Time for employee development!

Picture this to be Crazy Headphones Lady's third day in a row to visit the library. She walks by the desk and cheerfully says hello and asks how I am. Whenever she's nice, I am leery. This means she already knows she will need help. She proceeds to sit at one of two computers (out of the 75 available) that she has never been able to play videos on. She also happened to pick the only one not already equipped with headphones. She asks to borrow some and Circ. Ass. #1 takes her ID as collateral.

Everything is smooth operating so far. Several hours later, I had just returned from lunch and Crazy Headphones Lady approaches the circulation desk.

Crazy Headphones Lady: "I need my ID back."

Circ. Ass. #2: "OK, what's your name?"

Crazy Headphones Lady: "It's [Crazy Headphones Lady]."

Circ. Ass. #2: "Here it is!"

At this point, Circ. Ass. #2 proceeds to hand Crazy Headphones Lady her ID without her returning our headphones, which is what the ID was collateral for in the first place. I decide to step in.

The Boss: "Uhh, we need our headphones back."

Crazy Headphones Lady doesn't seem to like me, so she ignores me and addresses the circulation assistants as some kind response proxy.

Crazy Headphones Lady (responding to me, but directed at Circ. Ass. #2): "They're over there, at the computer."

The Boss: "We'll need those back before we can give you your ID."

Well, Circ. Ass. #2 has mistakenly given Crazy Headphones Lady her ID back already, so she's becoming uncooperative.

Crazy Headphones Lady: "If you stand up, you can see them over there. That guy is using them right now."

The Boss: "Please go get them. They belong over here. If he needs some, he can check out a pair."

Crazy Headphones Lady walks off to the computer, mumbling something. She yells from the cubicle, "See, here they are!"

I ignore the yelling, hoping she will just return them to me. Still astonished that Circ. Ass. #2 traded her ID for no headphones. Makes me wonder what happens the seven hours we're open during the weekdays when I'm not here. At least there's still Circ. Ass. #1.

- The Boss