on 8.13.24 I found a nice spot (or so I thought) in the southeast corner of the library (2nd floor) as the library was opening for the day. I only use the library for a few months a year & I hadn't sat in this section for a while and realized how nice the light was coming thru the windows. Nobody else was there yet (or so I thought), but I noticed a few articles of clothing scattered around the area. I thought somebody must have forgotten them and they weren't picked up by the staff for some reason (turns out this guy scatters his stuff around apparently to try to keep people away. So he had done this already in the first few minutes of the library opening.
I began my work on my laptop (ongoing project) and a little while later a guy came in singing. He set a bunch of bags down in one chair (#1)and then he went to a different carrel (#2) nearby in my line of sight. A few moments later he popped up and moved over to a carrel (#3) at the end of the row where he had some more "stuff". A few minutes later I noticed there was a shirt behind the curtain next to me hanging over one of those portable round laptop "desks"; apparently with the intention of being dried by the sun, like a clothes line.
I didn't know this was also the fellow's stuff (but it turned out to be, #4). The guy returned to carrel #2 and then bounced up to discard a banana peel. Back to #2 he sat for a few seconds, then let out a LOUD BURP without apology. I finally said something: "YOUR BEHAVIOR IS INAPPROPRIATE. I will report you if this continues. This is NOT your living room".
He totally ignored me as if he couldn't hear me. But I know he could hear me. I knew he wasn't deaf because he also periodically was talking on his phone. A few moments later he BURPED LOUDLY again ( other patrons heard it as well, looking over towards him). So this time I walked over to the desk and talked to Chris about it. Chris said they are aware of this fellow and said he is "mentally ill" but that they "must personally observe the inappropriate behavior" themselves in order to take action.
He said they would do a "walk by" in a few moments. And he DID walk by and noticed the scattered stuff all over the area and gently told the fellow that he needs to keep it all together in once place. The fellow obeyed the instructions without a response, putting all his stuff together by his #2 spot.
Chris left and I resumed working on my laptop. The fellow talked on the phone again, sounding as if he was able to function NORMALLY in that regard. I don't think he's mentally ill as much as he is simply self-centered and could CARE LESS about other people. I don't think this is a matter of having compassion for a mentally ill person as much as it is about a person willfully defying socially acceptable behavior & normal etiquette. Anyways, since the library is not a psychiatric hospital, we're not here to take care of him and bend backwards to allow inappropriate disruptive behavior that is driving people out of this area.
Nonetheless, I left the area for the time being: I try to get outside for exercise every day around this time. Later when I returned I chose a different area; but did make an effort to to see if he was still there and YES he was- and his "stuff" was spread out again. And as I was leaving at the end of the day I intentionally walked by again and he had a ton of food items all over the place.
One day later 8/14/24 around opening time I thought about sitting in the "nice light" area again but there he was already - all set up- and all his belongings spread out again. Chris was back behind the desk . I get the feeling he doesn't like doing rule enforcement and didn't approach him. He will do it if asked, but who wants to be the one who asks for rule enforcement every day. Then I will become the "bad guy".
But I shouldn't feel forced to find a different area of the library just because of one selfish jerk. By the way, this same guy smirked at me later in the day as he walked by, as if he had "won". I don't think he's low IQ mentally ill. I think he's just a selfish dude who doesn't care about others. He also drives a car ( I noticed him in the parking structure on one occasion) so he apparently is able to function normally in this regard (pass a driver's license test, drive without getting tickets, accidents etc).
Based on my conversation with Chris yesterday (that they are "aware" of him as it seems to be an ongoing long-term issue) I get the feeling that they are just allowing him to do his thing unless there's a complaint. I don't want to be the guy who complains every day. I just want normal rule enforcement- nothing extreme. I'm not so uptight that I come and complain about every little thing but this seems like a chronic problem that will continue to get worse as this guy has a GIGANTIC SENSE sense of ENTITLEMENT to this area of the library, at the EXPENSE of OTHERS. I hope library administration will take note of this. It's NOT fair to everybody else.
I began my work on my laptop (ongoing project) and a little while later a guy came in singing. He set a bunch of bags down in one chair (#1)and then he went to a different carrel (#2) nearby in my line of sight. A few moments later he popped up and moved over to a carrel (#3) at the end of the row where he had some more "stuff". A few minutes later I noticed there was a shirt behind the curtain next to me hanging over one of those portable round laptop "desks"; apparently with the intention of being dried by the sun, like a clothes line.
I didn't know this was also the fellow's stuff (but it turned out to be, #4). The guy returned to carrel #2 and then bounced up to discard a banana peel. Back to #2 he sat for a few seconds, then let out a LOUD BURP without apology. I finally said something: "YOUR BEHAVIOR IS INAPPROPRIATE. I will report you if this continues. This is NOT your living room".
He totally ignored me as if he couldn't hear me. But I know he could hear me. I knew he wasn't deaf because he also periodically was talking on his phone. A few moments later he BURPED LOUDLY again ( other patrons heard it as well, looking over towards him). So this time I walked over to the desk and talked to Chris about it. Chris said they are aware of this fellow and said he is "mentally ill" but that they "must personally observe the inappropriate behavior" themselves in order to take action.
He said they would do a "walk by" in a few moments. And he DID walk by and noticed the scattered stuff all over the area and gently told the fellow that he needs to keep it all together in once place. The fellow obeyed the instructions without a response, putting all his stuff together by his #2 spot.
Chris left and I resumed working on my laptop. The fellow talked on the phone again, sounding as if he was able to function NORMALLY in that regard. I don't think he's mentally ill as much as he is simply self-centered and could CARE LESS about other people. I don't think this is a matter of having compassion for a mentally ill person as much as it is about a person willfully defying socially acceptable behavior & normal etiquette. Anyways, since the library is not a psychiatric hospital, we're not here to take care of him and bend backwards to allow inappropriate disruptive behavior that is driving people out of this area.
Nonetheless, I left the area for the time being: I try to get outside for exercise every day around this time. Later when I returned I chose a different area; but did make an effort to to see if he was still there and YES he was- and his "stuff" was spread out again. And as I was leaving at the end of the day I intentionally walked by again and he had a ton of food items all over the place.
One day later 8/14/24 around opening time I thought about sitting in the "nice light" area again but there he was already - all set up- and all his belongings spread out again. Chris was back behind the desk . I get the feeling he doesn't like doing rule enforcement and didn't approach him. He will do it if asked, but who wants to be the one who asks for rule enforcement every day. Then I will become the "bad guy".
But I shouldn't feel forced to find a different area of the library just because of one selfish jerk. By the way, this same guy smirked at me later in the day as he walked by, as if he had "won". I don't think he's low IQ mentally ill. I think he's just a selfish dude who doesn't care about others. He also drives a car ( I noticed him in the parking structure on one occasion) so he apparently is able to function normally in this regard (pass a driver's license test, drive without getting tickets, accidents etc).
Based on my conversation with Chris yesterday (that they are "aware" of him as it seems to be an ongoing long-term issue) I get the feeling that they are just allowing him to do his thing unless there's a complaint. I don't want to be the guy who complains every day. I just want normal rule enforcement- nothing extreme. I'm not so uptight that I come and complain about every little thing but this seems like a chronic problem that will continue to get worse as this guy has a GIGANTIC SENSE sense of ENTITLEMENT to this area of the library, at the EXPENSE of OTHERS. I hope library administration will take note of this. It's NOT fair to everybody else.
