I’ve been sitting here in the upper level of the mega-bookstore coffeeshop for about two hours. For some managerial reason, after 6 p.m. they rope off the stairway that leads to the lower level. At the bottom, it is also roped off to prevent anyone’s ascension. In other words, after 6 p.m. the stairway is off limits. One must use the distant escalator or nearby elevator instead.
The whole time I’ve been sitting here high on caffeine I’ve been watching an amusing phenomenon. Sometime before my arrival someone moved the little pillar supporting the velvet rope that blocks the descent. There it stands, about one and a half feet askew of where it should be. Needless to say, this allows for people to flit through sideways and go galloping down like the heedless sheep that they are.
I’ve now watched at least three dozen people go halfway down the stairway, turn at the landing, notice the barricade at the bottom, heave a sigh, and haul their weary asses all the way up again to merge with the herd in some other direction.
But here’s the interesting thing. Not once has anyone moved that pillar back the eighteen inches that would surely stop the gap, stem the tide… STOP THE INSANITY! Apparently, not one thought going out toward the bleating masses in tow.
And me? Well, I’m enjoying this far too much to get up and go fix the problem myself.
Oh… there goes another one… clomp, clomp, clomp, clomp… “Ba-a-ah! Ba-a-ah!”
3 comments:
Very funny story. Must be a sheep nazi at the bottom saying, "no stairs for you!"
An excellent commentary on todays society. I would be willing to wager that the majority of these people were under 30 years of age. Some 70 year-old guy would have surely fixed the problem upon returning to the top of the stairs!
Dear Anonymous:
Thank you for your comments... come to think of it, yes, most of the unfortunates were younger types.
And Dear Chord of Three Strands:
You have hit upon an important omission in my story. Halfway down the stairs there is a sliding door that is locked shut. I called it a "barricade at the bottom" but really it isn't. It is a locked door HALFWAY down the staircase. From the bottom, you can see it (the door) but from the top, you can't, because the stairway reverses direction [this is beginning to sound like quite the stairway huh?].... at any rate, your attention to detail is striking. Thank you for reading so closely. I am not aware of anything Dr. Seussian about the word "bookpuddle." Is there such a book and/or puddle?
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