I just came back from The Source, where I wanted to pick up another set of headphones. I have 2 pair already, but I can’t seem to find them, and I’ve discovered that the best way to find something that’s missing is to buy a replacement. Except for my pizza cutter… I’m still scratching my head over that one. How do you lose a pizza cutter? It’s either in the drawer, on the counter, or in the sink. But I digress.
As I was paying for my headphones I noticed an old man giving one of the clerks a hard time. Some people are just dicks, and this guy was definitely one of them. As I watched, the poor girl tried to be as polite as she could, but the old man was being very belligerent. He wasn’t even there to buy anything, but he sure wasn’t going to let that poor girl walk away before making her feel belittled. It was to the point that I was actually considering intervening because the guy was obviously making her feel uncomfortable, and was completely out of line. Then he turned and hobbled out of the store.
Before I left, I went over to the counter and said “Have a nice day! We’re not all like that… “ She looked up and thanked me… and off I went…
It’s amazing how one bad experience can ruin your day. Hopefully a good one might counter that… even just a little bit.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I don’t believe anyone has the right to belittle anyone for ANY reason. And I know how easy it can be to have a terrible day after someone has done that to you. It happened a lot when I worked at a grocery store back in high school. But, I have discovered over the years, that a lot of times when someone is being mean for no apparent reason, there may be something bad going on in their own lives. Maybe he just lost his spouse? Or maybe his grandchild was just diagnosed with a terminal illness. Or maybe he just lost his home because his old age pension isn’t cutting it. Certainly not justifying his behaviour, but just giving a different perspective. There’s usually way more than meets the eye behind the way we treat others.
I’m glad you took the time to say something nice to the clerk. I hope that at least took away a bit of the sting from the other guy’s mean spirit. Maybe YOU made her day!
Some people are just mean. Glad you stepped above it. Working tech support we have thick skin to it, but some people are not accustomed to it.
I stopped into the store today to see her. It’s no big deal. I was walking right in front of the store on my way to the Market, and noticed she was working, so I went in. Big smile on her face when she saw me. We talked for a minute about yesterday, and then I wished her well and left. Yup…
I agree with you Steven. Some people ARE just mean. But sometimes there’s a lot of hurt inside and that’s why they are so mean to others.
But Stephen did the right thing. I would have done the same.