Practical joke

Earlier this week, I was reminded of a practical joke that was played on me when I was a freshman in college. Since this is April Fool's Day, I thought this was an appropriate time to write about it. But don't do this to someone who may get mad at you!

I had come into the cafeteria late one evening just before closing time and sat down at a table with people I didn't know. I remember thinking that there were a lot of people sitting at the table who had finished their meals but weren't leaving. And they weren't talking either. They were just sitting there. Then, as I ate, I noticed people at surrounding tables who had also finished their meals and weren't leaving. They didn't seem to be talking, either. They all seemed to be waiting for something.

After a while, someone at my table asked if they could have the sugar. As I reached for the sugar dispenser (similar to the one pictured here), it didn't register with me to question why someone who was finished with their meal would need the sugar. I just reached for it (on one side of me) and passed it to them (on the other side of me). I immediately noticed three things:

1. The dispenser got lighter very quickly.
2. The metal top of the dispenser fell off.
3. A sort of cheer went up at the table where I was sitting and at a number of tables around me.

I looked back at where the metal top landed and saw the contents of the sugar dispenser spread out over the table. I went to turn to the fellow who had asked for the sugar to apologize but he was already getting up to leave with a big grin on his face. The memory is a little hazy after all these years but I seem to remember about half the people in the cafeteria getting up to leave at this time. I think it may have been as many as 20 - 30 people. Apparently, word had spread of the imminent practical joke about to be sprung and those folks had been waiting around for it. It wasn't personally aimed at me - it was set for whoever sat down at the table after it has been set up. Someone had screwed off the top of the dispenser, put something over the top (something thin like a piece of cardboard), flipped it over onto the table and slid the cardboard out so that the table was now holding the sugar in. They then placed the metal cover on the "top" of the dispenser to complete the illusion. This type of dispenser makes it easier because it looks the same when it's upside down.

I had to admit, it was a pretty good joke and the large number of people cheering and the suddenness had startled me enough that I didn't get angry. I was more upset by the fact that I felt obligated to clean the mess up. Oh, that and the waste of the sugar.