Bad cop

One of the more prestigious aspects of my job is being the bad cop. When situations arise people with issues are sent my way, if it goes beyond what a normal library assistant's job description describes. Today, for example, I was faced with the prospect of sorting out a situation that could go either way. A woman was sent to me by another staff person. She owed items on her card, plus on the cards of her two children. She explained to me, in front of her daughter, that she had been through a bad divorce and no longer had the items in her possession. She did not have the money to pay for them and could not get them back since she had no contact with her former spouse. What to do? I let her know that it would be acceptable if she replaced them with new copies. My decision cleared her record for her to check out things for today. The way I see it, if someone wants to set an example and lie to me in front of her kid, then karma will work its magic. Maybe I was being a wimp, but I really believe that people deserve second chances. If they burn me, then we'll all learn the lesson together.