Frustrated of Crapchester

I was beginning to think that I had nothing to write about today - I got so much out of my system last week with that rant that I've been preternaturally calm ever since - but then I had another of those frustrating days, today.  You know what I mean, the sort of day which leaves you asking yourself why everything has to be so bloody difficult.  The source of my frustration lay in my attempt to renew a parking permit, something that should be straightforward and, indeed, usually is - the council sends me a letter telling me it needs to renewed, I phone them up and pay, they send me a new permit.  Simple, yes?  No.  Despite the letter clearly stating that (as usual) the only information I'd need to give them was my car registration, I get asked for a permit PIN number (which I don't have, have never had and have never heard of or been asked for before), failing that, I'm asked for my council tax registration number (which, again, I don't have to hand as I've never been asked for it before just to renew a parking permit), I persisted in pointing out that not only did the renewal letter ask only for the car registration (which I was told was insufficient to renew the permit), but that I had never been asked for such information before. 

So I was 'helpfully' put through to the council tax department to get my registration number, where I was put on hold (to a terrible cover version of 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' - it really should be banned) for an eternity, before being given the number and put back through to the parking department.  Where I had to start all over again with a different operator.  This time I managed to convince them that I wasn't trying to renew a business permit (they were trying to charge me two hundred quid for this) but a resident's permit ( a mere twenty two pounds a quarter) and that they only needed my car registration.  Even this was only achieved after the new operator went off for a lengthy consultation with someone else about the issue.  Finally, they graciously agreed to accept my money.  The end result of all of this was that something that would ordinarily have taken five minutes instead took up over half an hour of my time.  This sort of thing is incredibly frustrating - if the council wants more information than just a car registration, then they bloody well need to say so in the renewal letter!  That said, I still don't know what the Hell my council tax registration number has to do with renewing the parking permit I've held for over twenty years.  On the basis of this fiasco, I'm dreading calling my ISP to get my MAC so that I can change broadband provider - what will they ask for, my inside leg measurement?