Throughout my life I have had odd experiences when borrowing pencils...

[Reenk Roink]

I've been really thinking about this since this morning when I was studying with some friends and I went through a very normal pencil borrowing situation. I simply asked a friend for a pencil and he gave one to me without saying anything, then, when I was finished, I returned it to him with a simple "thanks" and his casual "yup" in reply.

How I wish it was always like this. Unfortunately, a good half of my pencil borrowing experiences in life have been awkward to some degree or another. And I really don't think it's me.

I'm not talking about the regular "No, sorry" rejections, even when they are lying. Those are even alright. There have been people who make the lie so patently obvious though, it seems that they are very nervous and they stutter to tell me no. Geez, if it's so hard for you to lie to me about having a pencil for me to borrow why don't you just tell the truth and give it to me?

Worse than that are those who fish around in their backpack, and obviously have many other pencils in their possession but then still say no. Their plan to engage in actually looking for a pencil to make their lie more believable backfires badly. Protip, make sure your backpack is out of the line of sight so that the person that you are lying to can't see that you do indeed have many pencils.

But it gets worse. Twice I have had people lend me pencils extremely hesitantly, only to continue glancing and staring at me suspiciously the whole time I was using their pencil. In one of these cases, when class ended I began to pack my stuff up before giving the guy back his pencil. I was accosted with an extremely gruff "So are you going to give me back my pencil!?" simply because I chose to put my notebook in my backpack before returning the pencil. First of all, it's a ******* pencil. So why the **** would I want to steal it? And if I did steal it, would it really hurt you so much? It's pencil for gods sake (there was nothing special about the pencil in question).

I since learned my lesson, and in the second situation where the guy stared at me nervously, I was already going to return his pencil as soon as possible. Alas, I was too slow, because as soon as class ended, he stood up and came up right next to me. He seemed a bit more timid than the first guy, and didn't say anything but just stared at me. It was only for like 4 seconds before I gave him his pencil but it was still awkward.

Also, this one time when I returned a kids pencil he immediately wiped it with his shirt. Granted, it was during the SARS thing going on, but I wasn't wiping my nose or coughing or anything.

Twice I have had awkward encounters with borrowing pencils from girls. One of them stared at me like I was about to assault her, and I'm pretty sure the other one thought I was hitting on her (she was flattering herself).

Also, twice, the person who I borrowed the pencil from took it as permission to constantly talk to me the ENTIRE time I had their pencil. Not just small chit chat either, constant talking about random crap that I didn't care about. Look man, I just wanted to borrow your pencil, not become your best friend. One of the times it wasn't so bad though, because it was a girl and while she was above average looking, she had a really sweet voice and she actually said some funny stuff.

Am I doing something wrong here? I like to think my appearance and my speaking manner are both fine. I use a polite tone and my voice is slightly soft, though not too soft. I turn to face the person I am asking, but I don't get close at all. I put on a slight smile when you ask someone for something, but nothing too flamboyant. I literally ask either "Can I borrow a pencil, please?" or "Can I please borrow a pencil?" (I am assuming that despite the syntactical variation in the requests, the meaning is the same) Is there some pencil borrowing etiquette step I am missing?

[Strike For The South]

This thread, I approve

Someone just earned themselves a HoF nod

[Motep]

yay for always having more pencils than I know what to do with.

Also, I think there is some kind of dance you are supposed to perform.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Hey, I just stole that pencil. Go steal yer own.

[Subotan]

I always find that when I lend people my pens/pencils, they emigrate from my bag. Likewise, when I ask to borrow a pencil, I am essentially stealing it in front of the victim's eyes.

[Who am i?]

Hello.

Why can you not just make sure you have a pencil.

I prefer pen.

[Husar]

I used to have only one pencil, so I'd need it myself, as such it couldn't really be borrowed.
Why would anyone take two pencils with them when one is clearly enough?

If pencil includes ball rollers etc. here, then I got one where I can replace the cartridge, so yeah, it would bother me if someone took it, but then again I have to use it myself and may give them the cheap one I use as a backup in addition to a new cartridge. If I borrow one myself I will give it back.

