VP workers get a look at more than the contents of your bag… they know what foods you like, when you’re not actually studying, and — in some rare cases — what your underwear looks like. Street chatted with Mark’s Cafe baristas, bag checkers and PennCard counters to find out what they’ve learned about us Quakers.
We sometimes steal shit.
Although the bag checking process often feels like a charade, and the security guards agree, they say that it’s not without its purpose. Katif Mink, who asks you to unzip your backpack every day on your way out, recalls a time when one student stole over 15 library books from our precious Van Party. The klepto was caught weeks later trying to sell them back to the bookstore.
We carry stuff that’s for our eyes only.
The guards have learned not to check every last bag; there’s a science to which ones are off limits. Gym bags, for example, are fine to leave zipped, as Thomas Davis learned the hard way. He once asked a girl to open hers up and found nothing but dirty underwear. “Very awkward… very,” he said.
We like our caffeine.
Although Heaven Epps, a Mark’s Cafe worker, says that the sushi sells out the quickest (Ed note: Mark’s is so the new Pod!), she can’t help but notice that Penn students drink a lot of coffee. As she notes, some people will grab a cup and be back for more within the hour. If you’re a repeat offender, Heaven probably knows your name and how you like your brew, so it pays to be a regular
We get distracted.
All that java doesn't necessarily keep us on track, though. Epps says that when she scans the room as she's cleaning tables, half the students she observes are on Facebook. Speaking of random distractions, she also notes that working at the library is like working in an airport… interesting.
[media-credit name="Faryn Pearl | 34th Street" align="alignleft" width="300"][/media-credit]We're not always nice.
While Heaven explains that most of the students she interacts with are friendly and polite, we aren't always perfect angels. When asked if Penn kids are rude, Davis responded, "That's an understatement… definitely an understatement." In the end, the workers want us all to know that peeking into your purse isn't their choice, but it's what they're paid to do, so enough with the 'tude!
