Thursday, March 11, 2010

A Hostage Situation

We've established that I am a nice person. Terribly nice. Yet, sometimes it isn't by choice. Sometimes niceness is forced upon me.

Take, for example, the student who came into my office around 3:00 this afternoon. He plows in the door, bringing his BIKE with him, and flashed me a smile.

"I have a huge favor," he says.
"Sure, what can I help you with?" Remember, it is my job to be nice and helpful.
"Can I leave this here? I forgot my lock today. And look, I'll put it here and it won't be in the way, and there aren't chairs over there, and the door still opens, so it is okay. Thanks. Bye."

All I got out of him before he ran away was that he'd be back in an hour. One hour. I ddin't want to, but I can handle bike babysitting for an hour. And I can't just move it outside--it might get stolen if I do. That wouldn't be nice. And I'm a nice person. Whether I want to be or not.

The student was right: the bike wasn't it the way, but it was annoying. Just sitting there, staring at me, defying my rights and authority. Why can't I just be rude and say no? But then, I never really said yes...

Two hours later the bike still sat there and no student had come back to claim it. So I went home, and locked the bike in my office. Ha! I hope the kid had to walk home! I hope it was a long, miserable walk, all uphill. That will teach him to leave his bike in my office, to walk all over me and my niceness!

Now the question is, what do I do with the bike? Do I leave it in my office? If he doesn't come back by, oh let's say 9:00 tomorrow morning, can I ditch it outside and let whatever happens to it happen without feeling guilty about it? Better yet, anyone want a free bike? I know where to find one. And finders keepers, losers weepers, right?

POST EDIT: When I got to work on Friday, the bike was gone. Someone must have taken pity on the poor kid and opened my office for him. It was too bad, too, because I really wanted him to have to walk home.

5 comments:

Nicholas Mabey said...

I can't believe you put it in your office. I would have left it where he did. Poor kid to have to walk home.

--jennie

Erin said...

That is so funny. Nice bike. Maybe you should take it and ride. Ha Ha. How could he have forgotten his bike.

Dan said...

That is hilarious that he forgot it. If your department is anything like mine was, you live by the clock and when it's 5:00, it's 5:00 and that door is locked shut.

Do you even know this student? I think you are doing a huge favor to babysit the stupid bike. He should pay you or tip you like valet. Better yet, you should put up a sign in your office that says bike babysitting $5/hour, then when he comes to get it, charge $60 and say "what, you didn't see the sign when you dropped it off?"

Maybe you should just throw it out in the hall if it's not picked up by the time you close the office for lunch.

Nathan Meidell said...

sweet justice! Your silent, completely legitimate retaliation was also forced upon you.

Perfect! Then I'd just put it in the lost and found. After all, that's what they do.

Brooke said...

So, what happened? Did he ever come back?