commonsensepolice

 A few years ago, I had a young lady wait until the last possibly day to aplly for a scholarship. Back then I worked in the Registrar’s Office. Our office area was under construction, so we were in “modular units” (read: Trailers) and in very close quarters. It was my day to wait on students, so the woman came to my portion of the counter and handed me a partially (and by partially completed I mean just her signature) tracscript release form and demanded that I print her transcript for her. I looked at the incomplete form and handed it back to her. When I told her to fill the whole thing out, she of course scoffed. She was told we just needed her signature, and no one told her she needed to fill the rest out. Wasn’t my job to to the rest?  Um no. If you want something from our office, it was your job to fill out the appropriate paperwork so I could process the request.

She complained the whole time as she filled out teh rest of the sheet. Then I asked for a photo ID. The woman told me she didn’t have one…and I told her then she couldn’t have her transcript. She claimed “well no one told her to bring her id.” Well I’m sorry about that, but that is the rule.  Suddenly I am the world’s biggest bitch and this woman was cussing me out. Of course I can’t contain my inner bitch and longer and ask her if she drove to the campus today…and then ask her why she doesn’t have her license. She asked for my boss (who has heard the whole thing) and he backed me up. The student stormed out…and I just laughed

Somewhere along the line, it became socially acceptable to completely ignore personal responisblity. This has created a little thing called the entitlement monster. This monster seems to think the world revolves around them, the rules do not apply to them, and there are no consquenses their actions. They expect everything to be handed to them, and when it isn’t, suddenly we are being unreasonable and rude.

I personally am tired of this standard, and I know many others are too. Here are my tips to the misguided…

1) Never hand in a blank form in to a person, and then use the excuse “well no one told me to” as the excuse for not filling it out. You are expected to use your common sense to know it is your responisbility to fill the informtion out. Seriously, what makes you think someone else will do it for you? It is your information, you are the one needing the service the paperwork is for, you need to fill it out.

2) The rules are in place for a reason. You might not agree with them, but you have no right to belittle the people who are just trying to enforce them. You are under the impression that the rules don’t apply to you, and we (the enforcer) is just being unfair. The reality is no one “owes” you anything, and while you might be used to having everyone cater to you, this is real life and it just doesn’t happen.

3) If you wait until last minute, do not be bossy and spoiled. You made this mess. You could have hadneled this before this point in the game, but you chose not to. Berating employees and other people who are just trying help you is not going to make it better. Once again, these people have no obliagation cater to you or go out of their way to help you. Actually being unreasonable is going to make them LESS willing to help you. 

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