I Think We Made the Library's "Most Wanted" List | Do Try This at Home: I Think We Made the Library's "Most Wanted" List

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

I Think We Made the Library's "Most Wanted" List

My brother asked me how anyone could run up a $93 bill on their library card when the fines are only 10 cents a day and I was all, "Oh! It's easy! Let me tell you how!!"

I have a lot of practice, because not only do I have $50 library fines on my own card from the city public library, but I have a similar fine at the county library.

So a $93 bill on my (almost) stepdaughter's account was barely even a challenge.

But almost anyone can accomplish this heroic feat if they put in adequate effort. This how it's done, folks:
-Send two children on a school field trip with their (almost) stepsister's library card
-Keep all 9 books well past the due date, and even past the end of their school project
-Carefully count and return the books without realizing that one book actually went home from the library with another child
-Have a random child give your boy the book back, unrequested, after already having pleaded one's case with the library and having been threatened with creditors
Houston is particularly unfriendly in the credit report area. Business around here tend to send people to a credit agency at the drop of a hat, even the public library.

It does have its advantages though. For example, in Houston, when it rains it pours. And when it pours, the crawfish come scampering out of the school parking lot:I'm not sure why they were in such a hurry though. It's a Jewish school, after all, and those guys aren't even kosher.

Plus, Houston has The International Festival. We saw Joe Ely and Ozomatli, who were both absolutely fantastic.

I can't speak to how popular Ozomatli is or isn't but there was a big crowd and many of them seemed to know the lyrics. I can speak to the fact that they put on an absolutely incredible show, and it's worth seeing whether or not you like what they've released on CD.

My sweet pea had an art opening.Hers are the ones on the right, up above her left shoulder.

That's about it except I have a never ending supply of papers I have to write and I travel for work today. I'd totally advise you to rob my house, but as it turns out, everyone else will still be here.

Have a good weekend everyone!

14 comments:

Beth said...

Jake went on a field trip with school to the downtown library to get books for a paper last year. Apparently, although the school bussed them to the library and the teacher was in charge of the work involved, it was up to the parents to return the books they never even saw. I ended up with a $23 fine for the books which I only found out about because I went to get a new library card. Not even a late notice in the mail beforehand. They make a fortune on their "$.10/day" fees! On another note, I have never seen crawfish come out of the woodwork when it rains, snails, toads and worms but not crawfish! I think they are runaways from Beldens!

Sudie said...

LOL us too.

Tracy said...

When my girls were younger we went to rent some movies from the library. They weren't even good, like the dollar bin kiddy movies. I just assumed they should be returned with the books. NOOO they were only to be out for a few days. I had to pay I think like 30.oo for this crappy movie. It didn't even cost them that much for the movie. I could have bought the library some good Disney movies for that.
Needless to say I was ticked, but I did pay.

Marlene said...

Whoa. Library fees have gone up! I think my biggest one was about 80 cents. Of course, I was like 10 when that happened, so to me, it was a lot of money...and back in the 18th century when I was 10, it WAS a lot of money, anyway!

Bwaahaahaa on the crustacean not being kosher!

Arizaphale said...

When I met Himself, there was a dispute in progress with his eldest son. Apparently Himself had hired PlayStation games for the Small Boy to play whilst No1 Son babysat. Unfortunately he had not communicated the fact that he also expected No1 Son to return the games. Both claimed the other should have returned the games and thus owed the fine. The first bill was for $50 odd......I eventually paid it when it got up to $275.00
SHEESSH!

Christine said...

I got hit with a big library late few more times then I care to remember -- it became cheaper to buy books. LOL

Curly Glamour Girlie said...

Okay. I finally found someone with a worse library record than mine! Our libraries here tend to cap the late fees. And if you're really nice to them sometimes they simply wipe them out.

And I usually feel guilty for bringing things back late so I overpay my fines in way of a donation to the library.

Jill said...

Beth - Yeah. But then again, they probably need the money. Out of the frying pan and into the fire I guess on the crayfish.

Thanks Sudie - guess we won't be alone in the library's prison. They don't tell you about that part when you sign up for the card.

Tracy - Yeah, I think I also found out the hard way about the other media.

Arizaphale - YIKES!!

Christine - Yeah, while I was in line paying off the first $50 of the fines, my boy brought me a book he wanted to take out. I was like, "It will be cheaper just to buy it."

Curly Glamour Girlie - Yeah, your search is probably pretty much over. :-) Overpaying sounds like a GREAT idea...if I can get the original fees paid off. :-)

Christine said...

I feel so much better, not being alone with the Giant Library Fees.

Congrats on the art show!

Unknown said...

You are a fine (pun!) reader. The library probably likes you for the funding you provide.

Kristine said...

Luckily they capped the fees at $2 per book in my hometown library or i'd have seen some pretty bad fees myself.

Jeb Barry said...

Ozomatli will be playing at the green River Fest in Greenfield in July...I'll be there if I'm not in South Carolina

Jill said...

Thanks Christine! We're both in good company I guess.

Funny SJ!

Kristine - That IS lucky! I wish that could happen here.

Jeb - Have fun! I think you'll be glad you went!

Bruce Johnson said...

For a christmas present once, I paid off someone's library fines and wrapped the receipt in a box and gave it to them. They were shocked. So was I, the fines were over $100.

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...