Sure I would. However, I’d also not continue asking “Why?” after the first time, when it became obvious I wasn’t going to get anything but the policy from the clerk.
So you have a policy for how you distribute finite resources. Which is what the library has. If you made exceptions to your policy, I’d be willing to bet that every time after that, when a new computer was purchased, you’d have a number of people asking to be an exception again. In that case, why have a policy?
Stoid is in California. You may not be aware, but that state is not exactly awash in cash right now. I’m sure the library would love to purchase more computers, or hire more people, or add more periodicals, or what have you … but odds are, they don’t have the money to do that.
After reading this post and the linked post about Stoid’s quest for “information - not advice”, it seems that Stoid expects there to be a Stoid’s exception whenever rules don’t fit her needs.
*Airline person: Please turn off your electronic equipment. Stoid: Why? It hasn’t been proven that there is actual interference with signals. I read an article a couple of weeks ago that disagreed with this theory.
Airline person: This is the rule. Please turn it off now. :eek: Stoid: Explain to me why this rule is in place. *
Theme Park Employee: I’m sorry miss. Pregnant women aren’t allowed on this ride. Stoid: This ride isn’t scary. Why is there a rule against pregnant women?
Theme Park Employee: It’s the rule. It’s there in black and white. Stoid: But why? I want to ride, so you have to explain all the possible reasons such a rule exists.
Theme Park Employee: :eek: (looking at the line building behind Stoid)
Grocery Store Employee: Ma’am, you have 16 items, there is a limit of 15 items for this line. Stoid: There’s no one behind me. Why is 15 the magic number? Why can’t you make an exception since there’s no one else here?
Grocery Store Employee: Ma’am there’s a limit of 15 items.:eek:
Waiter: Ma’am, I’m sorry, you must be under 12 to order from the children’s menu. Stoid: But I don’t have a big appetite. Why is this the rule? I don’t want to waste food.
Waiter: I’m sorry Ma’am, but that’s the rule. :eek:
I know you’re a rugged individualist who is averse to the herd mentality and that you’re so brilliant that you came up with the idea of using highlighters to mark the people who have had more than two hours on the computers all by yourself. With that in mind, why are you so unwilling to consider the possibility that you’re wrong? When there are 73 people telling you why the policy exists and giving you real life examples of why such a policy is necessary, it’s probably time to say, “Gee, maybe I’m wrong.”
I have an unwritten policy. More of a guideline. I make exceptions to it all the time knowing full well the consequences of what could happen if I make a mistake. In other words, I’d have to explain my actions to my boss.
Budget meeting conversation 1: ‘We don’t have any money for new computers, but it doesn’t matter because I see them empty all the time. So, when the current ones fail we won’t replace them until they are fully utilized’.
Budget meeting conversation 2: ‘We don’t have any money for new computers, but I see they are continually being utilized, so when we get money we’ll purchase some new ones and replace any ones that do fail’.
Re:
airline scenario: This is a safety issue. People could get hurt if violated. Not applicable to what Stoid is arguing.
Theme Park: Another safety issue and an attempt to avoid a potential lawsuit.
Grocery store: I’ve even had clerks call me over when there was no one else using the express line if I had more than the allowable limit. I’ve also arrived behind someone who was called over as the clerk didn’t see me in time to take me first. I waited as any rational person would* - exactly the same scenario at the library.
Restaurant: The customer can then get a half order off the adult menu. The waiter should offer that instead. Easily resolved.
*if the person at your store, library, etc, isn’t acting rational, or is violating the ‘don’t be a jerk’ statute, then kick the fucker out of your store.
I’m going to hazard a guess that the computers ARE fully utilized at various times of the day/week. Otherwise, there wouldn’t have been a need to create this policy in the first place.
Let me give you an example from my work that I’m dealing with right now. Our partners order materials from a third-party vendor that produces them at scheduled times during the year. We just passed the final cutoff for imprinted materials last Friday.
We have a brand-new partner who joined our organization last Wednesday. She wanted to get imprinted materials. I explained the deadline was 48 hours away, so she had to approve the paperwork and get the imprint information submitted within that timeframe.
