Darryl is my computer tech. He's not mine, exactly. He actually belongs to the county in the sense that they pay him. Darryl has helped me out of more than one computer related jam in the last four and a half years. Today I had the chance to return the favor.
The AS400 serving my county government is in our building which is attached to the county jail facility. Our north end annex is getting a long-overdue T-1 line. It's been installed for a week or so but only today began to do its job. Darryl came by to tell me he was working on it. I talked to him briefly when he let me know what he was doing and I got busy with my work and forgot he was on the premises.
Then I got a phone call.
"Sheriff's Office..."
"Joy! This is Darryl... I need help!"
"Sure, Darryl... what's up?"
"I'm locked in the Boiler Room... COME GET ME OUT!"
I grabbed my ID badge and headed out the back door into the jail lobby and waited impatiently while the big doors were opened. When I made it past the internal security door, I asked the first jailer I met where the boiler room was. She pointed to the near hallway, a door I'd never noticed before. It wasn't an automatic door but one that only opens with a key so large as to look cartoonish. I banged on the door and yelled for Darryl. I could only faintly hear him banging and yelling back. The jailers looked at me as if I had finally lost it. The gawking jailers grew quickly to a group of six.
I asked, "Who has a key?" They looked at each other and shrugged.
My impatient "Find a key!" sent several of them off in different directions.
One of the remaining jailers asked how Darryl got locked in the boiler room. Then a newly arrived jailer admitted to having found the door ajar earlier. She had closed it for security.
Finally a key arrived and the door was opened. Darryl rushed out, sweating and very relieved to be released. He related how, after completing the T-1 inspection in the boiler room, he found himself locked inside. As it turns out there is only one corner in the boiler room, between the boiler itself and the pipe rack, where his cell phone actually got a signal. He had to hold the phone in the corner to get enough bars to make a call.
By the time we got back to my office, Darryl had cooled off a little and was able to laugh about the incident.
Any Friday is a good one when you get to rescue a friend.
The AS400 serving my county government is in our building which is attached to the county jail facility. Our north end annex is getting a long-overdue T-1 line. It's been installed for a week or so but only today began to do its job. Darryl came by to tell me he was working on it. I talked to him briefly when he let me know what he was doing and I got busy with my work and forgot he was on the premises.
Then I got a phone call.
"Sheriff's Office..."
"Joy! This is Darryl... I need help!"
"Sure, Darryl... what's up?"
"I'm locked in the Boiler Room... COME GET ME OUT!"
I grabbed my ID badge and headed out the back door into the jail lobby and waited impatiently while the big doors were opened. When I made it past the internal security door, I asked the first jailer I met where the boiler room was. She pointed to the near hallway, a door I'd never noticed before. It wasn't an automatic door but one that only opens with a key so large as to look cartoonish. I banged on the door and yelled for Darryl. I could only faintly hear him banging and yelling back. The jailers looked at me as if I had finally lost it. The gawking jailers grew quickly to a group of six.
I asked, "Who has a key?" They looked at each other and shrugged.
My impatient "Find a key!" sent several of them off in different directions.
One of the remaining jailers asked how Darryl got locked in the boiler room. Then a newly arrived jailer admitted to having found the door ajar earlier. She had closed it for security.
Finally a key arrived and the door was opened. Darryl rushed out, sweating and very relieved to be released. He related how, after completing the T-1 inspection in the boiler room, he found himself locked inside. As it turns out there is only one corner in the boiler room, between the boiler itself and the pipe rack, where his cell phone actually got a signal. He had to hold the phone in the corner to get enough bars to make a call.
By the time we got back to my office, Darryl had cooled off a little and was able to laugh about the incident.
Any Friday is a good one when you get to rescue a friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment