WTF IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE!!!??? - Democratic Underground

Ediacara

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Sun Dec-19-04 09:08 PM
Original message

WTF IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE!!!???

So.... I'm working this job for the holidays. It's at a major retail outlet whos colors are red and white, and whose logo is a series of concentric circles. People often times think it's cute to say the name as if it were French.

Anyway, as you can imagine, yesterday afternoon it was packed full of people. Absolutely a nuthouse.

This woman comes up and buys something that totals $17. We're supposed to offer credit cards to everyone, she declines the credit card and proceeds to write a check. She's one of those check writers that uses the top flap of her checkbook as a shield to, I guess, block my deathrays or something. Anyway, she writes the check for $27, and I tell her we can only take checks for the amount of purchase.

She's pissed, I apologize and tell her I should have seen it sooner (which of course was impossible because she was covering her check with the top flap). And she replies, "YA!, You should have!" In a tone of voice that sounded as though I had amputated the wrong leg or something!

I think to myself, 'Does this look like a bank to you!? It looks like Target to me...'

Anyway, she makes a big production about writing void on her check, writing me a new one etc. I glance at the rest of my line and there are a bunch of other people, the first in line is a younger woman, followed by a family.

Anyway, so we finish the transaction and start in on the next customer, I get her CD and because barcodes are never where they should be, I am paying attention to the barcode and not to the customer. I ask if she found everything ok, and ask her if she wants the credit card. I know she didn't want it, no on ever does when they're buying a single CD, but I have to ask or else they'll make me watch the DVD again explaining why credit card sales are so good for Target.

Anyway, the check woman asks me (she still hasn't left), "Do you regularly ask 12 year old girls if they want credit cards?"

I look up for a second puzzled. I look at the customer, and she's a little younger than I first thought, perhaps 17 or 18, then I look at the check woman even more puzzled.

I thought to myself, 'You can't be refering to the woman standing in front of me.'

I answer, "No..."

"THEN WHY DID YOU ASK MY TWELVE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IF SHE WANTED A CREDIT CARD?"

At this point I'm at a loss for words. Do I tell her that her child doesn't look 12? Should I suggest to her that she not let her daughter emulate Britey Spears and perhaps dress less like a slut?

I say nothing.

That's check-woman's cue to start in again, "Were you just not thinking!? Why weren't you paying attention!? Were you not thinking? Can't you think!?"

I tell her daughter that it's $12.99.

Luckily the customer in line behind the daughter comes to my aid and tells her that it's customer policy to ask everyone if they want a credit card.

Check woman asks, "Even twelve year olds?"

My new friend says, "Everyone."

"I highly doubt that..." She finally leaves.

I thank my new friend. She says, "Twelve years old? My ass!" I laugh and agree, and thank her again.

Anyway, about 20 minutes later I get pulled aside by my manager and she asks how old I thought that that girl was. I told her around 17 or 18. My manager states the obvious and says, "Well her mom was really mad, and I told her we don't offer credit cards to minors."

I told her, "She didn't look 12 by any stretch of the imagination, plus the mom was pissed at me already and felt the need to badger me."

My manager laughed.

My question to the DU community is this? What's wrong with Christmas?

I could tell some really hidden things about this woman, something that only comes out with her Christmastime bad moods. She seemed awfully depressed. Not in a "it's cloudy out" way, but a "Jesus Christ what have I done with my life!?" kind of way. It's odd, she has a family, seemed to be well off, she lives in a nice town in a nice state. But it was like she was picking a fight. She seemed to take petty enjoyment out of badgering me.

It was obvious to me, and everyone else around me that her daughter didn't look 12, but she acted as though her daughter was in a stroller.

Why does she think that Christmas gives her a right to be a bitch? Why does she feel the need to take out her unhappiness on me? Just because I'm working retail doesn't mean I'm stupid....