We're taking a bit of a breather while the world rearranges its underpants. Meanwhile, the other blog is here.

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Some freaks are burning crosses on my front lawn

These days I'm disliking work so much that I'm coming in as late as possible. The fact that this allows me to go for the sequence of train connections that give me the quickest commuting journey with the space and time to pick up copies of three free newspapers and a cup of coffee and a croissant from the nice Polish girls in the station forecourt is neither here nor there. Even so, I'm still working over my alloted hours (not including work done at home).

Unfortunately, this does mean that Betty and Noreen end up taking the occasional peculiar 'phone call from our occasional peculiar librarians. The council's increasingly flaky internet connection fell over earlier than usual this morning, leading to this conversation between Noreen and Lettie at Dutch Bend:

"Is Kevin in?"

"He'll be in in about ten minutes. Do you want me to take a message?"

"I was on the internet when I clicked a link and the screen said I wasn't allowed to access this web site because it was deemed unsuitable by the IT Section. So I tried going back and I got the same message. Who are these people to say that I'm not allowed on the internet."

"Oh dear. I know this one. It's what usually happens when the internet connection goes down at lunchtime."

"But it says I'm not allowed on the internet."

"Do you want me to take a message and get Kevin to get back to you?"

"Why have they banned me from using the internet?"

"The connection's gone down. I could get Kevin to report it to the help desk if you want."

"Can't I report it to the help desk."

"If you want. Or, you could wait ten minutes and have Kevin do it for you."

"Are you telling me I can't report it to the help desk myself?"

"No. I'm just saying that if you don't want to, you can wait ten minutes and talk to Kevin about it."

"So I am able to report it to the help desk."

"If you want to."

"Well, what should I do then?"

"Perhaps you want to report it to the help desk."

"Are you saying I'm allowed to do that?"

"If that's what you decide you want to do..."

It amuses me to hear librarians moaning that they're not allowed to take authority and make decisions.

4 comments:

The Topiary Cow said...

Cow just wondering here, she commented at (perhaps too long) length on your post "Ever have a Dream" and doesn't see it, did it get lost or was it unworthy and moderated out of existence?

Just curiosity...

Moo!

Kevin Musgrove said...

That's a good question. It wasn't in the last lot I moderated (I switched moderation off on Sunday night because I knew this week was going to be tricky and didn't want to seem stand-offish).

I suspect it's lost, which is a shame. Sorry.

Webrarian said...

I like Noreen. I recognise that sense of refusal to be drawn in...

Very heartening.

Kevin Musgrove said...

Horribly sensible 51 weeks of the year. The second week of April, as we come to the end of Year End Hell, she's a bit incendiary.