Sac en Plastique

(This stranger than fiction story is from the archives - enjoy!)

 

A patron left a plastic grocery bag just outside of the library today and later called to see if it was still there. My co-worker had the very good fortune of assisting this patron with his inquiry.

After the grocery sack was located, the patron asked what the bag contained. He wanted to know if it was worth his driving 25 minutes back to the library to fetch the contents.

Contents: 2 (open) boxes of crackers, partially eaten; 1 (open) container of cookies, partially eaten; 1 (covered) cereal bowl.

The patron decided that it wasn't worth his while to drive back for his bag, but could we mail the contents to him?

After a polite refusal, my co-worker offered to store his goods in our lost and found box, where they would be safe for 30 days, until he could make it back to the library. The questionable freshness of the perishable items aside, the patron agreed to this compromise only if his name (first and last) and phone number were clearly identifiable on all his items.

His final request? "Could you wash my dish? It's gonna get real stinky in a few days."