Knows Zip About The Situation

(I’m the only IT person for a high school with over 200 computers. As such, I can’t routinely check all computer rooms, and there is a habit of peripherals (mostly mice) going missing. When I can, I zip-tie cables together to help reduce this. A few students from one class spill over into an adjacent computer room. There are about 7 students and there are 28 computers in this room.)

Me: *to the teacher* “Oh, is this spill over because there aren’t enough computers in there?”

Teacher: “Yeah, and a few don’t have a mouse.”

Me: “That’s why I’m in here zip-tying stuff down so hopefully that stops happening.”

(The student sits at one computer, which is next to one I’d just done and begins pulling at the zip-tied mouse on the adjacent computer. The units are tiny, so it also causes the unit to start lifting while he fiddles. It should also be noted there is absolutely no one else sitting in that row.)

Teacher: *exchanging a curious and worried look with me* “[Student]… what are you doing?”

Student: “Well, there’s no mouse on this computer. And this one here is zip-tied down.”

Me: *looking at the large bundle of zip ties in my hand* “Yes… Yes, it is. You could just move to one of the other computers… like, the two on either side of you that have mice and no one sitting at them… Or one of the others on that whole other side of the room that also has no one else sitting at them…”

Student: *silence as he considers this briefly and then shuffles over to the one next to him*

(To make matters worse, the student had been right near us when we were discussing why cables were getting zip-tied and we were speaking rather audibly.)