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I went to Future Shop yesterday and encountered an SC that really left me with no recourse but to just stare incredulously at her utter lack of tact.
I was shopping for my wife so it was just 'the guys', my two sons (7 & 5) and I. We had just selected a gift for her and were standing second in line at the cash register so we could pay and leave when all of a sudden I am forced to take notice of the rude 50-ish woman in front of me because she starts swearing randomly about her debit card woes. Apparently the debit card machines at the pair of registers we were standing at were inoperable, which during the holidays I've known to happen usually because the store's debit lines are all in use. Patience usually prevails over this problem.
Within a few seconds of her swearing she notices that my two children are standing nearby and that we can hear her rant loud and clear. She paused, took that information in and continured her obscenity laden rant. For that split second I made the mistake of thinking that she had come to the tactful conclusion that it wouldn't be a very polite thing to do to continue the obscenities, but she continued as though we weren't there. I thought briefly about saying something, but I am a very mouthy person and because I already felt sorry for the girl that was getting sworn at I didn't think that adding to her stress by adding to the scene was fair to her.
So finally a manager took her to another register and apparently this didn't solve her problem because as I was leaving she came out behind we as we walked out and practically screamed at me "It still didn't f***ing work!!" like we engaged in a battle with the evil store that was conspiring to screw us out of the things we wish to buy. I damned near sunk to her level and threw a snappy retort back, but with my kids there that would not have been the prudent thing to do.
I really felt sorry for the girl at the register. I ended up giving her a toonie and told her to go get a coffee after her shift. She looked like she wanted to rant a little about the lady after my little show of empathy, but with a manager within ear shot she, much to her credit, kept her cool.
When did the spirit of the holiday get replaced with such hostility? I went in there happy that after one of the hardest years of my life I was able to manage such a gift for my wife who had stood steadfastly behind me all the while. I walked out just shaking my head that a debit card mishap ended up with my kids standing there with their hands on their ears while this lady flew off an obscenity laden rant that would make some truck drivers blush.
I was shopping for my wife so it was just 'the guys', my two sons (7 & 5) and I. We had just selected a gift for her and were standing second in line at the cash register so we could pay and leave when all of a sudden I am forced to take notice of the rude 50-ish woman in front of me because she starts swearing randomly about her debit card woes. Apparently the debit card machines at the pair of registers we were standing at were inoperable, which during the holidays I've known to happen usually because the store's debit lines are all in use. Patience usually prevails over this problem.
Within a few seconds of her swearing she notices that my two children are standing nearby and that we can hear her rant loud and clear. She paused, took that information in and continured her obscenity laden rant. For that split second I made the mistake of thinking that she had come to the tactful conclusion that it wouldn't be a very polite thing to do to continue the obscenities, but she continued as though we weren't there. I thought briefly about saying something, but I am a very mouthy person and because I already felt sorry for the girl that was getting sworn at I didn't think that adding to her stress by adding to the scene was fair to her.
So finally a manager took her to another register and apparently this didn't solve her problem because as I was leaving she came out behind we as we walked out and practically screamed at me "It still didn't f***ing work!!" like we engaged in a battle with the evil store that was conspiring to screw us out of the things we wish to buy. I damned near sunk to her level and threw a snappy retort back, but with my kids there that would not have been the prudent thing to do.
I really felt sorry for the girl at the register. I ended up giving her a toonie and told her to go get a coffee after her shift. She looked like she wanted to rant a little about the lady after my little show of empathy, but with a manager within ear shot she, much to her credit, kept her cool.
When did the spirit of the holiday get replaced with such hostility? I went in there happy that after one of the hardest years of my life I was able to manage such a gift for my wife who had stood steadfastly behind me all the while. I walked out just shaking my head that a debit card mishap ended up with my kids standing there with their hands on their ears while this lady flew off an obscenity laden rant that would make some truck drivers blush.
I AM the evil bastard!
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