I got the approved paperwork from her on Tuesday, two days ago (and two business days past the deadline). I explained that because of the deadline, her materials wouldn’t be imprinted. She said that was unacceptable, and complained to our CEO about it. While he agreed that she was past the deadline, and shouldn’t get imprinted materials, he asked me to try to work it out.
Naturally, this woman is very appreciative of our efforts to break our policy for her, right? She’s overflowing with praises and singing our names to the heavens, right?
Wrong. It’s been a complete fustercluck for the past 36 hours. She’s complaining about the lack of time she has to get these things done. She’s telling anybody who will listen (including our third-party vendor) that I screwed this up, and I should be held accountable. She’s whining and complaining and making this process take longer than it should and in general is being a huge jerk about it.
Meanwhile, I’m doing everything in my power to get this woman her imprinted materials, including breaking established procedures with long-term vendors. Now, I can handle it … I’m good at what I do. But situations like this are why you don’t go against a policy or procedures you’ve established. It just doesn’t pay off.
I don’t get the impression that she is using the university library. Very occasionally, I go to the University Law Library to look for some sort of secondary resource that I can’t get through Lexis or the bar’s case search service. From my experiences there, you can’t get access to the computers unless you are a student.
The local courts do have law libraries that are open to the public and I think that the one here does have Westlaw access, but the computers are old and slow and there are only four of them.
In other words, you are asking him why the policy exists with the hopes of finding a loophole or asking him to waive the policy. correct?
There are people who expect exceptions to rules because of their “special” cases. They’re the ones who annoy the flight attendants, cashiers, waiters, etc. with (sometimes logical) arguments despite the fact the the people they harrass cannot change the rules. They consider them non thinking assholes.
My response to your response.
Airlines: “Safety issue” - not according to the “article read a couple of weeks ago” that said there was no safety issue.
Theme Park - not according to the potential rider who’s ridden the ride in the past.
Grocery Store - I’m thrilled when a cashier enforces the rules. Have you never been behind someone in the express lane with a full basket of groceries who claims, “well last week I did it”.
Restaurant: All restaurants don’t offer the half adult portion. Are you kidding?
Maybe they could make a special exception just this once. I mean, it’s already been explained that she’s not that hungry, right? What more reason do you need?
I have no shame around who I am here, Leander. I know exactly who I am, I know exactly what I’m saying, and I know exactly what some people think of me. I’m sorry to disappoint you by not “getting it”, although I can’t really figure out what you imagine “getting it” would look like.
It’s always fun to get approval from any source, even public message boards, and it can be disappointing to get the reverse. But if I found myself looking to the Straight Dope for a meaningful assessment of my character or really, anything at all about myself or my life that truly mattered, it would be a very dark day, and then Michael Ellis’ belief about me would be true.
And finally, there’s a disconnect I’m going to connect for you: I have absolutely no respect of any kind for the opinions of people who take their entertainment from ridicule of anyone, not just me. I think it is strange and very sad for people to devote their time and energy to coming up with ways to mock or attack people they don’t like. Pointing and laughing is ugly, whether it’s at the Elephant Man or Stoid, and I would never look to the crowd of people doing it for instruction on how to improve myself.
Do you really not understand that if the rule states that each person only gets two hours of computer time and you ask for a third hour that is asking for an exception to the rules?
I didn’t ask for a third hour. Well, actually, that’s not technically accurate. I asked for a third hour BEFORE the rule was told to me, which was when he told me what the rule was. After I was told what the rule was, I asked why that was the rule, I didn’t ask him to make an exception for me or give me a third hour anyway.
I’m not unwilling at all, I’m always considering whether I’m wrong. I just don’t use the number of people who are in agreement as a means of determining it one way or another, for the reasons I stated in the post in which I stated it: large numbers of people being of like mind, whether negative or positive, says absolutely nothing about the subject they agree upon. Everyone agreed the earth was flat. Millions of people agree that Jesus of Nazareth died on the cross as part of a Rube Goldberg-like plan for salvation that an all-powerful creator came up with. Millions of people voted for George Bush two different times. Several dozen people here on the Straight Dope are convinced that advice and information are the same thing and that restating a policy in response to questions about the purpose of the policy is a good idea.