Cartoon: The Department of Urgent Delay
Four panels from the only office where an emergency must first obtain a routing number.
WHY IS THIS IN THE FILE?
Nobody took responsibility quickly enough.
Panel 1. A government office door reads: DEPARTMENT OF URGENT DELAY. Beneath it: “Walk-ins seen eventually.”
Panel 2. The waiting room contains twelve clocks. None has hands. A man at the desk whispers, “We are running exactly on schedule.”
Panel 3. A clerk stamps a folder EXPEDITE, then places it carefully in a tray labeled LATER.
Panel 4. The fire alarm is ringing. Everyone remains seated. The ticket board changes from 8,429 to 8,430. A woman holding ticket 8,431 says, “Finally.”
From Mabel Torque’s continuing field guide to institutions that have achieved sentience without achieving motion.
Mabel Torque
Cartoonist and visual satirist drawing executives, pests, prophets, committees, appliances, and anything else capable of making a bad decision.
STATUS: UNRULY
“Normal” was considered and rejected.
KNOWN ASSOCIATES: readers, loiterers, people who should know better.
PUSH THE WEIRD BUTTON
A clerk has been notified. They are furious.