[Populus Romanus]

I like to give people pencils that I know are broken even when I have ones that aren't.

[Raz]

Why don't you just get your own pencils?
I mean, if I saw someone constantly asking for a pencil from everyone I'd just give him one of my own damn pencils to keep just to quiet him.

Also, Husar, people bear multiple writing implements to ensure that they always have at least one usable item in the case of loss, theft, fire, flood, plague and other acts of god (including the utter destruction of the tip of a pencil and eradication of the ink reserves within a pen) - enough to keep them operating until they can resupply at the local stationery depot.

[Ironside]

A Real man signs an exorbitant contract with their normal pen provider.

Unfortunatly, that made him remember to actually return the pencils.
Still counts as the intended goal though.

[The Stranger]

I always find that when I lend people my pens/pencils, they emigrate from my bag. Likewise, when I ask to borrow a pencil, I am essentially stealing it in front of the victim's eyes.

yup... it kinda becomes a habit. :P

[rajpoot]

Start using a pen.
Carry your own pencils.
Give a candy to the person you borrow the pencil from so that they don't miss their precious pencil.
Keep sharpening the pencils of people who give you grief until all that's left are inch long stubs.

On a slightly unrelated note, do you use those synthetic wood pencils or ordinary ones?

[Reenk Roink]

Why don't you just get your own pencils?
I mean, if I saw someone constantly asking for a pencil from everyone I'd just give him one of my own damn pencils to keep just to quiet him.

In most cases I do. This is just some bizarre string of experiences I have had throughout the years, from middle school to college, in the pretty rare cases that I have had to borrow pencils.

But, like Husar, I only keep about 1 pencil at a time, and I shove it in my pocket in the morning just as I am about to head out. And in many rushed mornings, keys, phone, wallet take priority so sometimes I forget.

Start using a pen.
Carry your own pencils.
Give a candy to the person you borrow the pencil from so that they don't miss their precious pencil.
Keep sharpening the pencils of people who give you grief until all that's left are inch long stubs.

On a slightly unrelated note, do you use those synthetic wood pencils or ordinary ones?

I avoid pens because I make a ton of mistakes and I hate pressing hard on the paper to write which leaves marks on my other papers behind the paper. I don't know why but that really bothers me.
And I use mechanical pencils of course. Who still uses wooden pencils in 2011 rofl... Although your idea of sharpening them to stubs is a great reason to.

[Motep]

I avoid pens because I make a ton of mistakes and I hate pressing hard on the paper to write which leaves marks on my other papers behind the paper. I don't know why but that really bothers me.
And I use mechanical pencils of course. Who still uses wooden pencils in 2011 rofl...

I use wooden pencils....but then again I do press quite hard and mechanical pencils have a bad habit of having their lead snap on me. But I screw up alot (IE; and = ad, writing my name in the wrong alphabet, illegibility, writing the same word multiple times, etc) and so need the pencil in order to use my paper effectively. Leaving marks on other papers is nice in the event that you lose the original...Ive copied as such before.

[naut]

Finger paint is better.

[Paltmull]

Tricky, this pencil business...

[Andres]

I have the bad habit to put pens, pencils, ballpoints etc. in my mouth. When they're in my mouth, I produce a lot of spit too. And I bite on them. I also do it with borrowed ones. Usually, the persons borrowing me the ballpoint, don't notice (they probably notice the marks of my teeth afterwards, but then I already disappeared into the shadows), because, given the circumstances in which they're usually given to me, they're too busy paying attention and taking notes.

But sometimes it is noticed. During uni, people gave remarks about it à la "Ewwwww" Now, I only have to borrow ballpoints at meetings or during lectures I have to attend jobwise. Somehow, this different setting makes people hesitant to comment on my bad habbit. They usually have this uncomfortable look on their face when they thank me for giving their ballpoint back.

I don't do this on purpose, it's just that I stick them in my mouth if I have them for longer than let's say 15 minutes.

