All Signs Point To Duh, Part 4

| Pennsylvania, USA | Top

(I have a patron who has asked for our astrology books, but she has written “astronomy” in her notes. I ask her to clarify.)

Me: “Okay, so are you looking for astronomy or astrology?”

Patron: “Um…”

Me: “Science or mysticism?”

Patron: “Um…”

Me: “Are you citing NASA, or Madam Cleo?”

Patron: *blank stare*

Me: “Sorry; bad joke. Is Jupiter a god, or is it just another planet?”

Patron: “What?”

Me: “I’m just trying to figure out what you’re looking for here. Let’s try this: are you looking for star signs, or just stars?”

Patron: “I don’t understand what you’re asking me all this for. I just want astrolognomy!”

Me: “Let’s try one more time. Would the phrase, ‘What’s your sign’ be in any way relevant to what you’re looking for today?”

Patron: “Are you making fun of me?!”

Me: “I’m trying not to, really!”

Related:
All Signs Point To Duh, Part 3
All Signs Point To Duh, Part 2
All Signs Point To Duh

Dewey Decimal Disobedience

| Teaneck, NJ, USA | Uncategorized

(Note: Because it is a large, central location, the public library is sometimes used for town meetings. However, the library employees have nothing to do with these meetings. On this particular night, a public hearing is being held on the topic of firefighter layoffs.)

Firefighter #1: *leaving meeting* “I can’t believe they’re actually firing people! This is so f***ed up!”

Firefighter #2: “Those f***ing d***s!”

Firefighter #1: “I’ll show them! I’ll mess up their card catalogs!”

Me: *to coworker* “Do you want to be the one to tell him we use computers?”

Weighting For The Other Shoe To Drop

| South Carolina, USA | Uncategorized

Regular Customer #1: “Hey, have you lost weight?”

Me: *beaming* “I have, in fact! I’ve had to fight pretty hard for it. Thank you for noticing!”

(Ten minutes later…)

Regular Customer #2: “Are you having a baby?”

Me: *no longer beaming*

Alohomorons

| Newport, TN, USA | Extra Stupid, Family & Kids

(I’m working in the library when a patron of about 11 or 12 years of age walks up. We have the following exchange.)

Young Patron: “Where do you have the Harry Potter books?”

Me: “They’re right back here…”

(I show her to the section where we keep them. She stares at them for a while.)

Young Patron: “Can I have the Prisoner of Azkaban?”

(I take it out and place it on a table. She opens it up and leafs through it.)

Young Patron: “Oh my God! There are so many words! Can I have the one with less pages?!”

Copy That, Not

| Pennsylvania, USA | Extra Stupid, Top

(I am showing a guy how to use the copier.)

Me: “Lift the lid from the front.”

Patron: *ignores me and keeps trying the side*

Me: “The front.”

Patron: *ignores*

(I reach over and lift it for him.)

Me: “That’s the front. Do you want me to make your copy for you?”

Patron: *ignores me again* “So, I put it like this?” *flops the thing down diagonal on the glass*

Me: “Which side do you want to copy?”

Patron: *silence*

Me: “Which side–”

Patron: “So, it’s a dime?”

Me: “Which–”

Patron: “A dime?”

Me: “Wait a sec. Which side do you want to copy?”

(A minute or two later.)

Me: “Press copy and press start.”

Patron: *stares at the machine*

Me: “Copy is the first button on the screen.”

Patron: *stares*

Me: “Just press copy.”

Patron: “Now?”

Me: “Yes. Okay, now press start. It’s the giant green button.”

Patron: *stares at the screen*

Me: “On the right, in the keypad.”

Patron: *stares*

Me: “On the right.”

Patron: *stares*

Me: “The right. It’s the only green one.”

Patron: *stares*

(I reach over and point.)

Me: “Press this button.”

Patron: “Now?”

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