Miss Information

Miss Information is annoyed by elevator repair guys

Miss Information's place of employment is aging--badly. For the last month or so the elevator has been breaking down on an almost daily basis. Last Saturday provided endless enjoyment as the elevator stalled on the main floor of the library with its doors open. This was right beside the reference desk where Miss Information whiles away the hours answering occasional patron questions and waiting breathlessly for the release of the next employee newsletter. At any rate, she was in an excellent position to watch as the elevator gradually slipped towards the basement.

So basically, the thing's a death trap.

It's in everyone's best interest to stay as far away from it as possible. At least until it's properly repaired--in 2007 when the building is scheduled for a massive renovation. Until then the elevator guys are supposed to keep the thing operational using the finest duct tape available. Well, the finest duct tape available within the library's price range.

Anyway, in order to stop trapping those customers who fail to notice clearly posted "out of order" signs (see blog entry dated April 15 for an inspiring example) , the library staff has taken to plastering the elevator doors with that funky yellow caution tape that sort of looks like police crime scene tape but isn't really.

After all, who doesn't love that bright yellow caution tape? The elevator repair guys, that's who. They now refuse to work on the elevator while the caution tape is present. It seems that as long as the elevator vaguely resembles a crime scene, the elevator guys will not interfere with (or fix) it.

They are baffled by the library's need to resort to this kind of thing because, you know, who ignores "out of order" signs? Miss Information sighs. They just don't understand the sort of idiocy at work here.

The caution tape is now removed. The elevator doors are barricaded with tables. The "out of order" sign has been taped directly on top of the call button. And yet today Miss Information watched helplessly as customer after customer stepped around the obstacles and attempted to press the call button through the sign. They didn't move it or lift it. They just ignored it.

You've got to admire that kind of blind determination.

posted by Miss Information @ 9:16 PM