March 24 2010

The Candy Stand Clerk Experience

So anyway, today I spent a couple hours googling around looking for a way to file for a DBA (doing business as) document for the Odd Todd Studios thing. But I kept being led to sites like legalzoom that seemed ripoffy or whatever. All the New York State/City websites were wonky and confusing. I couldn’t find the paths to the documents! I even tried stupid Bing! Finally I admitted defeat and headed down to City Hall (a mile walk) to do it in person…

I was not psyched about plunging into the city process because I always imagine it’s going to be a big mess with long lines and grumpy Patty and Selmas or whatever. And I was super pissed that I couldn’t find a way to do it online without feeling like I was being ripped off or screwing up…

I get to City Hall and there’s an Information Booth right there. I told the guy I wanted to file for a DBA and he told me to go downstairs to the County Clerks office. I get down there and there’s another information desk. I tell the woman I want to file for a DBA. She tells me I need to fill out a 201 form– and told me I could get the form right across the street at the ‘candy stand’. I was like, ‘At the candy stand?‘ She was like, ‘Yeah he’s also a notary. Right across the street…’ She points in the general direction. I shrug and walk across the street into this other building to the mysterious ‘candy stand‘. Wondering if it was an actual candy stand with candy and stuff.

It was. Here’s a picture:

photaao

I tell the guy I want to file a DBA and he gets the paperwork out and I fill out the forms right there. Then he notarizes it. $14 for the whole thing (including peanut M&Ms). Then I go back across the street to Window #2 and a nice guy in a suit processes the form. He sends me down to Window #3 to pay for it (over $100 less than any place online btw). Then I go to Window #6 for the closeout or whatever.

The Window #6 guy (who sounded like he hasn’t set foot outside of Brooklyn never ever) asked me what kind of business I was starting. I told him it was an animation studio. He sincerely wished me luck with stuff and gave me a wink. Nice guy as well.

The whole process was inside of 25 minutes. Boom done. Sure, none of it seemed 20th century and the whole place looked like it was a set from a 1977 TV show.

phaaoto

But when I thought about it… it was a much better experience than doing it online. It was efficient. Faster. I wasn’t nervous I was doing something wrong or being ripped off. It was all done in the same day etc. I dug the vibe of walking into a time warp. I trusted the city system. I liked the people I met. I saved money. And I’m sure it was all done correctly and processed on the spot.

Plus, I had a nice walk and chomped on peanut M&Ms. Made me realize I really gotta get out more…

ok bye!
tOdd

35

FIRST! says:

FIRST!

weeze sucks says:

suck it weeze

the REAL weeze says:

suck me

weeze says:

FIIIIRSSSTT!!!!!

WTF?!?!?!?!?!? says:

Looks like the set of “Barney Miller”. Anybody else remember that?

suck it weeze says:

hahahaha suck it weeze!

rn says:

I agree. There are times when the ‘old school method’ is better than doing stuff online. I’m happy for you that you got that administrative stuff out of the way.

the REAL weeze says:

tODD! With this new setup theires got to be a WAY to STOOPPPPPP THE FAKE BITCHEESSSS!!!! BECAUSE the REAL weeze is ALWAYS FIRSSTTTT!!!!!! :-):-):-);-):-):-):-)

spacetrucker says:

Coolio!!!
Yeah there are still some things that aren’t all computerly/electronically all connectededly wonky and full of fun errors and glitches.
Just like the new app Phone Book!
With Phone Book, you have a book that has a list of all your friends in the city, plus everyone else who lives there.
When you want to chat with a friend, you look them up in PhoneBook, and find their unique Phone Book number. Then you enter that number into your phone and it connects you directly to them.
Wild and crazy new concepts just abounding!!!!!

Where everything old is “new” again. And versey-vicea.
LOL

And yeah, a get out of the house is nice……
Peanut M&M’s too……..BONUS!!!

The Score says:

Todd: 1

Online Business Site & The Real Weeze: 0

Shane says:

it is probably illegal to take pictures inside federal buildings

first says:

City Hall is a federal builing? hmm.

rn says:

I’m pretty sure Todd asked before taking these photos. The Candy/Office Clerk Guy seemed pretty mellow about the whole thing.

iLLBiLL says:

In today’s internet world, it’s almost fun to take care of some things face to face with a real human being.

Karen L. says:

Disappointing comments here 🙁

Anonymous says:

and your comment is great also?

Somebody says:

I visited my local DMV to renew my license and couldn’t believe how nice the staff was. I was in and out in fewer than 15 minutes.

Anonymous says:

Love the new style Todd.

Warp Drive says:

@Karen L.

Why do you say the comments are disappointing?

WTF?!?!?!?!?!? says:

Probably has to do with the preponderence of weeze.

anonymous says:

Cool! Congrats!

Jillinois says:

He can take your business
Make it DBA
He also is a notary
He’s right across the street!

Oh, the Candyman!
Oh, the Candyman Can!

Everybody sing with me!

Odd Todd says:

Coolio… Lol 🙂

Jeremy says:

Y’all do realize that by acknowledging weeze, you actually encourage the posting, right? Like any attention whore, if you ignore them, they disappear.

Medusa says:

No they never go away, kinda like the plague or kids. They always find their way home, even if you lock the doors they find their way in.

cb1 says:

tOdd should nominate someone “comment czar” who has authority to go and delete all the comments that have to do with “first” or “weeze” or other stuff that has words like n—-r or f—-t in them.

Red Five says:

Well maybe not “fuck”. I’ve read comments from others here for years and its doesn’t take out the context of what the person is trying to say. If the comments were nothing but “FUCK” or “SHIT”, twenty or thirty times and has no story to back up the use of the words, then I agree with you “cb1”. Comments such as those need to be deleted.

cb1 says:

i dont mind fuck or shit, i mind f–got and n–ger

MsM says:

“Sure, none of it seemed 20th century and the whole place looked like it was a set from a 1977 TV show.”

You know we are in the 21st century, right? And that 1977 WAS in the 20th century, right?

[…] The Candy Stand Clerk Experience « oddtodd.com […]

Jane says:

By saying it didn’t seem 20th century, you made yourself look 20th century.

I think maybe it just didn’t seem 21st century, right, old man?

Ivan says:

Hola,
ЎGracias por el artнculo. Cada vez que quieres leer.

[url=http://www.pscdns.biz/]Ivan[/url]

Boldy says:

Hola, ,

Boldy

Ah just have fun as my friend Salvatore Darvin play only free games in your free time.

Thanks a ton for posting, it was quite handy and showed me tons

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