(I had just finished giving a 45-minute tour about a certain “mysterious” spot that causes people to supposedly feel dizzy and stand at strange angles.)

Tourist: “So do the birds feel the effects of the mystery?”

Me: “Well they don’t appear to fly funny, but it’s possible.”

Tourist: “…but do they FEEL the effects?”

Me: “Well, I don’t really know because I can’t exactly ask them how they feel. They are birds.”

Tourist: “I just wanna know if they feel the effects!”

Me: “Hold on, I’ll go ask them.” *walks away*

(I am a naturalist on a semi-submersible vessel for a summer in Alaska. The passengers get to sit in the bottom section of the boat, six feet below the waterline, looking out of large windows. Over the course of the summer I get a couple of fun questions.)

Tourist #1: “Hey, where are all the tropical fish?”

Me: *blink* “Um, in the tropics, sir. This is Alaska.”

Tourist #2: “Are we going to see any bears?”

Me: *looking out the windows at fields of kelp and bored-looking rockfish* “Sorry, no. We haven’t been able to get them to use the scuba equipment without chewing through it yet.”

Me: “Good afternoon, AV Services, how can I help you?”

Very Angry Caller: “Yeah, I just flew in on Flight [Number] from Cleveland, and you lost my luggage.”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, but you have the wrong number. This is the [University].”

Very Angry Caller: “No it’s not! You’re just saying that!”

Me: “No, really, sir. Our phone number is very close to the airport’s number.”

Very Angry Caller: “LISTEN! YOU LOST MY D*** LUGGAGE! YOU NEED TO FIND IT!”

Me: “Sir, I don’t have your luggage.”

Very Angry Caller: “STOP F****** LYING! I WANT TO TALK TO YOUR SUPERVISOR!”

Me: “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have your luggage either. We could probably get you a DVD player or a slide projector.”

(Very Angry Caller starts cussing randomly. I hang up.)

Customer: “Do you have any maps of South Africa?”

(We’re in Ontario, Canada.)

Me: *having a look* “No, it seems we don’t. Your best bet will be to check online or to wait until you get there.”

Customer: “But you have maps of everywhere else! I looked on the computer and it said you had them!”

Me: “Did we have any in stock?”

Customer: “You have maps of places all over the states, but not South Africa.”

Me: “I guess there’s more interest because people can drive there.”

Customer: “This is discrimination! I want a map of South Africa.”

Me: “Let me go check the computer again.” *runs*

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Me: “Hello, what can I get for you?”

Customer: “Yes, but I don’t want to buy anything. I would just like to know if there are any restaurants here. ”

Me: “Yes, this is one. There are more elsewhere in the park. ”

Customer: “I mean, like a sit-down restaurant.”

Me: “We have chairs and tables outside, and more to my left past the grill.”

Customer: “I mean where you come to me and ask ’em what I want so that I don’t have to get up. You know, a restaurant.”

Me: “I don’t know of any off the top of my head, but you can go ahead and ask other people that work here.”

Customer: “I’ll do that…”

(She walks off and I continue on helping people. Twenty minutes later, she comes back)

Customer: “I couldn’t find any, are you sure there aren’t any?”

Me: “Pardon me, but this isn’t a huge super expensive theme park like Disney World or Disneyland. Are you from California by chance?”

Customer: “Yes, how did you know?”

Me: “I guessed.”