Today was just like any other day... actually it wasn't. My kids were driving me up the wall and I was glad to be able to go to work at the library, where I could wind down.
Work at the library is always really nice after working with kids all day. When I am working at the library all I have to do is put books in order, it's quite and I don't have to deal with patrons (I just direct them to the reference librarians). Well, being extra grateful that I didn't have to deal with people today, I just wasn't in the mood, I went on my way to work.
Now, I must say, that I am getting pretty good at putting books in order and shelving them. We have to keep record of how many books we shelve and how long it takes us and I'm proud to brag that I am doing better than I would have expected myself to do and still improving. So, I just expected for work to go by fast and steady and then to be off by 7, to do whatever the heck I wanted to do. This is how I wanted the rest of my day to go and what I had looked forward to. Little did I know what was a typical bad day would quickly become the weirdest most awkward day I have ever experienced in a long time.
So there I was in the video section minding my own business shelving my cart of videos, when I came to an aisle with a patron in it. Admittedly I was annoyed that I would have to work around him, but I pressed on. Finally it came to point where he was right in front of the shelf I needed to file some videos. I kind of stood there next to him hoping he would get the hint, and when he didn’t I decided to go to the cart and skip that aisle until he was gone. I tuned around and there was that man standing right there in a sort of creepy and awkward way. He was about 5’9” stout-looking with facial hair (it was longer than a five 0'clock shadow but not quite a beard) I would guess he was in his mid thirties. He then asked me, “Can I ask you a question discreetly?” Taken back by such a strange question I hesitantly said, “I guess.” He took me down an aisle where there was no one around to over hear him. He looked me in the eye, with sweat on his brow, in a low voice he said, “I am looking for a video that will show me how to… you know, be intimate with your wife. Can you help me?”
Is this guy for real?! Why does he have to ask me that?! First off this is a public library in
“But I am so embarrassed, please, please, help me just this once.”
Why did I have to have this patron today? As I wondering if he was being perverted or if he was really embarrassed, I thought I would humor him. “Sure” I said cautiously.
So I went to library catalog to see if we carried any videos on “intimacy”, and wondered why he couldn’t do this himself.
I was of course right, there was no such video, so I looked up some books on the subject and wrote them down so he could look for them if he so desired.
I took it to him and explained to him “sir, we do not have any videos on the subject, I have however, found some books on the subject, but because I am not entirely sure what you want to know I am sure if you look in the general area where these books are you will find what you need. I again urge you to refer to a reference librarian they are more qualified than I am to help you find what you need.”
“Well, what I am looking for is, well, I’ll just tell you, see, my wife is Pregnant,”
Doesn’t he get the hint; I don’t want to help him.
He continues, “she is big and well, she wants some… and… well, I don’t know how to give it to her.”
WHY ME!!! I don’t want to know this, I don’t even know him! “Well, sir, I am sure the library does have books on that topic, but I strongly recommend you asking a reference librarian for help, they would know how to locate what you are looking for.”
So I went back to shelving, it was quite awkward, but he kept standing there.
“You know what I wish they had more of; I wish they had more movies of children being abducted.”
What?? Why is he still talking to me!? He went on about how he was a detective some years back and how his daughter was abducted and it took a long time to find her, now they keep in touch through email.
Random! And again who freaking cares?!!
“you know what, I am going to tell you something, I going to tell you this because you are a women, and women have a way of getting the word around,”
Oh great what else is this moron going to tell me?
“Lately women have been getting raped.”
Lord help me.
“Yeah, women have been getting raped, by highways and in parking lots; it has been happening a lot. A woman could be having car problems and when she goes to check her car there would be a man hiding under the car and when she gets close enough he cuts her Achilles tendon, pushes her in to a car or van and rapes her. I don’t why guys get aroused by that, I know that kind of thing doesn’t arouse me.”
He then went on for some time telling me I should never park by vans or cars with tinted window and how I should always park where there is light because men are afraid of light (I was getting really creeped out). He continued to tell me of the time his brother was being mugged and how he threw up on the attacked and the attacker was so discussed that he went way and advised me to throw up if I am ever getting raped because that might make the man go away.
With that being said I retorted “well, logged and noted” hoping he would get the hint and leave.
Finally, he did.
“Well, I guess I will go and look for these books you suggested.”
“Yeah, good luck with that.”
“Thanks”
Yeah whatever!
Can I just say how much I hated that whole thing!! Why did I have to experience that? Why!! Why did that guy fill the need to tell me about his sex life and how he couldn’t give it to his wife? Why did he go into detail about that whole rape thing? WHY!!!!
I don’t know if this guy was for real or if he was being a pervert. All I do know is that I am not getting paid enough to deal with this kind of crap. How would you guys feel if this happened to you? What would you guys do? Am I the only one who thinks this not normal for a first conversation?
4 comments:
Wow. Creepy guy.
My vote is that he is not completely with it at the moment. Perhaps he just has no understanding of socially accepted behavior.
-moo
I totally laughed my head off. I used to work in a library at the university once upon a time. You always knew it was gonna be a crappy day when people came up to the desk and said things like, "what's a double-click?" or "what happened to the card catalogue?" It was usually right about then that I suddenly realized that it was time for my lunch break.
That is one of the most incredible stories I have heard in a long freakin' long time! Wow. Nice work. I haven't had that kind of excitement at my library all semester!
Post a Comment