Crazies

We have a receptionist here at IBM. Actually, two part time ones. They sit by themselves on the first floor dealing with a million things. It is thankless job. Most quite after a few months.

They have a panic button they can hit if they need help. It triggers a flashing light up in the sales floor where most people work. When the light goes off, most people jump and check on lobby. It only takes a few steps to get where you can peer down the atrium to see what is going on.

Most often, it is a false alarm. Usually a new receptionist hits the button by mistake. However, no alarm is ignored. We always check. It wouldn't take but a few seconds to round up some big guys should there be the need.

I often talk to them. They are very nice, and I think a tad lonely for something other than people demanding this or that.

One of the receptionist told me about an incident from last year, I think. This guy walked in and told her that he had invented DOS back in the mid 1960's and he was here to collect his royalties. She just laughed, until she realized he was dead serious. He started getting belligerent and demanding his money. She had to call the police on him.

It turns out he was an inmate at the local loony-bin, Greylands Hospital, who was out on a day pass.