Sometimes it's really hard to keep my professional, customer service face on when I talk to the public.
The other day I had a guest come over to me at the information desk and ask about a collection of gemstones that are no longer on display. And I explained how museums choose what goes on display and all that jazz (and a few specific things for our museum and why that particular collection isn't out right now) and his response?
"If you're not going to display them, you should just sell them. Then at least people could see them."
I about lost my damn mind. I tried to politely tell him museums cannot display their entire collection at one time and we have millions of objects in the collections and we can't and won't just sell things off and if we did you know who could afford it? Billionaires who will keep it all to themselves so you'll never see it again.
He of course didn't want to hear it and just kept yelling at me for us "keeping things locked away in what is basically a safe deposit box" instead of displaying it all.
When I tell you my blood was boiling by the end...
