Since coming back from Central America, I've been wondering if I've
stepped into the Twilight Zone or something. We've had very few Rogues Gallery
sightings in the past two weeks. Even Parka, who's almost a daily
presence, hasn't been in much at all. Other than Mr. B-Natural putting
in a well-behaved appearance, there's not been much to write home about.
Then
I arrived at work this morning and saw that by the computer was one of
our overdue notices, returned to us by the Post Office due to an
insufficient address. It was addressed to Paranoid Rick James.
That's right, the same high-strung little butt-salad-sandwich
who, a few months back, raised 8 kinds of hell that we not only
required a drivers license but also (GASP!) a physical address in order
to get a library card. Yes, the same guy who, after having made such an
enormous scene in front of nearly every other staff member BUT me, plus
refusing to supply said information to get a card, then came back a week later
when I was the only one on shift and gladly seemed to supply it. See he
was operating under the mistaken premise that because I had not
witnessed his first tantrum I wouldn't have heard about it. He'd even
been happy to show me his driver's license and provide the physical
address, and since I could find nothing wrong with it I let him have a
library card anyway.
"Did you see this?" I asked
holding it up for Mrs. C. She nodded and rolled her eyes. Mrs. A too
just shook her head in mute fury.
It's not that I was
surprised that Rick's overdue noticed was returned to us. I knew
something was fishy with his address back in July simply because he was
too happy to supply it. What I was surprised about, however, was
that he'd actually checked anything out using the card at all. He
usually prefers doing all his checkouts using his girlfriend Gladys
Knight's card. Apparently he was caught in the library one day without
her tagging along and was forced to dig his out.
How he
hornswaggled us is very simple and I'm pissed that I didn't do the math
until now. When he threw his original fit, it was because we wouldn't
just accept his post office box as his address and required him to put
down a physical address too. We only require this in the case of post
office boxes. When he came back a week later and supplied an address, it
was the non-post office box address on his drivers license. My thought
is, while the license was current (I did check that much), he had
probably since moved from the address listed on it so he didn't feel any
qualms about supplying it.
We're still in discussions
as to what to ultimately do about Rick. First and foremost, we've
blocked his patron account from checking out anything further until he
supplies a physical address and proper mailing address. Unfortunately, I
doubt he'll bat an eye at that. In fact, he'll probably view it as
proof that we're conspiring to get his physical address (and we are!) or
he'll view it as some kind of great victory over us, refuse to supply
the address and just never check anything out from us using his card
again. He'll probably keep coming in with Gladys Knight, though, just to
rub our noses in the fact that he's still getting his books on tape
through her. Not a lot we can do about that.
We've
discussed sending his overdue through Gladys Knight's address, which we
assume is correct. They live together so it would piss him off good if
we reached him that way. Me, I'm for just phoning him up, assuming the
phone number he provided works, and telling him off. Or better yet,
getting his physical address through other means and sending the sheriff
after him like we told him we would.
Suggestions?
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