Caught In The Act
Why it isn't wise to spy on your own books
by verianApril 12, 2005
This morning I tagged and bagged four books and set off to some rather nice public gardens to release them on public benches where they could have a nice sit down before being caught. Everything went to plan until I made what I now come to think of as
a particularly stupid error. At the time I didn’t know the horror I was about to inflict on myself but I’m several hours older now and quite a bit wiser. Let me explain:
I had absolutely no intention of returning to the gardens, none at all. I thought it best to not mother the books and let them find their own way without me embarrassing them by hanging around in the bushes making sure they were OK. Also, hanging around in the bushes may have caused me a whole host of other unwanted problems. After three hours of doing nothing important at the local shops I headed back to the car, which just happened to be parked by the gardens.
The urge to just pop my head over the fence and have a peek at one of the benches was irresistible. It’s fair to say that if I were a cat I would most certainly now be dead several times over but with the added advantage of having experienced that whole landing on your feet no matter the drop height thing that they do. I peeked, I didn’t die nor did I suddenly have an overwhelming desire to use a litter tray in future, but I did see that the bench was empty.
At this point, were this a movie, the music would start and I’d be heading for the cellar door. Instead I was heading for the gates of the park, just to check on the others, just to see. It was as I walked through the gates that I realised something unusual was happening but by then it was too late. There, no more than twenty feet away, was a man, and he was looking at the book I’d left in a BookCrossing plastic bag on the bench. The very plastic bags that had arrived only that morning and of which I was rather fond, so much so that I’d thought about just keeping them and letting the books get wet.
The man, who will henceforth be known as ‘The Evil One’, picked up the bag, the one I really liked, the one which easily opens at the top, the one which doesn’t need instructions. Then he did it, the thing that all this has been leading up to. I was watching ‘The Evil One’ from a nearby bench now and for some unfathomable reason I was trying to make sure he didn’t see me, which was silly as he couldn’t possibly have any idea that I’d left the book there. I watched as ‘The Evil One’ defiled my beloved bag by ripping it open at the wrong end. Quite why he would do that I don’t know but I suspect he was a plastic bag hater or possibly a bit stupid.
It may be fair to suggest at this point that I’m overreacting, just a bit. I’m a tad sensitive though, I can’t help it and what ‘The Evil One’ did next made me stand up in shock. Which is quite a serious thing as I rather prefer sitting to standing. He threw the bag on the floor and walked off with the book. The word “OI!” was on my lips but never quite jumped off and into his ears. I was really rather upset, his actions seemed so unnecessary.
I should have learned my lesson from this but instead I went off to check on the other two books. They were gone, no bags on the floor. I felt better.
The most important thing I learned from this was that when they’re gone they’re gone. Walk away without looking back because sometimes it’s best not to know. The other thing I learned, which may be of even greater importance, is that I should look before sitting down on public benches as I had chewing gum stuck to my bum.
I had absolutely no intention of returning to the gardens, none at all. I thought it best to not mother the books and let them find their own way without me embarrassing them by hanging around in the bushes making sure they were OK. Also, hanging around in the bushes may have caused me a whole host of other unwanted problems. After three hours of doing nothing important at the local shops I headed back to the car, which just happened to be parked by the gardens.
The urge to just pop my head over the fence and have a peek at one of the benches was irresistible. It’s fair to say that if I were a cat I would most certainly now be dead several times over but with the added advantage of having experienced that whole landing on your feet no matter the drop height thing that they do. I peeked, I didn’t die nor did I suddenly have an overwhelming desire to use a litter tray in future, but I did see that the bench was empty.
At this point, were this a movie, the music would start and I’d be heading for the cellar door. Instead I was heading for the gates of the park, just to check on the others, just to see. It was as I walked through the gates that I realised something unusual was happening but by then it was too late. There, no more than twenty feet away, was a man, and he was looking at the book I’d left in a BookCrossing plastic bag on the bench. The very plastic bags that had arrived only that morning and of which I was rather fond, so much so that I’d thought about just keeping them and letting the books get wet.
The man, who will henceforth be known as ‘The Evil One’, picked up the bag, the one I really liked, the one which easily opens at the top, the one which doesn’t need instructions. Then he did it, the thing that all this has been leading up to. I was watching ‘The Evil One’ from a nearby bench now and for some unfathomable reason I was trying to make sure he didn’t see me, which was silly as he couldn’t possibly have any idea that I’d left the book there. I watched as ‘The Evil One’ defiled my beloved bag by ripping it open at the wrong end. Quite why he would do that I don’t know but I suspect he was a plastic bag hater or possibly a bit stupid.
It may be fair to suggest at this point that I’m overreacting, just a bit. I’m a tad sensitive though, I can’t help it and what ‘The Evil One’ did next made me stand up in shock. Which is quite a serious thing as I rather prefer sitting to standing. He threw the bag on the floor and walked off with the book. The word “OI!” was on my lips but never quite jumped off and into his ears. I was really rather upset, his actions seemed so unnecessary.
I should have learned my lesson from this but instead I went off to check on the other two books. They were gone, no bags on the floor. I felt better.
The most important thing I learned from this was that when they’re gone they’re gone. Walk away without looking back because sometimes it’s best not to know. The other thing I learned, which may be of even greater importance, is that I should look before sitting down on public benches as I had chewing gum stuck to my bum.
