For a while, I worked for a well-known printer/copier company that also provided office services (print-shop, copy center, mail room, and even security) to other companies. I was their roaming coverage (i.e., the person they call when someone is out sick or on vacation). I remember one of my accounts was a veteran's hospital and its campus sprawled over at least a couple of acres.

At that location, if was my job to support all of the copiers and printers while avoiding the "residents" (the former military members who were patients and who would occasionally have an episode... I remember being told I wasn't allowed to defend myself from them, which I found odd, but it certainly made the job exciting). Anyway, any time one of the offices on the outer edges called about a printer or a copier or a fax, I'd have to hike all the way over there, sometimes through tunnels, to find out what was wrong.

To save myself, and them, some time, I would ask them to unplug the machine while I hiked over. Many of them would "reset" if left unplugged for a certain amount of time (usually 15 minutes), at least, that's what I was told. Most of the office workers were more than happy to oblige once I explained to them the reason, especially after I told them that if it wasn't done when I got there, I'd have to do it myself and then be off to the next crisis, with no telling when I'd come back again (maybe not even that day).

It was always nice to come to an unplugged machine, plug it back in, fiddle around a bit, and then happily announce that it was fixed as it started spitting out whatever was in its queue. The office people appreciated it, I appreciated it, and I avoided most of those veterans.

The few that I didn't avoid, were pretty cool. A few were former airborne, and they talked about the antics they used to get up to when the sergeants weren't looking. Some of them would actually stop by my "office" (it was more of a storage closet) to see if I was there to chat. I miss those guys.