Yesterday was a typical Monday. I had a job scheduled for 10 AM. On the work order was a man's name with an address. It ended up being a major company, a car manufacturer with their Research & Development offices here in Orange County.
I found their address soon enough, and followed the sign for "Visitor Parking". I walked around the parking lot, looking for the Visitor's Entrance (pointed out by the sign) and didn't find anything. So, I saw a door and was going to enter through this door to inquire where I could find the receptionist. The employees' entry into the building was one of those rotating doors, which was automatic. They would swipe their card, and the door would begin to move. You kind of had to jump with the door moving to avoid being crushed.
But, I had no badge, so I stood there contemplating what to do next, when I heard a voice behind me. Turning, I saw a woman and she asked again, "Can I help you?" I said that I had an appointment with a person, and looking at my work order, gave her the name. She thought for a minute and told me that I should check with the receptionist. I said I was trying to find where that was. She nodded and led me back to the parking lot, then said, "See that black car there?" "Yes." "Well, at the black car, turn left, go down the street. There you will see a circle, that's where the main office is."
Thanking her, I started down that long road, with my tool tray in one hand, the parts to fix the computer in another. There were no sidewalks, only grass and pavement. Finally, I made it to what I hoped was the main lobby, entered (no rotating doors here, thankfully) and approached the receptionist.
Telling her I had an appointment, and after filling in the visitors log, she provided me a badge needed to be in the building. She asked me if she should call the person I was to see or if I would call. Looking at her, I had a brief thought of, 'Isn't that what receptionists are supposed to do, call people?' Seeing as she wasn't busy at the moment, I thanked her and told her I'd appreciate it if she would do the calling.
I waited in the lobby for about five minutes when a man approached. "You the Sony guy?" He asked. I affirmed that I was and he told me that I'd have to go back with him to the fix the computers, would I gather my things and follow? I did, and he approached the receptionist. There was another woman there, probably the receptionist's supervisor. She had a sour expression on her face, a look of distrust at anyone invading the area.
I had observed her while I was waiting and she was constantly fussing about the receptionist's desk. A delivery man came and dropped off a package on top of the counter, and she hurriedly took it off and put it on the floor behind the wall behind the receptionist area.
As we approached, her sour face turned to the man, who said that I was to go back with him to work on one of the laptops. She looked at me as if I was a spy, and looked momentarily at my two badges pinned to my shirt pocket, my ID badge, and the guest badge. Seeing that I was properly adorned, she nodded assent. She saw the box I was holding in my hand and inquired what it was. I said it contained parts to fix the computer. She opened her mouth to tell my escort that I couldn't carry the box into the building. So, he took it from me, quickly obeying her instructions and began walking away.
We made it through a rotating door and walked, and walked, and walked, and found our way into the IT department. He handed me off to a man named Pat (it was easy to remember his name), and so I said I was here to fix a laptop with a bad screen.
Pat looked around and so did I. There were about four stacks of laptops, all the same model and brand, piled on top of one another in the work area. He told me that it must be one of these. He asked if I had a serial number, and I did, showing him my work order. So, he took it and stared looking at laptops, while I stood there and waited. Finally, after about ten minutes, he found the one I was to work on, so I got to work.
An hour later, with the problem resolved and the laptop working again, I was escorted out. A different man, Steve, asked me where I was parked. I told him I was parked in the visitor area, and that I needed to return the badge. He asked me to follow and so I did. He laughed that the place could be a maze sometimes (it was a large building) and so I followed. He led me to another rotating door, leading outside. He waved my badge in front of a box on the wall, and the door started spinning. He said he would return the badge for me and told me to have a good day.
So, the door ushered me out to the bright day outside. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I found that I was in an area I didn't know. I turned around and the automatic rotating door had stop moving, so I couldn't rush back inside. So I began walking. I saw no one in the parking lot to ask questions or directions, no security men in golf carts watching for spies taking pictures of new car models. I walked first one way, then surveying the traffic whizzing by, determined that direction was the freeway and I needed to go the other way. So, I did, walking amongst new cars and unseen models. But I didn't stop to look or appreciate. I wanted to escape!
Finally I found a familiar area, found my car, and finished my adventure for the day with a much needed lunch.
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