Library Etiquette 101

Warning: I'm venting here.

What part of "Please turn cell phone ringers off and conduct all calls in the student lobby" is such a mystery that people fail to follow these rules? The sign in the library, which, by the way, is posted on every column, wall, and desk throughout the establishment, does not say "It's okay, you can conduct some of your calls here inside the library while people are working quietly. You won't disturb them. Trust us!" Yet something still gets lost in translation.

I am disappointed and slightly appalled that St. Edward's students so often completely disregard the fact that other people are working around them who don't want to be disrupted. I always follow the rule: put my cell phone on vibrate and keep it in my pocket. I'll still know if someone's calling and I can go out to the student lobby and take the call if I feel it necessary.

Yesterday, I was working at a table with 12 other computers, all occcupied, when the girl across from me got a phone call.

"Hello?" Nope. She wasn't whispering. In fact, she wasn't even talking in a normal tone of voice. She was a notch under yelling.

"Oh! Heyyyy girrrrl! Yeah, I'm still coming over... yeah, I'll pick it up. You wanted Bacardi Peach, right?... I know! That's my favorite too!... Nah, I'm still in the library... Oh, no! It's cool! Nobody cares... Okay, I'll call you back when I get outta class. Bye, girrrl!"

I wanted to punch her in the face, but not more than the girl who interrupted me at that very same table today. I was on a roll writing my American Dilemmas paper this time.

*Britney Spears ringtone* and then:

"Hello?" Once again, almost shouting.

I write.

"Where are you?"

Trying to ignore her, I delete the last few words I've written in an attempt to focus.

"Where are you?"

She's getting into my head now.

"Where are you?

Oh my God, SHUT UP.

"Where are you?"

Everyone has stopped working at this point and is staring at her. A very polite older man, probably mid-fifties, pipes up:

"Excuse me, miss, but could you please take your call outside? I completely lost my train of thought!" He smiles.

She rolls her eyes and hangs up on her caller.

"Ugh, whatever." She gathers her things and storms out, causing a scene.

As if she hasn't been rude enough already.

And don't even get me started on the idiot in the computer lab yesterday. She even discussed (very) loudly with her friend how the last time she was in there, unable to keep her freaking mouth shut, a woman asked her to please be quiet. Someone else overheard her this time (and really, how could we not?) and asked her if she could do so again. Her response?

"Ugh! What is the deal?! Get your own freakin' computers people and work from home. That's what I do!"

Disgusting.