Uplifted

I'm not completely naive but despite all the horrible things I have seen humans commit in my life, both personal and just in general, I overall had the belief that people were innately good.

Then I started working in retail and was quickly proven wrong.

Yesterday: Sunday (the Lord's day right?) I had the special opportunity to encounter probably the 3 rudest sets of customers I have ever had the pleasure of dealing with over the entire duration of my present employment. (If anyone's interested, that's been 8 months)


Jerkface #1: I'll call her skitzo wierdo - believe me it fits. She walked in the door within 10 minutes of the store being open and as she quickly strode behind me towards the customer service center she did not say good morning. (And she really should have: it was bright & sunny outside, the birds were chirping, I was smiling - for pete's sake we had Bob Marley's "One Love" playing in the store..... it really was a zip-a-dee-doo-dah day!)

But no - not for her - rather she snapped her fingers twice (because I am easily mistaken for Lassie apparently) as she yipped over her shoulder, "Come order some books for me." No please, no patience - just abrupt huffiness. I glared, rolled my eyes, then shrugged it off and went over. Ok, I did wait about 6 seconds before I complied and probably walked a little slower than usual, but hey, I have my pride. I found her books - some strange beyond out-there New Age stuff -at which point she suddenly became all chummy with me, got really giddy and exclaimed, "Thank you, Jesus!"

um ... seriously? ....

Not 5 minutes later though, Miss Pissy Pants had regained her composure & had huffed right back up to me now demanding that I order those same books on cd. (Let me insert here that what made her extra strange was that she was glancing around rapidly the entire time as if ninja spies were going to suddenly leap out from behind the bookshelves at any moment and pounce on her). Only one of them was even available on cd and our store can't order it. I told her she could probably find it online, to which she griped that "It's going to be very difficult to do that since my identity was stolen and my AP address won't let me do that."... not sure about the AP thing, but I thought maybe getting a new identity wouldn't be all that bad. She then got just completely rude and pretty much blamed me for her life's woes and continued to rudely lament that it was very stupid that we couldn't order something when we knew it existed and gripe gripe gripe. I tried to explain it was because it was only produced in limited quantites and our company owns none, but that there were several other competing companies nearby who might be able to get it... She then asked me to call one of these stores for her and ask if they had it. Of course I told her that I was sorry but I couldn't do that but could at least get her numbers for those stores if she would like to call them. She then told me I was incredibly unhelpful and again said it was stupid that I wouldn't order it for her. Anyway, suffice it to say she was one lightbulb short. She stormed off still yapping at me. Have a good day Sister Christian.


Jerkface #2: Not a huge story here. Just overall a rude berating oaf of a man (from New Jersey - no offense to anyone, just that Yankees aren't known for their social graces). I was at registers and checking out his order and he basically just had some snide comment for any and every thing I said. Look buddy - I don't like asking all these questions either, but you don't have to be an ass. He was probably close to 50 and the girl he was skeezily groping was probably just past drinking age (if that) so I chalked it up to just downright dirtbag.


Jerkfaces #3: Overly rotund, just past middle-age couple asked me about a book. (Sidenote - I have nothing against bigger people, but when they are hateful and rude, they ask for beratement ... they also smelled like cheese) When I looked it up, the computer showed that we had none in the store but I offered to order it for her. I was very polite but this lady literally reached a volume just under yelling that the man she had spoken to on the phone said we had three and that she had come all the way down there... (my bad for not being psychic). I told her that particular book isn't marked to even be kept in the store as it was a pre-paid item only but that if she was told it was in-store that I didn't mind checking the shelf. Of course she and her husband followed me berating me all the way. Just basically calling me everything short of stupid.

Because as we all know once an intelligent human being steps behind a counter and dons a name tag they automatically lose 70 IQ points - really, common knowledge people. Anyway, their book was indeed in the store (giving them further ammo) and then they asked for something else ... weren't at all specific about what it was... to sum it up, I tried to help - they didn't clarify what they wanted and then the man raised his voice to me again & tried to get all up in my grill. I'd had enough. I put my finger in his face, barked Sir!, pointed to another section in the store and told him he could look for what he wanted himself. (I know, I know - I'm such a badass). I then strode off leaving them to gripe about how rude I was behind my back. I told another coworker if they needed anything else that I refused to help them.

Fortunately that was at the very end of my shift so I left shortly after that. I then went out to eat with a friend. I ate delicious fattening food and got chocolate ice cream for dessert.
On my way home I saw an elderly man walking along the road with his groceries. He dropped them. The pickup behind me pulled in to a driveway right past him and the younger man inside got out, walked over to the man and helped him pick up his things.

All in all, it was a good day.