The horror of HR

I've mentioned previously my efforts at career advancement, particularly the expense. I have not tracked the amount of time namely because there is no point. I am not getting paid for the time and I am sure knowing the amount of time wasted (i.e., no offer) would not help my mental state.
Yes, it has been time wasted. At this point I think I've got my game down. I've read books, had coaching and very rarely gotten feedback from those I have met with. So going through the process for the experience is not productive, although I do try to keep an open mind and always appreciate feedback.
In previous years I have had some HR encounters that were downright injust. In about 2005, I drove five hours for an interview with a public agency. I arrived in plenty of time and was kept waiting about 20 minutes past my appointment time. When I was brought to the panel I was informed they were running behind and would have to cut my meeting short. So I had about ten minutes to answer some pre-selected questions. Twenty minutes later I was back on the road, facing another five hour drive back home. I didn't get that job.
A few years later I had another interview at the same agency. This time my drive was about 15 minutes. On the panel was a former coworker, who later told me they already had a candidate in mind and they were "going through the motions" because they had to. Well, at least my drive was short and there was some honesty. The former coworker told me I did very well and my research had been great, but she told me there was no way I was going to get the job. So maybe I did learn something: never again apply to that agency.
This week I had another usual encounter with an application process for a government agency.
I submitted my information on-line and then checked the status of my application. It said I was not qualified. I was shocked so I made a few calls.
What I found was that there is a glitch in the system that deleted my college degree -- the same degree that is part of the minimum requirements. Oh, the degree shows up on my profile but when I look at the printout the HR staff sees, it is simply not there. As Bluto said "seven years of college down the drain." Or in this case, four years of college omitted by computer error.
Had I not checked my status I would never have known why I was disqualified.
It makes me wonder how many times that has happened to other applicants. But more important, it makes me wonder how many times it has happened to me.

I hate to be paranoid about a process that I currently have to be a part of. I hate to feel like my complaints are just a case of sour grapes. But given the lousy treatment by some places, like no notification whatsoever or the feeling that I am causing people to do their jobs, it is clear that some departments just don't care about fairness or competency -- no matter how much those two qualities matter to me.