My eyes are crossing. I have written about this patron elsewhere, but I think I have to unload the whole tale here before I lose what little is left of my mind.
Bert is a nice guy, but he is obsessive to the point of madness. He is very interested in the history of Our City and does a lot of research on it. That's fine. He is also African American which isn't actually important, but does add a twist to this tale.
Unfortunately, he does not research his other obsession, which is proving that before Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office, Herbert Hoover had desegregated the army, Jim Crow did not exist, racism did not exist, everyone got on well in some sort of multicultural utopia, there was happy intermarriage, AND the Depression never happened (Roosevelt invented it to discredit Hoover), college was free to all as were hospitals. No one went hungry, there were no food lines and....everyone lived in a paradise where no one had to work, etc., etc....
His "proof" are the speeches of Herbert Hoover. Period.
At first we tried to engage the crazy and explain what real evidence is. We tried to explain, light heartedly, that a speech given by someone seeking reelection is not evidence and, frankly, that the speeches of pretty much EVERY president since Washington sound an awful lot a like...everything is raining puppies and unicorns cavort about sneezing up rainbows.
We might as well talk to ourselves as he comes back day after day demanding more and more proof about his belief of the 1930s utopia. He will stand at our desk and read from the speeches to back up whatever point he is making. Interesting fact: both his parents grew up during the Depression, but apparently they are part of the conspiracy to suppress this information.
I said one day "So, my Grandmother was lying about having to take in washing to make ends meet?" and "Medical care was free? Boy, Gramma got taken for a ride since she and Grampa had to PAY the hospital and the doctor with real cash money when my Uncle was born." And "Bert, are you calling my Grandmother a liar?" And he just chuckles and keeps arguing his point.
It has reached a place where we cannot make him go away as he is determined to "open our eyes" to the truth of our current situation. No matter what information we are able to find for him, he dismisses it, no matter the slant is right left or center...it's all a conspiracy and we have to produce information to prove this consipiracy.
I finally told him that I wanted to stay friends and that he was frustrating that aim and that if he wanted to ask me for help on any other topic, I would help, but if he mentioned Hoover and Roosevelt, I would walk away. He's been good about not asking me for proof of his theories, but it's still a drain on our time and energy. Today my colleagues and I were calling each other in order to free up whoever Bert was holding hostage at the time.
I've asked my supervisor if we may start instituting a five minute rule for chatting and slightly delusional people.
I'm sure this sounds silly and not that big a deal, but this has been going on for six months and daily it becomes more oppressive, especially since we have to deal with multiple versions of Bert embodied in other patrons.