To the 50-something-year-old man sitting at the computer next to me at the city library:
I cannot express how deeply troubled I am at the strange noises coming from your side of the divider. The way you type using only two fingers and mumble to yourself indistinguishably makes me uneasy. What’s worse and even more uncomfortable is what I can hear.
Saying things like, “Damn, girl…” and “Would you take a look at that?” and “Mmm…” really makes me think that whatever you’re observing on your public library computer can’t be… decent? And I really wish you wouldn’t have reached over to my side of the divider to take my pencil, brushing my arm in the process, only to ask if you could borrow it after you’d already taken it. That’s just disrespectful.
I could handle the mumbling. I could even tolerate the strange hand motions and the taking of my pencil. But when you lean in my direction during the middle of “whatever” it is your doing just to ask me how I’m doing… That just gives me the heeblie-jeeblies.
Public libraries shouldn’t be this scary. Shame on you.
