USCIS. Not to be confused with US CISgender people, because such LGBTQ and non whites don't seem…read morenearly as welcome or "free" in this "welcoming, free" country as was supposed to be the case. I'm not a fan of the new America or the new world, but I'm still a fan of America and I still have high hopes for the future. And I suppose the process that I went through with USCIS instilled a little more faith than I had before. I'm not a fan of this system or this government or this way of doing things - considering this is traditionally a country that people came to to take refuge and be free, and they're trying to twist it around now so that it's just a haven for the rich and powerful, supported by the people who do low-pay and under-table jobs, who don't get to stick around permanently or have rights or become citizens. But my personal experience was slightly better than my overall opinion of them. They did a good job processing me thanks to my lawyer and it was a lot less painless than I thought it would be. It's still not a very professional service and at the actual border the guards have been nothing short of abusive and racist and extremely psychotic - I was blatantly sexually abused by one of them a few years back - however for my actual citizenship process they did a good job and personally I am grateful that it's over.

I had a visa issue and gotta go there. That was the second time. I made an appointment and did not…read moreneed to wait for ages this time. I recommend earlier appointments. The staffs were much nicer this time. Parking lot: Not free. I wish they had free ones. I got to find a free street parking, which made me walk extra 5 mnts.

The Merrifield Post Office, using post office logic, removed all but one small drop box in the…read moredrive-thru lane. And without adding pickup times, this remaining box rapidly fills up. This morning, I stopped to mail four items, and found that the box was stuffed full. Not wanting to leave my items exposed to whatever, I tried retrieving them. Along with them came half a dozen of other people's mail items. Being a good citizen, I did the post office's work. Entering through the only operating door (for at least the last week), I dropped the entire batch inside. This would be a classic example of Zohran Mandami's definition of bureaucratic complacency on the part of the post office. The Merrifield Post Office is beyond disreputable and dysfunctional. My only reason for using it is convenience, but even that is becoming shaky.

UPDATE: Had to come ship a package in person and once again, still slow as ever. Waited in line for…read more25 minutes. Guess when you work for USPS there's no need for accountability. Awful. Hate having to come drop off and ship any packages. The staff is very slow, including sauntering around. Waited 20 minutes to ship a package while the employees literally wandered around and were joking laughing with each other and only 2 people were at the registers.

This is my favorite area in Patapsco state park, I've brought many friends and family here over the…read moreyears. It's beautiful, you can find the ruins of an old mining camp and religious boarding school here. There's even a decent spot to jump off the train tracks into the water below, although take care because the water can be shallow in spots.

Probably one of the more interesting hikes that I have done in awhile. The hike will be quite…read moreshort, but you got hills and steps to get your work out on. I think the feel of the place is supposed to be spooky, unfortunately, I picked a spring break day to do it and there were enough teenagers running around here like savages (just kidding, they were all really sweet) it doesn't really have a scary feel to it at all. To explain the ruins, it was Roman Catholic school in Ilchester, Maryland. The ruins are near Ilchester and Bonnie Branch roads (so the Yelp location is pretty straight on). It was called hell house in the 70s after it was abandoned and vandalized and rumors have it a strange cult started living there. It also had an over zealous caretaker who had a gun and some dogs and would assault vandals. He was displaced after the school was set ablaze by arsonists. Hell House altar structure that most people take pictures of is at the top of a very steep hill, about a mile in. It used to have a large metal cross, and it is a very unique place for a photoshoot. For easy access, park in the lot for patapsco state park (right past the train tracks) where the trailhead is and start coming up to the left of the train tracks.

Serco Inc. is the outfit chosen by the City of Chicago's Department of Revenue to wander the…read morestreets dishing out tickets for parking/permit infractions. Over the past few years I feel that I have personally done my part to significantly raise the value of Serco's stock. The trouble with these ticket-wielding vigilantes is that they are unreasonable. If you are ever parked on a metered street in lakeview, be sure to keep your eye on the clock. These cats stroll the avenues and are attracted to the blinking red lights of expired parking meters, like flies to, well, you know! I am not a fan of this Serco, Inc. I shouldn't hate the people who are giving me the tickets, but I do. I feel like these people would be doing our fine city a better duty by cleaning it, promoting non-violence, I dunno just about anything other than making my life more difficult.

The Serco Human Resources Department at 866-628-6458 in Renston was tragically unhelpful. Bad…read moreattitudes abound :-(

Extremely under staffed, only 1-2 agents are working. Security guard is very rude, he pick and…read morechoose to help you or ignore you! Be prepared to wait 3+ hours if you don't have an appointment!!

Yes- the police officer/security guard was helpful as he realized my son and I were deaf. I asked…read morehow long it would take and he gestured- 45m to one hour. Sure enough it was 45m and the man working with us was very friendly and helpful. We had the same experience twice so the office is our go-to, not any other office!