[Husar]

Ewwwww!

[Andres]

To top it off, I hardly manage to conceal my disgust when somebody borrows me a ballpoint that has already been chewed upon.

But even those disappear in my mouth if I have them longer than 15 minutes

It runs in the family, my son puts everything he can put his hands on in his mouth too. But he's only 7 months old.

[rajpoot]

Who still uses wooden pencils in 2011 rofl...

One advantage wooden pencils have over the flimsy mechanical ones that you can use them to poke people quite hard
Plus you can carry around a stationary knife to sharpen them......when I was a kid it made me feel very superior to my fellow students when they were using those plastic sharpeners and I'd pull out my knife.

[A Nerd]

I used to have a mechanical pencil at my last job I named 'Mr. Pencil'. When I was a kid I had a Spider-Man pencil case. There were times where I would put two pencils up my nose (eraser side) and pretend I was a walrus. I never had to lend those pencils out either! :D

[Andres]

I used to have a mechanical pencil at my last job I named 'Mr. Pencil'. When I was a kid I had a Spider-Man pencil case. There were times where I would put two pencils up my nose (eraser side) and pretend I was a walrus. I never had to lend those pencils out either! :D

Considering my nasty habit, I'm glad I never had to borrow a pencil from you...

[Ice]

RR, I probably experienced all of these scenarios. I have no idea what makes people tick as lending a pencil is very trivial.

[TheLastDays]

Well I know that habit of putting things, like pencils, in my mouth...

Even worse is my habit of always puttin guitar picks in my mouth... it probably started with me playin guitar and needing my hand free for fingerpicking on a passage and the only place to stick my pick was my mouth...
Now I have one in my mouth so many times, even when not playing guitar ^^ - but this is of coruse slightly off topic, so, yes, I use a Gel Pen usually, it's works like a normal ball pen, just you don't have to press it down a lot and writing goes kinda smooth...

[Cute Wolf]

when I lend my pencils, I always assume they'll never coming back

I also do that

that's why when in works, I always said "Can I have your pen(cil)?" instead of "can I borrow your pen".

everyone does it, so it was more truthful version

[rajpoot]

There were times where I would put two pencils up my nose (eraser side) and pretend I was a walrus.

The next step is to go *wibble*

[Ironside]

RR, I probably experienced all of these scenarios. I have no idea what makes people tick as lending a pencil is very trivial.

Hi, can you borrow me a dollar? You probably won't see it again, but that's nothing really.
Hi, can you borrow me a dollar? You probably won't see it again, but that's nothing really.
Hi, can you borrow me a dollar? You probably won't see it again, but that's nothing really.
Oh you got plenty of dollars? Could you borrow me one?
Oh you got plenty of dollars? Could you borrow me one?
Oh you got plenty of dollars? Could you borrow me one?

It's the repeated loss that keeps you from having the prefered spares.

[Ice]

Hi, can you borrow me a dollar? You probably won't see it again, but that's nothing really.
Hi, can you borrow me a dollar? You probably won't see it again, but that's nothing really.
Hi, can you borrow me a dollar? You probably won't see it again, but that's nothing really.
Oh you got plenty of dollars? Could you borrow me one?
Oh you got plenty of dollars? Could you borrow me one?
Oh you got plenty of dollars? Could you borrow me one?

It's the repeated loss that keeps you from having the prefered spares.

What....?

It's a flippin pencil, not a dollar. 80% of the time I get it back and when I don't? WHO CARES. I find enough laying on the floor/desks/chairs/around campus that it really doesn't matter in the least.

[The Stranger]

RR, I probably experienced all of these scenarios. I have no idea what makes people tick as lending a pencil is very trivial.

probably cuz they got multiple years of experience with lending pencils and not gettin it back XD

[Ice]

probably cuz they got multiple years of experience with lending pencils and not gettin it back XD

Like I said, it's a pencil. If you really get that annoyed over something that costs absolutely nothing, simply saying "May I have my pencil back?" will usually suffice.