April 13, 2004, evening shift.

Note: Most days are uneventful in the Public Computing Center (knock on wood) so I thought I'd enliven things with memorable incidents from the past. The vast majority of patrons (AKA customers) are friendly, reasonable people. Unfortunately, it's the other kind that furnish us with our most unforgettable encounters.

Things were going swimmingly when a patron asked to change computers because the one he was at had "froze up." So I let him have another and went over to fix the computer he had been using, only it worked fine. But I saw that the chair had liquid spilled in it. Liquid that smelled like beer. So I looked over to where the patron was sitting and saw that he had his coat in his lap and under the coat was either Indiana's biggest erection or a quart bottle. So I watched him for awhile and every few minutes he would look to see what I was doing. I made it obvious that I was watching him and he started to look a little aggrieved. Finally the PCC filled up and I had to start the waitlist (pre-SAM). I guess he thought that it was his opportunity because he pressed the coat to his lips for a drink (using a straw, I think).

I sauntered over and informed him that he couldn't drink at the terminals and if it was beer he was drinking he should take it out of the library. He acquiesced, leaving the room. I watched him go but don't know if he actually left the library. Security was busy somewhere else at that moment so I couldn't get his opinion. Unfortunately, now the PCC smelled of stale beer and a gaggle of young teens were clumped together "doing their homework."

All in a day's work.