I've always loved going to bookstores and libraries all of my life. I especially like small old bookstores tucked inside a brick storefront. You know the ones with a little bit of character. There's usually a cat napping on a bookshelf or on the counter up front. The air is a tiny bit stale, the lighting is dimmer, but you can still read the print. The store is neat and tidy and smells a bit of new print with just a touch of mustiness. Here and there an old wooden chair or maybe a worn upholstered chair is stuck near the shelves beckoning you to sit for awhile and read through a good book. Now that's my idea a of great little bookstore or library. Unfortunately that does not describe my library.
I decided to try a different library today. I had the last straw with my library after the latest episode of gross behavior I encountered. No sooner had I sat down, than a man sat at the computer next to me. Let me tell you that I can't for the life of me understand why libraries don't provide more privacy for the computer stations. I know they need to monitor who's on them, but how about having the staff walk around once in awhile instead? Every library I've been to has these open work stations. You can see and hear everything. That's where the problems begin...
The man that sat next to me had a problem with sniffing in what ever should have been blown out of his nose. Now mind me, it wasn't one of those little sniffles people usually have. It was loud, sounded like something big was stuffed up in there and was moist. That went on for and hour and twenty five minutes. That's how long I took to do my business and get the heck out of there. I cut my allotted time because that was all I could take. However, that wasn't the only thing he did. He also belched. A lot. The smelly, I know what you just ate kind. And he passed gas a few times. Of course you guessed it. The very smelly kind. Like something had died inside and stewed for awhile.
Never once did he say excuse me. Perhaps if he had, I would have been less appalled and completely forgiven it. I mean after all you can't control all of your bodily functions. I can ignore a lot of things. But to not at least apologize, or feign to acknowledge your embarrassment to the person who becomes the victim of your emissions... It makes me wonder what he does in the privacy of his own home. Oh wait, I don't even want to get a visual about that in my head!
I had gotten used to the loud cell phones ringing or singing, the conversations and the personal ticks. But this took the cake! I must either have the face of someone who is so oblivious to the world, or someone stuck a sign on my back that says, "Sit next to me I love annoying, disgusting behavior!"
I only sort of like that in the movies!
I decided to try a different library today. I had the last straw with my library after the latest episode of gross behavior I encountered. No sooner had I sat down, than a man sat at the computer next to me. Let me tell you that I can't for the life of me understand why libraries don't provide more privacy for the computer stations. I know they need to monitor who's on them, but how about having the staff walk around once in awhile instead? Every library I've been to has these open work stations. You can see and hear everything. That's where the problems begin...
The man that sat next to me had a problem with sniffing in what ever should have been blown out of his nose. Now mind me, it wasn't one of those little sniffles people usually have. It was loud, sounded like something big was stuffed up in there and was moist. That went on for and hour and twenty five minutes. That's how long I took to do my business and get the heck out of there. I cut my allotted time because that was all I could take. However, that wasn't the only thing he did. He also belched. A lot. The smelly, I know what you just ate kind. And he passed gas a few times. Of course you guessed it. The very smelly kind. Like something had died inside and stewed for awhile.
Never once did he say excuse me. Perhaps if he had, I would have been less appalled and completely forgiven it. I mean after all you can't control all of your bodily functions. I can ignore a lot of things. But to not at least apologize, or feign to acknowledge your embarrassment to the person who becomes the victim of your emissions... It makes me wonder what he does in the privacy of his own home. Oh wait, I don't even want to get a visual about that in my head!
I had gotten used to the loud cell phones ringing or singing, the conversations and the personal ticks. But this took the cake! I must either have the face of someone who is so oblivious to the world, or someone stuck a sign on my back that says, "Sit next to me I love annoying, disgusting behavior!"
I only sort of like that in the movies!
