Monday, August 17, 2009

Open Door Policy

I like to think of myself as a reader.  I grew up with The Hardy Boys, The Great Brain and slowly moved on to the Fletch books.  For most of my adult life I've had a few friends who fairly consistently ask me, "so what are you reading?"  These guys are basically asking me what I'm filling my brain with...what I'm focusing on.
 
They're not necessarily wanting to know about the latest Grisham novel or O magazine.  They're wondering what I'm learning and what I'm working on.  I have a friend that Annie says costs me $20 every time I talk with him.    Every book is the greatest book ever and I'd be less of a man if I didn't get a copy. 
He's the boy who cried book.
 
So I don't mind reading.  I love it.
 
Having said that, I don't read everything.  In fact there are a few things that I rarely read.
-Directions for example.  Where is the adventure or discovery in reading the directions first?  That just seems silly. 
-mass/spam electronic mail
-most "reply to alls"
-1,000 page bills on health care (although I hear you're no longer allowed to question the ideas of the bills, because you haven't read them...even though the guys voting on it don't either...Does this seem crazy or just hypocritical coming from folks that have ripped politicians and/or policies for that last 6 or so years?)
-signs on doors

That's ultimately the one that gets me.  You see a double door and push on one side only to have it locked.  You look down and see at "Please use other door" with an arrow pointing to that other door that is six inches to the left and probably doesn't need an arrow at that point.

Can we just unlock both?  Is it an energy issue?  Are we worried that we're losing twice the conditioned air if we let both fly?  I'm guessing people will still only use one.  They would have a choice.  This would also free up someone coming in on one side while someone left on the other. 

I'd argue that this will decrease the second of irritation people feel when they hit the wrong door...do you really want to end with that?  So unlock your doors 7/11...go footloose and fancy free out of the way Greek place with amazing gyros...let's give people the freedom to choose which door they'd like to push or pull.  After all, it's 2009 and don't you think the founding fathers would have wanted it that way?

3 comments:

  1. fuller isn't hypocritical he's a complicated seeker.

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  2. that wasn't a Fuller jab (I'd link him to soften the jab) Sadly, it's the same old thing you read every time there's a new administration. I've read it a dozen times over in the past month...
    you were talking about the door thing, right?

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  3. The Great Brain series is perhaps the greatest series of children's books of all time. It trumps those silly Harry Potter books and those somewhat classic Chronicles of Narnia books by a long shot.

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