# That's why you can't bring food or drinks into the library, you hamster felcher!!!! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 6, 2003, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-why-you-cant-bring-food-or-drinks-into-the-library-you-hamster-felcher/199868 "2003-09-06T02:30:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![booka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e0b2c6/32.png) [@booka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/booka)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-why-you-cant-bring-food-or-drinks-into-the-library-you-hamster-felcher/199868/61 "2003-09-07T12:54:08Z")
> [@](#): > > But I forgot, you are a member of Gen Y, so you have no fucking clue what it means to be considerate towards others. you are self-centered, self absorbed, spoiled, selfish, have a huge unearned sense of entitlement and could use a good spanking, with a hard paddle on your bare ass. This comment is spot-on - especially the part about the sense of entitlement. An excellent rant overall. Thank you. ---
**Author:** ![Daowajan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Daowajan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daowajan)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-why-you-cant-bring-food-or-drinks-into-the-library-you-hamster-felcher/199868/62 "2003-09-07T16:18:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Alessan \* > \*\*Or even better, the special _Name of the Rose_ poison page edition. \*\* Stranger, I like the way you think! ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-why-you-cant-bring-food-or-drinks-into-the-library-you-hamster-felcher/199868/63 "2003-09-07T17:26:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Sender \* > \*\*If this by chance is directed at me, let me clarify my position. > > I hold that one should be responsible for oneself and any damage one causes. I also believe that policies like this are usually aimed at the lowest common denominator of the target group and would work better in a world of only black & white. > > I on the other hand am cursed/blessed with the ability to see in shades of grey, and can see the difference between perching a large uncovered glass of liquid on an electric device above a valuable and fragile set of books and carrying a capped nalgene bottle in a backpack. \*\* I often cringe when I hear such an argument, because, well there’s the word **"accident."** (Note: I agree that your capped nalgene bottle is low risk, and as far as I’m concerned if it stays in your backpack and you’re not consuming its contents – then it’s about as safe as if it was in a fridge somewhere. I’m just taking issue with that kind of argument in a general way.) On many an occasion, I’ve told a perfectly Reasonable and Conscientitous Adult “please do not bring _any_ food or beverages into the equipment room. One quick accident will cost thousands to repair.” The answer is invariably, “Oh, _I’ll_ be careful.” Disaster strikes and I am left to say “that’s why it’s called an _‘accident’_.” You may not be a rowdy dumbass. You may be Very Careful. But an “accident” is an unexpected happening that is not caused by any willful misconduct on your part. You might be smart enough to know to keep your beverage covered, to keep it away from a computer – so yes, the possibility of disaster is diminished, but it still exists far more so than if you just followed the rules and didn’t bring it in there altogether. The last big mess I saw, was when a Very Careful Person, an “_I’ll_ be careful” person, with a covered travel mug, collided with someone who wasn’t watching where she was going. Said collision sent mug flying – big splash! – coffee everywhere (luckily it didn’t get into anything.) Even a Very Careful Person can not account for the dumbassedness of others around them or simply unexpected circumstances (neither of these two were particularly “at fault” for bumping into each other, it was just a random _accident_.) Likewise, I saw a Very Careful Person spew a mouthful of coffee onto his computer screen when hit with a very unexpected sneeze. You plan on being careful, but you can’t plan for every unexpected thing. ---
**Author:** ![Wabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba9def/32.png) [@Wabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wabbit)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-why-you-cant-bring-food-or-drinks-into-the-library-you-hamster-felcher/199868/64 "2003-09-07T18:37:29Z")
I’m wondering how shorting out a monitor can bring down the entire library server (did the electricity cut out perhaps?) myself. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-why-you-cant-bring-food-or-drinks-into-the-library-you-hamster-felcher/199868/65 "2003-09-07T19:17:35Z")
**Wabbit** I’m guessing that the short blew a circuit breaker somewhere and the mini-blackout required the server to be reboot. My ex’s housemate once overwatered a plant that sat on top of the TV set ( :rolleyes: ) and the resulting short killed the power for their entire floor. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thats-why-you-cant-bring-food-or-drinks-into-the-library-you-hamster-felcher/199868.md?page=3)