I was sitting on the fifth floor of the library, trying to decipher a particularly long winded environmental law opinion, when a guy and girl started carrying on a long conversation, in loud voices, a few tables over. Because I am a wimp, I merely glared at them, willing daggers to shoot from my eyes and maim them enough to have to leave the library for medical attention. The daggers failed to materialize, but luckily after several minutes, someone else finally asked them to please keep it down or go to the green lounge to talk. I expected some level of apology or embarrassment, maybe an eye roll at most, but the girl actually responded: "you can get earplugs."
WHAT?! Are you freaking kidding me? You are in a LIBRARY, a place of relative silence intended for studying, and you insist on talking loudly about your weekend plans. I believe it is you who need to modify your behavior by either picking your ass up and going downstairs or quickly wrapping up your conversation in hushed whispers. I do not understand this sense of entitlement. Why is your conversation more important than the fifty people around you trying to study. I especially don't understand this level of rudeness from other law students- we are not anonymous strangers, we are fellow classmates and potential future colleagues. If I have a chance to deny those two a place in my future firm, I would take great pleasure in doing so.
Are you sure they are 1Ls (law students)? In my school, undergrad students would come use our library. The school had to pass a policy forbidding other students from using the law library during exam time and to post signs to that effect.
ReplyDeleteOh gosh! This makes me CRAZY! When I was an undergrad they used to bring all the rush-ees in and group them by sorority and fraternity for mandatory "study time". You can imagine what a great study environment it was then.
ReplyDeleteIt would be awesome if those two applied for a job at your firm. Sweet sweet justice.
To anon - I'm sure they were 1Ls because they were talking about 1L classes and profs, but we have had some very loud undergrads "studying" in our library in the past.
ReplyDeleteSounds like the library staff needs to do something about that. (Like smacking them repeatedly with a large horn book.)
ReplyDeleteThe majority of our library is not silent. It gets pretty loud in the front lobby, then you're "supposed" to keep your voices down in the main part of the library, although certain people's voices resonate pretty loud. Then there's a large area in the basement of the library with cubicles and some couches where it's completely silent. So it works out pretty well for the levels of disturbance.
those 2 are the definition of f*cktwats.
ReplyDeletei hope karma sends them to you during interview season.
I once was sitting at a table with two people having that kind of conversation. I tried to drown them out with my iPod, but they were too loud for that, so I finally asked them to keep it down. I was so annoyed by then, though, that I felt like a jackass when I asked because I couldn't contain my irritation.
ReplyDeleteThey were 2Ls. When people are obnoxious, they don't get better the next year.
I feel your pain. The 1Ls at my school all seem to run their mouths at full volume in the lawbrary. Luckily I work for the lawbrary and routinely tell them to shut the F up. They mostly think I'm a bitch now... but to me library = silence.
ReplyDeleteThis type of outrageousness is often discussed on a message board I frequent, http://www.etiquettehell.com/smf. I may even post this over there without saying where it came from, if you don't mind!
ReplyDeletePeople these days are so entitled--I hope I do a good job raising Sam so she never acts like this!
At my law school library we have study rooms and people reserve them to hold a "chatting session." In my cubicle I always hear them screeching giddy laughter. But I'm like you, I only shoot them daggering stares...hoping to embarass them if they look my way.
ReplyDeleteThat is RUDE! I would've been like you, glaring but saying nothing. I'd like to think that after THAT I'd chime in and tell them, "No, you need to get a muzzle."
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't do that though, because I am a nonconfrontational wimp.
the earplugs remark?...I would've strongly considered threatening them with the largest book in reach...and would've told that little snot where she could shove said earplugs
ReplyDeleteBastards. You should have backed that girl up and said "I'll get some earplugs . . . and plug them up your arse."
ReplyDelete