people in glass houses...

Our Internet computers have not been running smoothly of late to say the least--frankly they've been an absolute nightmare--we have to reboot the server and the computers about five times per day (not that it helps much). Today, this teenaged girl came up to the desk and complained that the computer was saying that her password was invalid. I was ready for another big problem and i start the regular flowchart of questions. I asked her the next logical question which was if she was sure she was putting in the correct password. She responded with a massive sigh and a giant eyeroll and a look on her face that let me know that i was so incredibly stupid she could not believe she was wasting HER PRECIOUS time with me. In an exasperated, patronizing tone of voice she spews "The computer WON'T LET me put in a password, it won't LET me TYPE anything!"

"Well if it won't let you put in you password how can it be telling you your pass word is wrong?" seems like a reasonable question to me (but of course i am an IDIOT) So i get up and follow her as she stamps to her computer which she promptly stands beside, waiting for me to magically fix whatever the problem may be. "Well are we both going to stand here and watch the computer do nothing, or are you going to insert your card and show me what the problem is?" i ask (strangely enough i am not in the best of moods at this point--being treated rudely does not always make me want to cheerfully deliver)

She slumps into the chair, shoves her card into the slot, and starts pounding on the keyboard--surely enough her numerical password does not enter in. I lean over her shoulder and point to the NUM LOCK light, softly saying "Do you see this little NUM LOCK light? If this light isn't on isn't on the NUM LOCK key is not on and your numerical keyboard will not work, you can either turn this on (like this) or use the regular keyboard." Needless to say that particular issue was solved and i went back to my little reference desk. Moral for this story (and oh so many others.) Before you insult the intelligence of others you really should be sure that you operating from a place of brilliance yourself.