If anyone wants some idea of just how busy DPS may be, the place I took my LTC class said they had 470 take the class in 2015. Here it is just mid-March and they have already had 240 come through and take the class.
Does anyone know how the system works once the processing starts? I doubt things go from person A to B to C, etc. An app is probably handed over to one person who follows it all the way through. Maybe agent B who got your app was out sick for a week and the apps assigned to agent B just sits there until he/she gets back. Maybe us seniors get a preference because they fear one of us might croak if it takes too long or maybe because we now have less time to enjoy this right. Maybe the older one is the more of a record one has, more chances to do bad things but proven to be more dependable and trustworthy if with a clean record, while the younger one is the tougher it gets because a young person, just like with credit, has no history to speak of and they have to "dig" more.
Of course, this is all speculation and meant to be humorous.