Rat Poison
Learn something new everyday.
Because of the policy changes to the computers, our community/non-UZ patrons have been coming up to the desk to discuss the new restrictions with us. Oh it's fun to be bitched at.
One such patron came up with his little girlfriend to speak to me. He's a young guy. Doesn't even look college age. He's got thick blonde hair. He's looks clean, but his clothes are a little worn out. His girlfriend is the same.
Patron: Why did you restrict the public computers?
Me: We wanted to make more computers available to students.
Patron: What's the policy with the science labs? Can we go in there?
I assume he's asking about the science library computer labs.
Me: You can go in and check books out, but I don't know what their computer policy is.
Patron: No, I meant the science laboratories.
He pulls out a small stoppered vial.
Patron: I make rat poison for my friends because they don't like to buy it, and I wondered if I could use the university labs to do it.
The vial has a watery red liquid in it, and I am officially weirded out.
Me: Um, I don't know what the lab policies are, but I doubt that they'd let you use them for that.
Patron: You don't think so?
He tucks the vial back into his bag.
Me: Like I said, I don't know for sure, but highly doubt it.
Patron: Well, thanks.
He walks out with his girlfriend.
Later I mention the exchange to my boss.
Boss: Rat poison's slang for LSD.
Me: You serious?
Boss: Yeah, I can't believe he showed you his stuff.
Me: I can't believe I didn't know.
Boss: Haven't you ever done LSD?
Me: What?!
Boss: Well...
Me: Yes, I will tell my boss if I've done LSD.
He laughs and shelves a book on a cart. I narrow my eyes.
Me: Have you done LSD?
Boss: Yeah, I'll freely admit I have.
Me: Well, I haven't.
Boss: Why not?
Me: Um...The idea that I could have flashbacks five years later didn't appeal to me.
Boss: Yeah, that does suck.
I'm pretty much speechless now.
Boss: Do you think Laura or Kyle have?
Me: Um, don't know. Either Kyle hasn't, or he currently is. Hey, is there anything else you want to tell me? All this info is very useful.
Boss laughs again. He's a real laid-back, easy-going guy.
Me: Does being Springsteen's brother mean anything?
Boss: No, why?
Me: Well, a couple nights ago, another community member was claiming to be his brother and that Bruce comes to visit him every few days and seeing as how I'm such an innocent, I thought I should ask.
Boss: No, claiming to be Springsteen's brother is just crazy talk.
Me: Good.
Because of the policy changes to the computers, our community/non-UZ patrons have been coming up to the desk to discuss the new restrictions with us. Oh it's fun to be bitched at.
One such patron came up with his little girlfriend to speak to me. He's a young guy. Doesn't even look college age. He's got thick blonde hair. He's looks clean, but his clothes are a little worn out. His girlfriend is the same.
Patron: Why did you restrict the public computers?
Me: We wanted to make more computers available to students.
Patron: What's the policy with the science labs? Can we go in there?
I assume he's asking about the science library computer labs.
Me: You can go in and check books out, but I don't know what their computer policy is.
Patron: No, I meant the science laboratories.
He pulls out a small stoppered vial.
Patron: I make rat poison for my friends because they don't like to buy it, and I wondered if I could use the university labs to do it.
The vial has a watery red liquid in it, and I am officially weirded out.
Me: Um, I don't know what the lab policies are, but I doubt that they'd let you use them for that.
Patron: You don't think so?
He tucks the vial back into his bag.
Me: Like I said, I don't know for sure, but highly doubt it.
Patron: Well, thanks.
He walks out with his girlfriend.
Later I mention the exchange to my boss.
Boss: Rat poison's slang for LSD.
Me: You serious?
Boss: Yeah, I can't believe he showed you his stuff.
Me: I can't believe I didn't know.
Boss: Haven't you ever done LSD?
Me: What?!
Boss: Well...
Me: Yes, I will tell my boss if I've done LSD.
He laughs and shelves a book on a cart. I narrow my eyes.
Me: Have you done LSD?
Boss: Yeah, I'll freely admit I have.
Me: Well, I haven't.
Boss: Why not?
Me: Um...The idea that I could have flashbacks five years later didn't appeal to me.
Boss: Yeah, that does suck.
I'm pretty much speechless now.
Boss: Do you think Laura or Kyle have?
Me: Um, don't know. Either Kyle hasn't, or he currently is. Hey, is there anything else you want to tell me? All this info is very useful.
Boss laughs again. He's a real laid-back, easy-going guy.
Me: Does being Springsteen's brother mean anything?
Boss: No, why?
Me: Well, a couple nights ago, another community member was claiming to be his brother and that Bruce comes to visit him every few days and seeing as how I'm such an innocent, I thought I should ask.
Boss: No, claiming to be Springsteen's brother is just crazy talk.
Me: Good.
Labels: Patrons, Reference Questions
posted by Vampire Librarian at 6:20 PM
10 Comments:
wow. I had no idea about the whole 'rat poison' slang thing, either. But what kinda guy actually goes around showing people his illegal drugs? Weird, weird, weird. Who'd have thought working at a library would be so informative of the dark underbelly of society?! :)
Ooh, that's good information to know! I never knew that slang phrase either.
I get the distinct feeling that was just a prank. I could be wrong, but I could see some college buffoons doing it just to see how far they could go. You know, when the novelty of getting the fire department to rescue them from their chairs wore off.
No, Happy Villian, I'm pretty sure he was serious about the rat poison. This guy wasn't a student. He's been in a few times lately with his GF, and they've had some loud screaming fights. My boss thinks they might be street kids which is unfortunate. I'm going to keep an eye on them and possibly call UPD and force them to get help. That's the best part about being the only staff person in a building. You get to call the shots or rather UPD.
Wow. I have not had drug-makers identify themselves in my library yet.
Why couldn't they be meth-makers? There's a 25% chance they'll blow themselves up, so I hear.
Wow, you learn something new everyday...rat poison=LSD.
I work at University Library, too-I wonder if any of our circulation staff have had encounters as strange as that one...
Weird -- I never heard rat poison = LSD before but then I didn't know my high school was the center for drug dealing in the city either, so I can pretty much be counted on to be oblivious.
My ref desk experiences are so boring compared to the things you have happen to you.
This rat poison person sounds like he's a few beakers short of a laboratory. Doesn't he know the students are already using it to make their own drugs?
Your boss rocks. Can I borrow him?
I saw him first!
I didn't know about the rat poison as LSD either. Although I'd rather someone make LSD than Meth - with Meth they might blow themselves up, yes, but they also have a tendency to poison everyone in the area when it's made.
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