I'm not sure when the practice of common decencey and respect flew out the window, but I see it everyday in many shapes and forms.
Let's take Lemon Ricotta Lady and her jerkish ways as an example to illustrate the above point.
We had a typical Monday morning: busy, lots of people checking out, needing things, and wanting tax forms. In essence, it's nothing out of the norm.
I happened to be on the phone with a patron that I knew was in the hospital and she had some fines on her card. We were trying to find a good time to meet to discuss this and she wanted to come in later, but I wouldn't be in and yaddayaddayadda. You don't care about the details. If you do, I can email them to you.
So, here in strolls Lemon Ricotta Lady, who sees that I'm on the phone and hears that it's clearly a library-related call. I try to look up and make eye contact, but she isn't having any of that.
Instead of being patient and waiting, she THROWS a piece of paper at me.
THROWS.
A.
PIECE.
OF.
MOTHERFUCKINGPAPERATME!
I seethed. I seethed. I seethed.
WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THAT YOU CAN JUST THROW SHIT AT ME?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
I let the paper fall to my desk and saw her request. It wasn't anything urgent. She always takes forever in here since she's old, which is fine. But you know what? Just because you're older than dirt that doesn't mean that you can interrupt me or THROW SHIT AT ME.
When I ended the call with my nice and kind patron, Lemon Ricotta Lady plopped down at the chair next to my desk and asked if I had the information for her. Of course I did, because I'm an awesomeasfuck reference librarian, and handed it over.
Do you know what she had the nerve to say?
"Oh, this is long. 9 pages? I don't know if I want 9 pages. Can't you just get something from Google."
Seetheseetheseetheseetheseetheseetheseetheseetheseetheseetheseetheseetheseetheseethe.
"No, actually, this is better than Google. We pay for this subscription database. Any wackjob can make a website, this is reliable information right here."
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This is a MILLION times worse than the fucktards that stand across the room and snap their fingers at us like we're fucking DOGS. UNREAL!
ReplyDeleteThis woman is a real fucking piece of work.
Or the people that tap their fingers on the counter because you aren't moving fast enough to suit them. Fucktards!
ReplyDeleteThe snapping and tapping is annoying bad behaviors, but throwing shit is just totally not cool. I couldn't count how many times I've had library cards flicked at me. A couple years ago a child hit me in the head with the board book he flung at me and the parent didn't even care.
ReplyDeleteI've never had anyone really throw anything at me before. I've had phone numbers suggestively slipped into piles of books, but never a piece of paper hurled at me. I just can't look at the woman without thinking of throwing a pair of scissors at her face.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as that paper touched me, I would have told her to leave. Get. The. Hell. Out. I've had people throw their credit cards at me when I worked in retail - like it's my responsibility to keep track of the charges they make. When that happened, I called security, told them to leave, and more than once security trespassed them.
ReplyDeletePeople think that because we work in retail we have no education or power, but that just shows how ignorant people can be. I can void the transaction at any time; I have your credit card and account information (not that I'd do anything with it, but the temptation is there); I can 'forget' about that discount, I can change the price; I can refuse to serve you. Don't mess with the cashier.