SWL 2

The library closes at 12:00am.
They announce this at 11:30pm, 11:45pm, and 11:55pm.
Students know it closes.
If someone, like say a grad student has been scurrying for the last hour, and prints at 11:56pm, they should be able to get that document.
11:55pm last announcement.
11:55 pm The student librarian (which is a good idea only in theory) who talked to his friends loudly for the 4 hours you have been there typing and printng, typing and printing, turns off the printer and computer hooked up to it unbenownced to you.
11:55pm you finish the last document you need for you 7:00am class, and print it.
Walk over to computer to scan your ID to get you document, and the computer is off.
At 11:57pm you bring it to the attention of the student librarian, amicably.
The response is "Well, I turned it off." (he should be in MENSA) and looks at you like you are asking for his first born child. You proceed to explain that you could not have possibly worked any faster, gotten here any earlier, and need that document for class at 7:00am, about 2 hours before the library even opens tomorrow, and still, only the look.

11:59pm the circulation librarian steps in, (thank God) You proceed to explain AGAIN about 4 hours, going fast, and needing the document for class at 7:00am, before the library even opens tomorrow, and NOW the response is, "Maam, its past 12:00."

Well, of course it is NOW that you have been arguing with the student librarian and now you for at least 5 minutes. The librarians are now gathering around me in a circle, waiting. So, you explained AGAIN. The response was "they (as in the vague and ominous they) want us out the door at 12."

If the student librarian had waited, you could have been printed, logged off and been out the door before 12:00am.

If he had turned it on at 11:57pm, let it boot, let you reprint it, you could be walking out the door right now, at 12:05am.

But no, now its 12:05am, and your only defense is "they want us out the door at 12." (Well, that is shot now anyway.) So, you reiterate, "I need that document to teach a class tomorrow at 7:00 am. I could not have gone any faster, I only finished it at 11:55pm. I have been here for 4 hours working very fast, and the student guy turned the printer off early."

Just looks, verbal response seems unlikely. you look back, incredulously. Still no verbal response. Did they hear you? You follow up your statement with a "So.....?" nothing.
You follow up the nothing with a "So, you're not going to let me print?"
and still "well, they want us out at 12."

Okay, fine, but you are taking your sweet time packing up, probably about as long as it would take a high speed printer to print 101 pages. Then "safely removing" your flashdrive. Then logging off. Then staring down anyone left in the room. Then asking for the name of the head librarian. Guess what he's getting? Oh, and the president gets another one.

What do you do about the class? Who knows? see if theres a Fedex kinkos that does 24 hours?
That or be unprepared for class... way to go library, you've done it again.

Strongly worded letters...

Well when people at an organization or an institution really irk me, I find the best form of therapy is a screaming at the top of my lungs in the car where everyone can see, but no one can hear, and everyone thinks you're a crazy NY driver anyway, and to follow-up with a very cold, calculating, sphincter-snapping, strongly worded letter addressed to one or more of the heads of the department, organization, business, and the like. I also find that strongly worded letters tend to get responses, which is very empowering, and though probably bad for the world in the long run because it reinforces my ego into thinking that, yes I am in fact God. However, it might save some little people who stumble upon the organization of offense after me from trouble, and isn't that what divinity is really about? Fits of rageful vengeance followed by a strategic attack on evil to save the people from suffering what you have already burdened? That's right... god.

The events that led to the tirade above on SWL's were these:
Upon having to register by hand, as if the Bronze age were once again upon us, I drove across campus (it was raining) to the graduate department (no longer called the registrar because well, no one ever has to see a registrar in the digital age...except me.) they were actually extremely nice and helpful. Getting to see them, a soul-sucking adventure.

Imagine a 4-way cross shaped 90 degree intersection. Imagine now you, the cars to the right,and the cars across from you all have stop signs. The cars on the left have an unencumbered drive. You have to go straight, onto a very narrow road that could just fit 2 cars abreast if they were small and driven carefully. This road is NOT a one way road. This road is also filled with cars facing you, as far as you can see. Those cars are in the middle of the narrow road. There's no getting down that road. The cars on the left just keep passing through. The cars across and on the right vie for position to go towards your left, there are lines of cars behind all 3 of you, all irate. You can SEE the parking lot for the registrar. It's maybe 25 feet, maybe. Surrounded by a curb and cars in spaces. If only you owned a monster truck, or a canyonero (see Well Read Mom for clarification). Its the only way in... extremely frustrating. So what do you do? you go Left, after waiting for an opportunity when the cars that don't have to stop are gone. Swerve around the guy trying to take your spot cuz he's been siting at the stop sign so long he doesn't care whose turn it is, drive back onto campus, and walk to the registrar in the rain.

You ask the registrar people what is with the road and the parking lot, and they say a small private high school gets out, and forces parents picking up their children to all leave the school that way, implying it is a one way road, when it is in fact, not. This happens twice a day, everyday, at opening and closing of the school.
So who got a SWL? Well, who didn't? Were you spared? cuz I could send you one. The college president, the private high school principal and headmaster and the city in which they both reside.