unvisited

[calimac]

The first time I visited The Other Change of Hobbit was before the bookstore even opened in May of 1977.

Today was probably the last time. Except that I didn't even get in the door.

It was my first chance to do so since their latest move, which, I'd known, was to quarters rented from a print shop in El Cerrito. Not, I gathered, a separate suite in an office building, but a back room of some sort in the shop.

I found the building, I saw the bookstore's sign in one window. I went to the one door, down by the print shop end, where I found the sign on the door. Beware of the dog. Presumably the print shop's dog, as the Other has cats.

When, with great trepidation, I opened the door, I found the dog to match the sign. Not a calm or friendly dog, which I could deal with, but a watchdog, determined to protect its ground from such dangerous beings as customers.

I shut the door and hastily retreated. Exactly how hostile the dog was, I didn't care to stay and find out. You want me to beware of the dog? Fine, I'll beware of the dog. I will patronize other establishments and not darken doors bearing such signs.

Comments

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Clearly on loan from Farmer Maggot.

[vgqn.livejournal.com]

Sounds very unpleasant. A barking dog would certainly deter me from visiting. Have you mentioned the incident to Dave Nee? I know he's in a position of beggars can't be choosers, but he should understand that customers are getting blocked from the store. Maybe he could post a phone number so potential customers could ask for the dog to be restrained or be escorted past it?

[kalimac.livejournal.com]

I don't think Dave has much agency here. I think B. forwarded me an FB post in which he said he couldn't even get the bookstore space adequately locked up.

I didn't tell the full story in the post. As I hastily retreated, a woman, previously unseen, opened the door from inside, holding the dog, and said, "Sorry! It's OK." From my safe distance, I said, "Could you lock that thing up before I come inside? Please?" She shut the door and disappeared, and I waited for a couple minutes for her to come back and confirm this. She never did, so I gave up and left, because I wasn't going to open the door again and risk finding out the hard way that the dog was still loose.

My willingness to deal further with this sort of thing is approximately zero.