Setting search_path ignored

[Guyren Howe <guyren@xxxxxxxxx>]

CREATE ROLE thing_accessor;

CREATE ROLE

CREATE SCHEMA thing_accessor;

CREATE SCHEMA

covermything=> ALTER ROLE thing_accessor SET search_path=thing_accessor;

ALTER ROLE

covermything=# SET ROLE thing_accessor;

SET

covermything=> SHOW search_path;

   search_path   

-----------------

 "$user", public

(1 row)

 

This seems to contradict all the advice I can find about setting the schema search path.