Saturday, July 30, 2011
We Should Be So Lucky
First- I am in no way attempting to excuse the rude, disgusting behavior of the idiots in this ad. To me, libraries are still sacred places. The idea of people eating freaking candy bars while flipping through old books, leaving sticky fingerprints on books lovingly donated with the best of intentions or on PC keyboards- I mean, come on, some of us are still trying to have a Society here.
But you know what? I've spent enough time in libraries recently to know that if the worst that today's current generation of slobs could come up with is snapping Kit Kats and grunting "mmm" every few seconds, we non-pathetic library lovers would be quite appreciative. But it's not- not even close. Instead, over the past year I've witnessed
1) Full-throated conversations carried on at a volume better suited for subway stations
2) thoughtless jackasses listening to music on their I Pods. In the library. Again- more appropriate for subway stations
3) Any number of knuckle-dragging, clueless choads listening to rap music, speeches, and pretty much everything else on library PCs (I've asked librarians- "if you MUST provide internet access, why can't you at LEAST deactivate the volume?" They always look at me like I've got a second head growing out of my neck.)
So please, Anti-Social, Rude Pricks Who Insist on Putting Yourselves on Display at my Local Library- take a hint from this commercial and confine your stunning lack of common sense and dignity to breaking candy bars and letting us know that you like the taste. Because behavior that would have been almost scandalous a couple of decades ago would be almost a breath of fresh air these days.
But please- stay off the computers, and don't open any rare books. We can ignore the stupid, satisfied sighs- and in real life, Kit Kats really don't make that much noise when you break them.
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You mean they actually hook the speakers up where you live? Whose bright idea was that?
ReplyDeleteThat being said, whoever wrote this ad obviously hasn't ever gone to a library; I mean, to an ad man, books with all those ideas that stir the imagination are like kryptonite.
My local library requires that people use headphones or ear buds. First, pretty much everyone uses ear buds, which are practically worthless- I can hear what people are listening to twenty feet away. Second, the rule is never enforced- if no headphones or ear buds are available, the worthless, selfish jerks just put the volume up so they can hear whatever crap they "need" to hear at the library.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I don't know when internet access became some kind of social right, along with education, and therefore must be provided in libraries. But if libraries "must" provide it, they should either have the PCs in a separate room or at LEAST disable the volume.