Neat little library, in the heart of West Falls Church area. It's within walking distance of some…read morenew townhomes that have sprung up. One floor only, and about the same size of the Ashburn Library, which I think is also cool. Nice design and layout. They have a few computer stations, and I didn't check to see if they have a study area. I signed up for a new library card here. Process was rather involved and required logging in to a computer to answer a brief-ish survey on closest library etc. as well as furnishing a photo of a temporary passcode. Yeah, the applicant process is a bit convoluted. I had the time to burn so I didn't mind overmuch though. Overall, cool spot and library. I will hopefully visit here at least once more, to get the full scope of things.

Good standard FCPL library location, filled with tons of books and kits to borrow, computers to…read morebrowse the web with, study rooms to find some quiet in, and activities for children to enjoy. Librarians here have always been helpful. There's also a self-checkout station if you happen to be embarrassed by the contemporary romance novels you occasionally borrow like me. There's a small for-sale section with vintage and used books at the front. There are also fliers advertising activities for all ages, though I have never attended one. This library does keep odd hours, so I'd check before heading out. There is also often a cop seated at the entryway, which I guess is for security concerns? Overall, this location isn't much different than others, and doesn't provide any special features that I am aware of, but libraries are great and are certainly worthy of our taxpayer dollars!

I was scared to death and almost canceled my appointment after reading the reviews the night…read morebefore. I'm so glad I didn't! My experience was excellent. I had a 10:30 a.m. appointment, checked in at 10:02, was called back at 10:12, and was finished before 10:30. Valdez at Window 11 was outstanding and friendly, courteous, efficient, and professional. She greeted me with a smile and maintained that positive attitude throughout the entire process. She made what I expected to be a stressful experience quick and pleasant. Quick tip: Schedule your appointment in advance, and if there's any paperwork to complete, fill it out online before you arrive. It seems to make the process much quicker and helps everything move along smoothly. Thank you, Valdez, for providing such excellent customer service!

HORRIBLE!!! Was on hold for 1:55.40 seconds and they still never picked up!! Can't find proper…read morehelp anywhere anymore. Y'all should be ashamed!

My wife and I went there to get ID cards. Justin was very instrumental in ensuring we got proper…read moreservice. The entire staff were very supportive.

I've been in here a few times in the last 2 years, and I have only had to wait more than 5 mins for…read moreservice ONCE. Hitting the ID card facility around 10 seems to be the best- the early risers are already through, and the procrastinators are waiting until later. They had plenty of staff and we walked right in, got a number and when the girl at the reception desk checked that we had what we needed, we went right to the lady to be served. The lady who gave the ID card was pleasant, thorough and respectful. WE were in and out of the whole process in 5 mins! Things to remember: Bring 2 forms of ID with you!!! Bring a book, but you hopefully won't need it.

We made an appointment online for 11:20. When we arrived 20 minutes early the rooms were full of…read morepeople, appointments and walk inside. They took our name when we walked in and had us wait in a room with not enough chairs for everyone who was waiting. There was no order. They took walk INS before taking people who actually had an appointment. I heard one man say he had already waited over an hour. It was chaos. The girl working was wearing sweatpants and a sweatshirt. There whole place had a very temporary feel to it like it could pick up and move in the middle of the night. They had weird attempts at decor with the price tags still on. One of the pieces of decor was ironically an hour glass. Also ironic that I was applying for a pre check to avoid lines at the airport when I ended up having to wait 40 minutes for an appointment that literally took 5 minutes. I just hope I get my pre check number but I have very little faith in these people.

Response from Business Owner:…read more Hi Eileen, Thanks for taking the time to share your feedback--and your flair for dramatic storytelling. While we understand your frustration, we'd like to offer a bit of clarity (and maybe a reality check). First, this is an Idemia-operated TSA Enrollment Center, and we do not manage the appointment booking system. All appointments, confirmations, and scheduling quirks are handled through their national system. That means when 15 people show up early for an appointment that's already running behind due to earlier system delays--chaos, as you called it--can absolutely happen. Not because we don't care, but because we're trying to do the best with what we've been given. Second, walk-ins are only accepted when there are no-shows or we're catching up between appointments. It's not favoritism or disorganization--it's triage. And when someone "waited over an hour," it's often because they arrived before their scheduled time, then expected to be seen immediately. That's not how appointments work, anywhere. Third, our priority is efficient processing, not fashion shows. We're in the business of getting you TSA-ready, not curating your Pinterest board. If our staff is respectful, professional, and handling high volumes while wearing sweatpants, we see that as a superpower--not a scandal. Finally, you mentioned the decor. We're a federally contracted enrollment center, not a boutique. If an hourglass with a price tag threw off your vibe, we truly hope that's the worst part of your travel day. We do hope you get your PreCheck number soon--it's a five-minute process with long-term benefits. But for now, we recommend directing appointment complaints to Idemia, who can actually address them. We just check IDs, take fingerprints, and try to keep things moving in the middle of a flawed but federally regulated system. Wishing you clearer skies and fewer Yelp tantrums in the future, -- Management