It's funny. When you work in an office with cubicles, it's virtually impossible to isolate yourself from your coworkers when you need to. This happens to me all the time when I try to get a big project done, or when I want to eat my lunch at my desk. I'll put it in my calendar that I do not wish to be disturbed, I'll let everyone know at staff meeting, I'll even put a big screen shot on my computer that I'm busy, but I'll still get half a dozen people come up to me while I'm elbows-deep in paper work (or food, heh) and ask me to drop everything to answer a simple question. It's very frustrating, but ultimately unavoidable without an office.
Such was the case today with Todd. He needed to be left alone, so he attempted to put the point across by printing this handy little sign shown above, "It may look like I'm here, but I'm not...just keep walking."
I laughed when I saw it, not only because it was supposed to be funny, but because we all knew it wouldn't work. And of course, it didn't. He still had several people come to his desk and ask him questions or give him more work. I observed the people who disturbed his requested solitude, and most of them didn't even notice the sign. And those who did read his sign, chuckled, and then walked over and interrupted him anyway.
Perhaps because it was an ambiguous thing: I'm not really here, just keep walking. That doesn't really say, "Please don't bug me. I don't have the time to help you right now."
Perhaps his sign should have read, "I can't help you right now. Go bug someone else."
Eh. Who am I kidding? It still wouldn't have worked.
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