. I report that in fact I selected a Friday because it allowed me to see patients yesterday and provided the chance that I could serve and be finished with a trial before next Thursday, but since they anticipated this trial going to at least Friday it would mean that 12-15 patients who travel from far away would not get their full comprehensive team care they plan on. I do not tell him I picked today because I'm off Monday and I relish the idea of an extra long long weekend. He asks me if I am ever allowed to take vacation or get sick and I report sure, but I am always careful to avoid Thursdays if I can. The plaintiff's lawyer says enough of this I'd sooner excuse her because my daughter is a doctor at CHOP so let's just finish this up. The main guy continues to lecture me about my civic duty, what I owe this city, the service I should be paying back to my great city. I inform him I've been called about 4 times in 8 years and have already served on two juries. He begrudgingly excuses me, sends me back downstairs (I avoid the jammy elevators this time), across the street, to the main juror hall where I get to wait in line for security, wait to go into the juror room, wait to explain that I've been excused, wait while they call back to the courtroom to confirm my reason for excuse, wait while they send me back to the jury room in case I am selected for another case, wait while they call me back to the front desk to dismiss me, wait for my $10 check. Being a citizen is something else.