University of Utah

No matter what time of year it is it's always beautiful at the U!

I remember when I was a new Utah'n and working there at the U in the bookstore I use to love to get out of the bookstore and drive around campus delivering my computers to the different departments on campus. I always thought the campus was so beautiful.

I worked in computer sales in the bookstore, but I only sold to the departments on campus. My job was to fill department purchase orders in the morning, and deliver them in the afternoon.

I use to load my computers into my U of U work van and drive to whatever department had ordered new computers. I took a lot of licence with where I drove my van. Sometimes it made a lot more sense to drive down a sidewalk 100 yards, then to head out to the road drive half mile or even a couple of miles because of how the campus roads are laid out. I could avoid toll lots, and avoid traffic. I don't know if "it made a lot more sense" is the right choice of words. How about "it was shorter, and more fun." The toll lots were the biggest problem. Wherever I went I had to find a parking spot, load my computers on a cart, and haul them to where I was going. Then I had to wait in a long line to get back out of the toll lots. I was busy. Had work to do. People wanted their computers. I wanted to deliver them, today. Not tomorrow. I prided myself on my ability to fill as many PO's in a day as I could, and deliver as many as I could in a day. When I started working there, the department sales were always backed up. Departments would wait forever to get their computers. And of course the bookstore was losing money not collecting on those PO's ASAP.

If I drove on the sidewalks I could park anywhere, and usually 5 feet from the door I needed. Seems I was the only one parking on sidewalks 5 feet from any given door on campus, so I really had no problem finding parking. Traffic wasn't an issue, well car traffic wasn't an issue, pedestrians were pretty good at getting out of the way. A little honk of the horn helped at times. If I was in a good mood maybe I'd go around them on the grass.

I remember coming to work and there would be note on the cork board next to the time clock in the employee lounge that would say "whoever is driving the bookstore vans on the sidewalks, please avoid doing so unless necessary." I kept thinking "well I should tone it down a little" when I would read those notes. But then when I was out and about and I would get stuck sitting in a line to get out of a toll lot and I had a good couple of hours of deliveries I would see a nice empty sidewalk. "Avoid doing so unless NECESSARY" would pop into my mind. "NECESSARY, I've got work to do!" I could hear the sidewalk call to me "people will get out of your way, they think it's fun. Drive on me!" The curb would say "drive over me, the tires think it's fun. It's like four wheeling, hurry no one is looking!" The grass would say "don't worry I'll heal quickly. " Then before I knew it my impatience would take over, and I was off and going again. I remember thinking "I hope nobody knows who to call to complain."

I think I got paid about 5 bucks an hour to work there. It was a great job. Loved it, worked with Mike Malloy. Afterward I'd head down to the Pie for my night job.

http://www.bookstore.utah.edu/utah/home.aspx