So while I’m sitting here uselessly at my service obligation, I will tell you why I felt the need to paper my office door with warnings not to come in while I give my Skype lecture.
Earlier in the semester, I was sitting in my office. I had locked the door because I was working on an article and didn’t want to be disturbed.
Suddenly, I heard a key turn in the lock. The door open and a women I’d never seen before rushed in. Without saying a word or looking at me, she approached me, grabbed my thigh, spread my legs, and reached between them.
I was completely unprepared for anything of the kind. Besides, I normally have very slow reactions. So I didn’t get a chance to say anything or react in any way. I was simply stunned by all this.
The woman reached for the trash can that was located under the table, dragged it out from between my legs, and left with it.
This was when I realized that she was our new janitor.
As you can imagine, I don’t want a repetition of this incident while I’m talking on Skype to a group of students in the state of New York.
Clarissa's Blog 
O_O
Maybe I don’t want to visit the Midwest after all.
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I tried initiating contact with this woman since then but she just stares at me angrily. I think she has mental disease.
Our former janitor was great and we were very friendly. But now we have this woman.
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Oh dear. Can you add a lock to your door that she doesn’t have a key for? Like a simple bolt or chain, for when you’re inside.
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I don’t know, I guess I’d have to ask permission.
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It is a broader problem although I do not seem to remember being invaded to this degree in the Pacific time zone — things are more polite and gentle there generally. In any part of Central time, if you are in a public building you might as well be in jail for all the privacy or rights you have, it seems. I do not know about the Mountain or Eastern time.
The bolt and chain are a good idea although physical plant would probably have them taken off, and/or the janitor could just break or cut them. The signs are the best although as I say, they are not always respected. Also, if you do not lock the door but just close it, students walk right in, unannounced.
(And people wonder why I have difficulty concentrating in the office.)
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Hahahahah, that was fun to read
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I wanted to cry just reading that. Honestly, imagining myself in that situation, I think *I* would’ve ended up under my desk rocking. That is a ridiculous violation of personal space. She should at least *knock* before entering, and she should never TOUCH you! Especially somewhere other than a light tap on your shoulder to get your attention. Ugggggggg I feel like this woman needs some very specific training about how to interact with the academics in this job. Next time she does that to someone, they might have faster reaction times than you…
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I really suffer when strangers touch me. It makes my mind go foggy and then I want to rub the place where they touched me for a long time.
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I do wish janitors would knock. Could discuss at length.
I once had signs on my door like that and someone wouldn’t stop knocking. I finally asked who it was and it was a new professor in another department who had come to ask me to “smoke a piece of the rock” with him. Seriously.
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Our janitors do knock.
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OK, so Eastern time is like Pacific time. This is a good argument for living on one of the coasts, and a great argument against flyover country (although I do know that wanting to live where behavior is somewhat civilized is elitist according to many professors).
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Obviously that prof had already smoked some before coming to you. 🙂
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Wow. I don’t blame you!
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HAHAHAHAHAHA! I only that happened during the talk!
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Yes, that would have been one fun lecture. 🙂
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