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January 03, 2003

passing the keys

I was up at the office yesterday, preparing a presentation for Jan 8th. Had gone up to the library to get some books, and had had to take my key off its chain in order to get it swiped. My office key is my library card, you see. Well, that meant that back at my office, my key was laying next to my computer, not on it's chain, which I have around my neck. The chain binding me to the office on a wintery day. Though an unforeseen bonus was that I still have a 6 week allowance for borrowed books. Can't complain about that. I rush off to the washroom, and what should happen but that I'd left my keys in my office. Woe is me. Luckily a nice student in the lab close to my office let me in to use the phone to call UofT police, gave me a place to sit, and a cookie. The officer arrived after about 20 minutes and asked me for photo ID. That of course would be my library card/office key. We worked that out, and she was on her way, and I was back in my office quickly putting my key back where it belongs. An hour later, I'm on the first floor heading to the post office when I hear. ""Excuse me, sir?"" I ignore things like that, not having reached the 'sir' station in life, except when teaching highschool. Then, ""Sir? Can you help me?"" at which I turned to find someone running down the hall towards me somewhat frantic and relieved to find anyone else in the building. ""Er, I've locked my keys in one of the classrooms, and I don't have any money for the payphone to call for help. Can you let me in?"" Well, my keys don't work down here, as this is an engineering and computer science building, and I'm the lonely humanities geek, privy to nothing. But I offered to try. Lo and behold! The card is swiped and the door doth open. After a grin and a wave, I made my way back towards the post office, hearing him mutter, ""You're a god."" Well, it does seem that I do have some faculty clout that I didn't think was attached to my card any more. If that's divine intervention, I'm all for it."

Posted by jason at January 3, 2003 10:24 AM