This Life!
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Why do I do this? |
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Can’t help it! |
A story from life...this really happened ! <G>
Phone rings :-
| Bryan speaking, how can I help you?" | "Hello Bryan, I'm having trouble with WordPerfect." |
| "What sort of trouble?" | "Well, I was just typing along, and all of a sudden the words went away." |
| "Went away?" | "They disappeared." |
| [Hmm.] | |
| "So what does your screen look like now?" | "Nothing." |
| "Nothing?" | "It's blank; it won't accept anything when I type." |
| "Are you still in WordPerfect, or did you get out?" | "How do I tell?" |
| [Uh-oh. Well, let's give it a try anyway.] | |
| "Can you see the C:\ prompt on the screen?" | "What's a sea-prompt?" |
| [Uh-huh, thought so. Let's try a different tack.] | |
| "Never mind. Can you move the cursor around on the screen?" | "There isn't any cursor: I told you, it won't accept anything I type." |
| [Ah--at least they know what a cursor is. Sounds like a hardware problem. I wonder if they've kicked out their monitor's power plug.] | |
| "Does your monitor have a power indicator?" | "What's a monitor?" |
| "It's the thing with the screen on it that looks like a TV. | "Oh!" |
| Does it have a little light that tells you when it's on?" | "I don't know." |
| "Well, then please have a look on the back of the monitor and find where the power cord goes into it. Can you see that?" | [sound of
rustling and jostling] [muffled] "Yes, I think so." |
| "Great! Follow the cord to the plug, and tell me if it's plugged into the wall." | [pause] "Yes, it is." |
| [Hmm. Well, that's interesting. I doubt they would have accidentally turned it off, and I don't want to send them hunting for the power switch because I don't know what kind of monitor they have and it's bound to have more than one switch on it. Maybe the video cable is loose or something.] | |
| "When you were behind the monitor, did you notice that there were two cables plugged into the back of it, not just one?" | "No." |
| "Well, there are. I need you to look back there again and find the other cable." | [muffled] "Okay, here it is." |
| "Follow it for me, and tell me if it's plugged securely into the back of your computer." | [still
muffled] "I can't reach." |
| "Uh huh. Well, can you see if it is?" | [clear again] "No." |
| "Even if you maybe put your knee on something and lean way over?" | "Oh, it's not because I don't have the right angle--it's because it's DARK!." |
| "Dark?" | "Yes--the office light is off, and the only light I have is coming in from the window." |
| "Well, turn on the office light then." | "I can't." |
| "No? Why not?" | "We've had a power cut" |
| "A power--!?!" | |
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[AAAAAAARGH !!!!!!!! Now calm down
a bit] "A power cut Aha! Okay, we've got it licked now. Do you still have the boxes and manuals and packing stuff your computer came in?" |
"Well, yes, we keep them in the cupboard." |
| "Good! Go get them, and unplug your system and pack it up just like it was when you got it. Then take it back to the store you bought it from." | "Really? Is it that bad?" |
| "Yes, I'm afraid it is." | "Well, all right then, I suppose. What do I tell them?" |
| "Tell them you're TOO STUPID TO OWN A COMPUTER!" [slam down phone!] |
