h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I don't know about librarians, but booksellers are often seen as confidants by many people. They will talk about the most personal things as if they were talking to their doctor (making a change, I suppose, from the folks who think they are at the dentist because getting information from them is like pulling teeth).

I felt good when someone would come to me with a problem I could help with. I often had women who had suffered miscarriages (or their husband) looking for a book on the subject. Since I have been there, I was able to show them some books and talk to them, and give them some numbers to call (I hated that the "powers-that-be" would NOT separate the books on miscarriage and death of a child, or "fertility probelm" books from the regular "having a baby" books).

However, we would often get the TMI customer.... People with "bowel" probelms who needed a diagnosis... The woman who went to a co-worker of mine for assistance. Her brother had "just been diagnosed as a Paedophile" and she wanted some books on the subject. We suspected she had no idea just what that was and would have been very shocked when she found out. My friend directed her to the section and got the hell away.

We get that sometimes, particularly with study-related things (I'm in a higher education library). We are often the first people that a student will talk to about difficulties with their course, or difficulties in their personal life, and we can often lend a listening ear or refer them on to people who can help.

The day it was most obvious that we are regarded as more than just minions by some people was the infamous September 11th, when most of the students who were on campus ended up in the library, either watching the news unfold, asking our opinions on it, or off in one of our offices being comforted because they knew someone in New York or Washington. Whenever there's a minute's silence, people will gather in our foyer, as well as the college chapel. I think because they see us every day, they feel we're safe.

Then of course, you get the ones who run away if they see you out and about, just in case you do a librarian at them.

The range is quite astonishing, from, as you say, the people who give you no information, so you really can't help them, to the people who end up discussing their essay topic with you in great depth, and get very excited when you suggest a different angle on things. Then of course, there are those who look at you suspiciously if you show signs of knowing anything about their subject (yes, we are educated people too, students!).

All good fun.

David - in a library where the students have all gone home and the summer courses have not yet arrived. Vewy vewy quiet...

Just don't be thinking about albinos loose in the stacks... ala "Foul Play"... (are many librarians alone in the darkened library at 3 am??????)

Not retail and I posted this on another thread, but thought I would share my day with you all....

I had one of those days today.... First, my timesheets which I had done and in in record time on Monday came back to me. Some boob at the Ministry had told them to get me to do it one way, which was how I had been doing to for 2 months. Yesterday AFTER everyone had done their timesheets and gotten them in, he calls and says he never told anyone to do them the way they were being done.

What took me 2 hours on Monday, took me 6.5 hours to do today, as I hadn't kept track of the nit-picky items which I now have to keep track of.....

Finally, at 3pm, I get a call that means I can scoot off to the bank AND McDonalds. That is great because I haven't eaten and have no money.

On the way back, one block from work, this guy to my right veers across RIGHT in front of my car to go into a laneway. I slam on my brakes, come to a rest against his car with my BRAND NEW car.... The Gods were smiling because neither of our cars were damaged. By rights there should have been a LOT of damage.

However... after handshakes and relief, I turn to get into the car, trip over the curb, fall ass over teakettle onto the pile of dirt and crabgrass that passes for a lawn, narrowly missing whacking my head on a metal railing.

Fine, I narrowly miss crashing my car, narrowly miss smashing my brains out.... BUT, I have completely ruined any shred of dignity I had. I suppose it could have been worse, I could have been wearing a skirt.

Thanks.....

Ooooo, I hate it when drivers do that! Veer in front of you. Have had some near misses from that myself.

... and we're not talking changing lanes... we're talking a complete right-angle from the right side of the road... and no signal. Luckily it was me driving and not my mother whose reflexes aren't as good as mine.

Sadly, a lot of people have no idea what that little stick on the left of their steering wheel is for.

Yah, that's what happened to me. The guy was in the middle lane, and saw a store he wanted to turn into on his right, and just turned directly in front of me, I was in the right hand lane. I reflexed really fast, slamming on brakes and pulling right to the curb. Our vehicles just touched, and all it did was chip the paint! But I called the cops on him anyway!

A friend of my mother's, who doesn't drive, always asks "Why do they spend so much money on their cars and not spend that little bit extra to get indicators?" I think it is the funniest response to those idiots I've heard.

I'm in the process of teaching my 16 yr old to drive. It's a long drawn out process because in this state, the kids are required to have their learner's permit for 6 months, and they must log a minimum of 50 hours behind the wheel before they can even take the behind the wheel test.

Anyhow, it never fails - as soon as she gets in the driver's seat, it's like our car becomes invisible - drivers pulling out in front of her all over the place! How can they possibly miss seeing a bright red car?

We've also noticed that most cars out there don't seem to be equipped with turn signals.

"Teaching a 16 year-old to drive"

When will the licencing authorities get it into their head that teenagers are the worst possible people in the world to be behind the wheel of a car!

"...a long drawn out process..."

it very, very short process, but everything longer than a week USA is too long for some in USA. ok. bread stays fresh for more than 1 yr.

I really think that turn indicators should be standard on all cars...

This could rapidly turn into a "What I hate about other drivers..." thread, but dontcha just hate:

People who pull out from laneways and then come to nearly a stop in front of you?

People who drive 60 in a 100km zone... in the fast lane?

People who can't make up their mind which lane they are going to use, so use all of them?

People who veer left to make a right-hand turn (or right to make a left-hand turn...)?

People who think that the Yield sign means 1) they only have to yeild to cars, not pedestrians or bicycles... or 2) that it means others are supposed to yield for them.....

i think i'll take the.

xx

Pheloxi - yes, teaching her to drive was a very short process - she had the 50 hours within a month of aquiring her learner's permit, but in contrast to "the way things always were", up until about 2 years ago, we still have months and months to go before she can take her driving test. It used to be in the *old days* that you only had to have your learner's for about a month before you could get your license.

Yes Gosho, 16 yr olds are probably the worst drivers around most of the time. But the state continues to license them, so the kids tend to get really excited about their new-found freedom and can't wait to get their licenses.

In the UK you have to be 17 to learn to drive, but there's no minimum period before you can take your test after you get your provisional licence. They do have all sorts of things to penalise new drivers though - insurance is through the roof of course, and you only need half the number of penalty points to get disqualified during the first three years or so after you pass your test.

But they're right, really, new, young drivers are some of the worst on the roads. Possibly not even beaten by middle-aged cocky men.

...or any-aged cocky men....

Old people are a threat, too. Their reflexes are not what they were, however experienced they are or good drivers they were. And their eyesight and hearing deteriorates before they notice it, too.

Please remind me of this in 10 years time.