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I used to do staff support for a University. Part of my job was to work late one night a week, as we had lectures until 9pm.

One particularly cold, foggy, icy night, I got a call from a building at the other end of the campus, saying the projector had failed in one of the lecture theatres. I wrapped up, pick up a portable projector (which, in those days, were not as portable as today, often weighing a good few kilos) and a laptop, with all the connecting cables. Went out. Made the mistake of looking at one of our buildings, which scared the crap out of me. The building are slightly gothic in design, and usually brightly lit. However, the lights on the side of the building I was on had failed, so all I saw was an ominous silhouette in the fog.

Anyhow, I walked slowly and carefully over the other side of the campus, very aware I was carrying thousands of pounds worth of equipment. Got to the lecture theatre, went to set up the laptop and projector. Only to find the lecturer had forgotten to flick the switch to turn the lecturer's AV station on. I flicked said switch, and after about two minutes of various fans spinning up, then spinning down, the retractable screen lowered into place (it was motorised and retracted into the ceiling when not in use) and PC and projector were both available.

The lecturer apologised when I explained this. The thing is, the lecturer had been using this equipment for several years, and everything I'd done was printed on a notice on the desk next to the control panel, so he had no excuse.

I politely said good bye, and made my way slowly back to my office, carrying the equipment I'd just taken over needlessly.