Paranoia in the office

[simont]

I was just standing in the office loo, washing my hands, and suddenly a device attached to the wall puffed a jet of unspecified vapour into the air, with no apparent provocation.

I can only assume that it's some sort of new automatic air freshening device, and that it squirts out a jet of sweet-smelling stuff at regular intervals during the day.

But to understand my initial reaction to this incident, you have to be aware that I've been off work with a cold for two days this week, and I mostly spent those two days lying on the sofa watching James Bond movies. In that state of mind it's deeply unsettling when an innocuous-looking device produces an unexpected jet of gas. I found myself half expecting to be knocked unconscious and wake up to see Blofeld…

Comments

[crazyscot.livejournal.com]

We've got one of those. You're lucky; I think it smells bloody awful (very obviously artificial perfume) - irritates my nose no end.

[ex-lark-asc.livejournal.com]

WHS..

[emperor]

Maybe Blofeld's just softening you up.

"No, Mr Tatham, I expect you to be PuTTY in my hands now"

[senji.livejournal.com]

We have one of those. My initial reaction was very similar...

[fluffymormegil.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we've got one of those.

[sparrowsion]

The time those get really disturbing is when they run out and start emitting distressed "beep beep" sounds, not at all unlike some critical piece of equipment saying "Help! I'm on back up power!" or something similar.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

We have those all over Newnham. When you are using the loo in the middle of the night with groups of drunk men wandering past at irregular intervals, it is very disturbing to have a thing on the wall above your head make a noise like somebody breathing heavily. Clearly it was a man who thought this was a good idea.

[hilarityallen.livejournal.com]

As you know, those things remind me of the Sirius Cybernetics Corporation scented air producers on the Heart of Gold (and elsewhere).

Or, more sinisterly, remember the jets of sweat and adrenalin in the disco....

[damerell.livejournal.com]

AOL. Toxic, like most perfumes. Mind you, I'm the man who runs past the stench counters at department stores with a hankie over my nose.