There's not a great deal about the time I spent at TiVo that left a more lasting impression on me then something in their bathrooms. I know that's not saying much for TiVo, and in their defense, let me clarify this by saying that i'm referring to the actual experience of working daily in their office buildings. After having spent close to 10 years at Apple and a couple years in person startup circumstances, my return to being in a corporate environment at TiVo left much to be desired, and paled in comparison to the relative luxury that was Apple. But something i initially found odd at TiVo eventually made perfect and idyllic sense, became a dependancy, and since returning to 'the Mothership', i've found it's absence a constant annoyance and source of frustration.
But I'm trying to change all that.
During my first few weeks at TiVo, when I'd enter one of the building's restrooms, i'd pass by a shelving unit they had in the initial entryway. It was usually completely empty and on occasion, might have some scattered bathroom supplies on top. I found it odd to consider that they had such space constraints that supply shelving needed to overflow from the supply areas and into the rest room, but the lure of easy money has a very strong appeal, and with kids on the way, I resisted the temptation to tender my resignation over this oddity.
And then one day I walked in and noticed a cool TiVo coffee mug sitting on one of the shelves. I was kinda tempted to take it, figuring it was just one of the many promo items TiVo had an inventory of, but being a lone mug on an empty shelf made me reconsider my idea, as it was all to easy a trap that might have been set for newbies. So I continued through the 'outer area' and into the restroom to 'utilize the facilities'. I heard another occupant exit before me, followed shortly there after, and while washing my hands, observed in the reflection of the mirror that the TiVo coffee mug had disappeared!
And then it struck me. It could not be more obvious.. the bastard stole the cup.
OR... perhaps the purpose of the shelving was not for overstock of Kirkland paper products, but instead, to serve as a resting place for workers belongings during their brief, or perhaps, extended visit.
Brilliant!
Having had that, and now being forced to live without it, has been quite difficult. Getting it adopted at Apple is proving to be even more difficult, as two email request, including photos, have failed to generate any momentum. But the options are unacceptable, and as the photo here shows, when one enters the restroom with a laptop and/or papers or a notebook, they've only got a few options:
- Set it on the water splattered sink.
- set it on the urine splattered floor.
- cram it into the ass gasket dispenser as shown above.
As you can imagine, this is the only 'backward step' I've encountered in going from TiVo back to Apple. And I'll continue my campaign as time allows.