What's the proper etiquette on asking someone to watch your belongings, or being asked to watch someone else's belongings in the library? I'm specifically talking about the length of time people leave you to guard over their prized laptop. I've been asked numerous times to watch someone's laptop while they step out. I have no problem with this, however, sometimes they leave for 10, 15, 20 minutes. At what point am I no longer obliged to stay and make sure their laptop isn't whisked away?
Also, how many dirty looks must you give someone talking on their phone in the library before whisking it out of their hand and hurling it into the Donor Lobby?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
If someone asks you to watch their stuff, and they're gone for more than five minutes, it's no longer your responsibility to watch it. If someone gets up without asking you, you should watch their stuff anyway, under the assumption that they didn't ask only because they were attempting to be courteous and decided not to interrupt you from that youtube video you were watching so intently.
As for phones, I fully support a hurling policy - no dirty looks necessary. But not into the lobby - take it out and hurl it out of one of those big windows above the main entrance to Boalt, and into the big hole that our courtyard will soon be turned into.
I agree with a 5 minute rule.
Also, wtf is up with people's cell phone's going off in the main reading room, and then they run toward the door and right before they exit they answer the phone in a loud whisper? Just 1) shut your ringer off, and 2) if you simply can't not take that oh-so-important 4p.m. call, wait until you get fully outside the library to answer it.
And don't even get me started on people who answer their cell phones in the library. Even a 10 second "heysorryican'ttalkimatthelibraryi'llcallyoulater" is very distracting.
For me, it depends on how well I know the person. For someone I know well (and checks how long I'm going to be there) I could care less if they're gone for an hour. For Random Guy, I like the five minute rule.
It's such a silly little thing we do. But to all of you out there making me take off my headphones and stage whispering to me about keeping an eye on your computer, I have a confession to make. I agree to watch them all the time, but if I don't know you, then when you walk away, I immediately forget you. And if someone else comes along and packs up your laptop I will assume it's you and let them. Especially if they stage-whisper "thank you." I personally leave my laptop unattended in the library all the time and I've stopped asking someone to "watch it" for me. I figure the odds are about the same that someone at the table will notice another person stealing it whether I explicitly request their guardianship or not.
6:26: Why such a jerk? Why not just decline the invitation to watch the laptop? If someone asks me to watch their laptop, I at least glance at the person so I know roughly what they look like (gender, hair and shirt color) so that I'd know if someone who wasn't them was sniffing around their laptop.
I watch someone's stuff as long as I'm there, but if I have plans to leave in the next 10-20 minutes, I usually let the person know when he/she asks me.
Also, I'm cool with watching random guy's stuff for more than five minutes. What if he had a really bad tummy ache?! I'd want someone to return the favor in the event I have a digestive problem but don't want to disclose it.
I definitely watch someone's stuff as long as I'm there, but only feel obliged to stay and watch it for 5 minutes. If someone leaves for 15 minutes and I need to be somewhere, I'm not gonna stick around.
Since when did it become acceptable to hold conversations in the library and computer labs?
Post a Comment