After seeing the IKEA advertisement of the BILLY bookcase on the newspaper I really wanted to get one of those limited edition bookcases but alas, when I booked out of camp I forgot about it totally until this weekend. So I got down to IKEA and book a good look at the choices I had.
Eventually I settled on the BILLY 40x202cm White one that would probably fit into the small space I have in my room. The good news is that it’ll definitely fit all the books I have that are piling up on the table in my room. It doesn’t appear like a space hogger compared to its double-sized counterpart and I was really keen on getting it. Best of all, it’ll cost me $59, quite a steal. I’ve never really chosen a piece of furniture in my room for myself (besides my current super single sized bed) so I was really prepared to pay for it myself and lug it home the IKEA-style.
I went to the self serve furniture section, Row 6, where all the bookcases are and took a good look at the labels to make sure I’m getting the piece of bookcase I want and started lugging it towards the cashier only to realise I might have a problem bringing it home. It was 202cm long, a little over 2m, which means it was taller than me. That means that I’ll have problems fitting it into a taxi, whether it’s the passenger seat or the boot. Buses would be a bigger headache because it was practically impossible for it to negotiate that bend that you have to go through from the front entrance towards the rear where you have to pass the friendly bus captain. At 9pm Singapore time with no real help I can get from anyone close to me with a vehicle large enough to carry my dear BILLY, I had to give up the purchase. I realised I’ve stopped near the cashier and pondered for about 8 minutes.
I dragged the bookcase flat pack towards the shelves where I got it from; the IKEA guys who saw me helped out with it and asked where I wanted to move it to. I said, “Back to the shelves, because I can’t find any means to bring it back home on public transport”. Smiling, one of the guy answered after putting the bookcase flat pack back into position, “Maxi Cab. Only that’ll work.”
Perhaps IKEA, while designing a means to flatpack their furniture and designing their items such that they can be dismantled into a flatpack, should consider about the means of transport consumers might be able to use to bring them home. Of course, they’d be glad to offer home delivery, but hey, I’m getting the cheap old dear BILLY you know? I’m out to save wherever I can.
