Do I need to bring my own nails?

So, maybe I am just losing my customer service patience, but I'm really starting to get annoyed with some of these people.

Again, I work at the Virginia State Park reservations line. I am not one stop shopping for any and all questions you have. One woman called me up yesterday, she wanted to stay somewhere in the vicinity of Lake Anna. I asked, "Do you mean Lake Anna State Park?"

"Sure" she says.

Well, she didn't want to camp, and there were no cabins left available for this weekend (aka today). So then she wanted me to book her a hotel. I explained I only work for the state parks ( for the third time) but generously offered to google some hotels in the area. Before I even got halfway through doing that she was off on another tangent, and wanted to know about every lake in the state that has swimming. When I explained again that I only work for the State Parks she asked if I could give her the number there. "The number where?" I ask. "To the state parks." she says.

Seriously? Are you even listening to me? So I painstakingly go thru all of the state parks and which offer lake swimming and where they are, and when I finally find a cabin available for her, she doesn't want to go. She says it must not be a very nice park if it still has space available.

It makes me think of those V8 commercials where the non-vegetable eaters get bonked on the head. I spent 20 minutes on the phone with her.

Or when people call to make a reservation and I ask "For what days?"

And all I get is this: "Uuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Like I just asked an SAT question or something.

Or sometimes they just flat out say, "I don't know." Well, then how am I supposed to help you? Why did you call to make a reservation? How did you think that was gonna work? Or they'll say "Sometime in August" or "Either this weekend or next weekend." Hey, it's your reservation, you tell me when you're gonna go.

My favorite was this very nice guy who called to pay for his reservation. He'd made the res last week and was just calling back to pay for it. When I gave him his res number he asked "Uh, and what do I need this for?" and I explained - checking in, changing or cancelling your reservation, for your records etc.

Then he asks me "So, what should I bring?"

I was taken a little off guard. I guess I paused too long because he started to back pedal.

"Um, I mean, I have -like- a tent." Oh good, that's a start.

"But is there anything, like, inparticular I should bring?" Many things spring to mind - food, clothes, water, personal hygeine products.

I say "Ummm."

"I mean, do I need to bring my own nails? Or will they sell them there?"

"Sir, what do you need nails for?"

"Well, my friend told me they have tent pads there made out of wood. So I was wondering if I need to bring my own nails, you know to nail the tent onto the pad."

Seriously?