Triggering the alarm. Again.

The laboratoire I work at is really small. It's situated in an industrial area outside the small town. So nobody can actually notice if anyone tries to break in, unless there is an effective alarm. Which there normally is. So effective that I have, or have been involved in, triggered it thrice. The problem is that it's automatically turned on at 19.30. Yes, 7.30 pm. Who the hell stops working at seven thirty (or rather seven twenty since one need to turn computer off and get all ones stuff and get out of therebefore the alarm is activated)? No wonder France is going down.

First time I triggered it was entirely my fault. I lost track of time reading newspapers online and all of a sudden saw my computer clock turning 19.31. What I should have done instead of rushing towards the panel to try and turn the surveillance off, was to bring my keys, jump out of my office window, lock myself in and turn the alarm off since the panel is close to the entrance. Didn't do that. Not smart enough for that other than in retrospect. So the alarm went off as soon as I enteres the corridor. I had to call the security company and since these were pretty early days of my contract, my French was even poorer than it is now. The head of the station was most seriously displeased the day after. He's often so I have learned later.

Second time was my colleague Dr B's fault. He was visiting for collaboration and I lost track of time again. My colleague, Dr V, suddenly said its 19.25. I have never finished packing so quickly before. Dr B sitting in another office didn't really think it was that urgent and while he was slowly walking down the corridor towards us who were standing by the entrance ready for a swift exit, the clock inevitably turned 19.30. This time Dr V took the job of calling security and had to face the boss the next day.

Third time (today) was not my fault at all. Neither the fault of my two colleagues who were there with me. We deliberately stayed past 19.30 since one of our secretaries had told us the alarm was still turned off (had been shut down the whole summer due to some unknown and seemingly unfixable errors). I guess I was the one triggering it as I tried to cross the corridor from my room to go to the bathroom (why do I say bathroom, I was on my way to the loo goddamnit). So we were all taken by surprise. Good thing I was there since my colleagues did not have the faintest clue how to turn it off. I will have to face the boss tomorrow I reckon.

To all you Calvadosian crooks and thugs trying to steal our otoliths; our alarm is working now!