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I love crossords. I also love books in general. I make at least one trip a week to the local Bookshop and always return with something. Because of my voracious appetite for puzzles, I venture into the GAMES/PUZZLES aisle at least once a month. This means that I have to wend my way through the semi-recumbent, adolescent male bodies reading the Hint books for Video Games to pick up the latest Simon & Schuster crossword volume. It's a bit of a problem but I really don't mind it much. After all, the section is GAMES/PUZZLES and these guys are as serious about their games as I am. Hey, there's nothing wrong with working a maze once in a while. 
The problem is that the NEW AGE section is across the aisle from GAMES/PUZZLES. Most people interested in New Age literature are perfectly normal, fine folks. However, we do get the occasional nut.
I well remember the day when I turned into the aisle and stopped dead. There wasn't anything else I could do because the place was impassible. A Lady of early Middle-Age had pulled a full three shelves of New Age titles on the floor and was literally swimming through them. She was doing the breaststroke with leg kicks and books being tossed in the air.
I'm a New Yorker. We pride ourselves on taking everything in stride. I'm also a Librarian. When confronted with something like this, the brain/mouth filter automatically disengages. I almost shouted, "What do you think you're doing?"
The Lady looked at me as if I was a server who had just spit in her soup.
"Well, I WAS testing the auras of these books so that I could decide which one to buy. Now, you've spoiled that and I'll have to start all over again." The only thing she didn't add was a "DUH?!"
I told a shop Assistant what was happening in aisle 17 and when he took a look, I doubt the swimmer found the book that was destined for her. I didn't find the puzzles that were destined for me that day but I did find a Bill Bryson book that made a rainy weekend very pleasant.
I always thought that, when I retire, I'd like a job in a Bookshop. After reading CS I'm not so sure about that.
The problem is that the NEW AGE section is across the aisle from GAMES/PUZZLES. Most people interested in New Age literature are perfectly normal, fine folks. However, we do get the occasional nut.
I well remember the day when I turned into the aisle and stopped dead. There wasn't anything else I could do because the place was impassible. A Lady of early Middle-Age had pulled a full three shelves of New Age titles on the floor and was literally swimming through them. She was doing the breaststroke with leg kicks and books being tossed in the air.
I'm a New Yorker. We pride ourselves on taking everything in stride. I'm also a Librarian. When confronted with something like this, the brain/mouth filter automatically disengages. I almost shouted, "What do you think you're doing?"
The Lady looked at me as if I was a server who had just spit in her soup.
"Well, I WAS testing the auras of these books so that I could decide which one to buy. Now, you've spoiled that and I'll have to start all over again." The only thing she didn't add was a "DUH?!"
I told a shop Assistant what was happening in aisle 17 and when he took a look, I doubt the swimmer found the book that was destined for her. I didn't find the puzzles that were destined for me that day but I did find a Bill Bryson book that made a rainy weekend very pleasant.
I always thought that, when I retire, I'd like a job in a Bookshop. After reading CS I'm not so sure about that.
And I can't say anything because we are supposed to be a place people can come and browse and hang out (and destroy property that isn't theirs, apparently).
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