Procrastinate much??

[Buzzy]

A quickie from last night. I was standing around at Customer Service (sundays are soooo slow) trying to find things to do, when a middle aged man and what appears to be his teenage son walk up to the counter. I ask what I can help them with. The father is the only one who talks to me.

"We need to print something here." he held up one of those little computer memory sticks. (I don't know what exactly they're called, but you probably know what I'm talking about) His son is standing in front of our application kiosk, which is a computer, but all it does is let people apply for a job. That's it.

Me: Sorry, but we don't have a public computer. There's nowhere you'd be able to do that in our store.
SC: *raising his voice* But there's documents on here that need to be ready tomorrow! (and that's my problem how??? ) Why do you have a computer here if you won't let people use it? *pointing to the application kiosk*
Me: That's not a functional computer, that's only for people applying to work here. It's not even attached to a printer.
SC: Surely you have a computer and printer somewhere here. What about in the offices?
(Now, we DO have computers that you could do that on, but they're for STORE USE ONLY. Customers aren't allowed to do anything on them. Shit, pretty much only managers are allowed to use them. Plus, they're in upper management's offices and seeing as it's a Sunday and they're gone, the offices are locked.)
Me: Yes, but those are for store use only. I'm not even sure I'm allowed to use them.
SC: This is ridiculous! I want to talk to a manager!
Me: *surprisingly cheery* I will gladly call her over for you.

So I call over the manager on duty. She shows up, is asked about using our computers, tells him no. He and his son leave in a huff.

What kind of idiots come to a GROCERY STORE thinking they can just use our computers? Isn't that what a library is for? I bet the guy's son had a school paper due the next day and was dumb enough to wait til the last minute to print it out. I'd put my next paycheck on it. And since I'm sure it is a school paper, can't the kid use a school computer first thing in the morning?

[superhotelworker]

You would think so, but that requires having a damn brain!

[Sapphire Silk]

Guess the guy forgot his glasses and mistook a grocery store for Kinkoids or Maximum Office.

Either way he would have had to pay for the print job at one of those places or at the library. Possibly at the school too.

(minor note; most people call them flash drives or jump drives )

[Falor]

What kind of idiots come to a GROCERY STORE thinking they can just use our computers?

Does it say something about my faith in the general public that, reading this, my first reaction was surprise? Not surprise that it happened to you, no. Surprise that I haven't had something similar happen in my grocery store...

Blast it all, my vacation is over in... fourteen hours

If I find him at my store in the morning I know who to blame, don't I?

[crashhelmet]

"Procrastination is just like masturbation. In the end, you're only screwing yourself."

- Unknown.

CH

[South Texan]

I can understand printing something out the night before it is due. That could simply mean the kid was working on it that weekend. Such is not unusual nor does it indicate he was irresponsible.

If the printer broke right when he attempted to print it, it certainly would be understandable and reasonable to save it to a flash drive and take it to a place where it could be printed. I know of three companies that are more than happy to rent out their computers and printers for such a purpose.

Expecting a grocery store to have that kind of a set up is where this one went south. Expecting the store to allow its business system to be used to print a customer's private paperwork or allowing the system to be exposed to who knows what kind of virus, worm, etc. on that flash drive is where this one went straight to the SC/EW status.

[Kristev]

Yes, I have to agree.

[infinitemonkies]

I've had a few people come to the hotel during my graveyard shift begging to print something out. As long as they're polite, I'll usually oblige them.
I can't imagine trying that in a grocery store though... But it would be amusing if you could have printed out the document on the 2" wide receipt paper.

[purplecat41877]

he held up one of those little computer memory sticks. (I don't know what exactly they're called, but you probably know what I'm talking about)

That's what they're called. I have one myself.

[Darkforge]

I've had a few people come to the hotel during my graveyard shift begging to print something out. As long as they're polite, I'll usually oblige them.
I can't imagine trying that in a grocery store though... But it would be amusing if you could have printed out the document on the 2" wide receipt paper.

This is genius, I'm am so going to print out the next non-work related document I'm asked to print for the staff on my receipt printer.

(if they ask nicely I might print it normally as well)

[LillFilly]

I just...cant fathom thinking that you go to a GROCERY STORE to do that! Kinkos or Staples or something, but a GROCERY STORE??? And that's sad that he couldn't tell what that computer was for, since I'm sure it looked nothing like a printer/kiosk.

[chainedbarista]

yes, i was wondering myself why this particular pair of deep thinkers decided, "hey, i need a paper printed out; i bet the grocery store can help us!"

ouch. now my head hurts from the lack of...grey matter involved.

[flutes_and_fabric]

They've already made the effort to drive somewhere, why didn't they just go to a kinkos or something? Unfortunately schools do not allow students to print out documents. In fact, most schools won't allow students to use computers unless the teacher has signed the class up for a lab, or the student has signed up previously. Something that is the same throughout all public schools is that they only have a certain number of free printer uses, so the schools avoid giving those to students. Most university libraries are open much later on sundays though. I just can't believe that his best idea was a grocery store...

[blas]

I'm insulted. I am the president of the Procrastinaters Unite!..........Tomorrow! club.

[Shalom]

I've had a few people come to the hotel during my graveyard shift begging to print something out. As long as they're polite, I'll usually oblige them.

I've seen some hotels with a "business center"; generally a converted closet with a few computers in it for the use of the guests. I wonder if there's some way you could figure out an appropriate charge for the use of the room even if they're not guests.

I can't imagine trying that in a grocery store though... But it would be amusing if you could have printed out the document on the 2" wide receipt paper.

Ha. In my last place of employment, the cash registers were Windows based, and the receipt printer is shown in My Printers as just another printer. I tried once to print something from the front register, intending that it should come out on the laser in the pharmacy department, but I forgot to change the default printer... sure enough, it printed out on the receipt paper.