Friday, March 30, 2007

a maximum breach of security

this guy comes up to me, he's a bit slimey and shakey. he looks directly away from me while speaking, as if he doesn't want anyone to know we're talking. you see, this is on the "down-low." he tells me he wants to change his PIN number, as he tosses his passport and his library card onto the desk in front of me. smooth man, real smooth. using the tips of my fingers i pick up his passport by the very edge and hand it back to him, telling him his library card will suffice. so i look up his account and ask him what he would like to change his PIN number to. "well," he says in a huff, "i'm not going to tell you that. that defeats the whole point." asshole, if you don't want to have me change your PIN for you why did you come over here? but i don't say this. no, those thoughts are for interior monologue only. and for you, devoted blog reader. anyway, i go on to explain the steps of logging onto one's account online and then changing your PIN number yourself. this disgusts him. "and how would i do that ... ?" he asks, trying to be all clever, "i'd have to log on with my PIN number!"
"yeah,"asshole (interior monologue), "you need to use your old PIN number to get onto the internet, then you can access your account and change your PIN number to whatever you want."
at this point he begins to do what i can only describe as 'the crazy man shuffle,' rocking back and forth, stepping from side to side. "you're not giving me any options," he says, raising his voice.
"sir," i say calmly, "i can change your PIN number or you can do it yourself. you have two options."
"there's no security here! i can't believe the library is run this way!"
"i really don't see what the problem is here. just change your PIN number."
"no i can't. it's not secure! just cut up my card," he says, "i can't have it out there."
so i cut up his card and he skulks off muttering to himself and the injustice of it all.

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