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Here's a classic from my days as a pet store employee.
We were getting into the last couple hours of a long day, and the store had died down significantly from the busier times of day. It was as I began to face the dog treats that I first saw a small girl in a pink velour track suit, looking about eight or nine, duck behind a greeting card display rather than make eye contact with me. She seemed very shy, so I didn't approach her immediately, but made a mental note to keep an eye out for an adult with her and to be extra friendly whenever she and her parent made their way through my checkout line.
Several minutes later, Little Girl in Pink is observed by another employee staring forlornly at the fishtanks and backing away rapidly when another employee smiled at her.
After another Little Girl sighting, again unaccompanied by any semblance of a responsible adult, I asked the Manager on Duty if she had noticed that the store seemed to be temporarily housing a lost kiddo who was afraid of strangers.
MOD: Yeah, she's been here for a while. When did you first see her?
Me: About an hour ago.
MOD: That's about when I noticed her, too. And you haven't seen an adult at all?
Me: No, and neither did Fish Department Girl.
MOD: Okay, I'll go ask if a parent is with her.
MOD tracked down Little Girl, who by this time was hiding at the back of the store, and asked nicely if a parent was in the store shopping, and if she was okay. She returned to the front to discuss her findings with me and Fish Department Girl.
MOD: She says her mother left her here for a while and that she is okay and doesn't need any help. What do you guys think we should do?
Me: She seems pretty freaked out. Can you ask her for her mother's phone number so we can call and see if the story is true? (I am, of course, worrying that the kid is a runaway)
FDG: I'll go see if she wants to hold a ferret or a mouse or something- poor kid must be really lonely.
MOD: Maybe I should call General Manager and ask what to do.
General Manager, when telephoned at home for advice, was furious and, as we were closing in less than an hour, told us to call the police if LG was not picked up by a parent in half an hour or less. She also told us to try to get a phone number and call the parent to explain when the store closes and that unattended children are not permitted for safety reasons.
MOD tried talking to Little Girl again, and came back with steam coming out her ears.
MOD: That kid just told me her mother is shopping at Kohl's (clothing store across the parking lot) and doesn't have a cell phone- but the kid does! She is shopping ACROSS THE PARKING LOT and can't be bothered to take her own daughter?
MOD calls Kohl's and gets in touch with their MOD, and requests that a page to the effect of, "Will the mother of a child by the name of Little Girl in Pink please return to Red Dog Blue Catco immediately to retrieve your daughter, as the Red Dog Blue Catco store is closing at 9:00 PM and will be forced to call the police to pick her up if she has not been collected by a parent by 9:00?" be made across the entire store. Kohl's agrees, and we hope against hope and all our retail experience that a contrite parent who did not realize we close before Kohl's does will appear rapidly.
Little Girl declines the offer to hold a ferret or mouse, and continues to wander aimlessly around the store and duck behind things anytime anyone looks at her. This odd behavior gets the attention of a Concerned Customer, who comes through my line 15 minutes before closing.
CC: Did you know there's an unattended child in your store? She seems really frightened. She looks about nine and is wearing pink.
Me: Yes, Ma'am, we're aware, unfortunately there is not much we can do until we close, at which point we will have to phone 911 to send a police officer to take her somewhere safe.
CC: Oh my goodness! You're closing and someone has left a child here?
Me: Yes, she's been here for at least two hours.
CC: TWO HOURS!!!? (steam coming out of her ears as well now)
Me: Yes Ma'am.
CC: Well, her mother can just forget quietly picking her up- I know you can't say anything rude, so I'll stay until she shows up and say it FOR you!
Me: *GRIN* I'm sure that would be helpful, thanks.
CC: Let me buy her a candy bar and a soda. She must be hungry!
Little Girl proceeds to decline candy and soda and continues to hang around, then suddenly dashes for the door. We thought for a moment a parent had shown up, but there was no one outside.
MOD rushes out the door after her and stops her, explaining we had had an ARMED ROBBERY a few weeks ago and the vacant lot by the store was very unsafe, and asks her to please come back in until her mother arrives, for her safety! LG agrees.
Five minutes before closing, MOD gets on the phone with 911. 911 is arranging to send the local police to get Little Girl, when lo and behold, exactly at 9:00 a blue sedan SCREEEEECHES to a stop outside the store and Little Girl proceeds out the doors toward it. MOD, CC, and I follow. Lousy Mother hops out to open the rear door for Little Girl.
MOD: Ma'am, I'm so glad you're here to pick your daughter up. I just wanted to inform you that I was just on the phone with 911 asking them to send a police officer to collect her, as we are now closed.
LM: WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU! This is MY CHILD and you have no right to tell me where she can or can't be!
CC: Lady, if that's what you call parenting, I think you need to take another look at your definitions. If I left my kids in a store for TWO HOURS while I shopped, I would hope Social Services took them away- because you know what they call that? Neglect and abandonment!
Me: Just for future reference, Ma'am, we had an armed robbery recently. This is not a very safe area to leave a child.
LM: IT IS MY DECISION WHERE TO LEAVE HER! She likes it in your store and I HAD TO SHOP!
CC: Well, you could have damn well taken your own daughter with you to shop, you lousy excuse for a parent. I wish you had taken five minutes longer so the police would have come and taken your child away. You don't deserve to have a daughter!
LM: HOW DARE YOU?! She is in middle school and she had a cell phone! She was fine!
MOD: Let me just point out that we do not know you or your child, and anyone could have come in to take her- we wouldn't necessarily have known if it was her parent or not.
CC: Kids get kidnapped all the time because of crap parents like you!
LM: DON'T EVER TELL ME HOW TO RAISE MY DAUGHTER!
CC: They're not telling you how to raise her- I'm telling you not to leave her alone in a goddamned pet store, b****!
LM slams car door, and speeds off, brakes and tires squealing, into the night with poor LG in the back. The police receive her license plate and direction of travel, and promise that they will be pulling her over and doing all they can to determine whether or not she is a fit parent.
Never did hear the outcome, but never did see LG or LM again. And CC, well, she somehow, mysteriously, always managed to come around when I just happened to have an extra coupon just waiting to be given to someone cool, for the rest of the time I worked there.
We were getting into the last couple hours of a long day, and the store had died down significantly from the busier times of day. It was as I began to face the dog treats that I first saw a small girl in a pink velour track suit, looking about eight or nine, duck behind a greeting card display rather than make eye contact with me. She seemed very shy, so I didn't approach her immediately, but made a mental note to keep an eye out for an adult with her and to be extra friendly whenever she and her parent made their way through my checkout line.
Several minutes later, Little Girl in Pink is observed by another employee staring forlornly at the fishtanks and backing away rapidly when another employee smiled at her.
After another Little Girl sighting, again unaccompanied by any semblance of a responsible adult, I asked the Manager on Duty if she had noticed that the store seemed to be temporarily housing a lost kiddo who was afraid of strangers.
MOD: Yeah, she's been here for a while. When did you first see her?
Me: About an hour ago.
MOD: That's about when I noticed her, too. And you haven't seen an adult at all?
Me: No, and neither did Fish Department Girl.
MOD: Okay, I'll go ask if a parent is with her.
MOD tracked down Little Girl, who by this time was hiding at the back of the store, and asked nicely if a parent was in the store shopping, and if she was okay. She returned to the front to discuss her findings with me and Fish Department Girl.
MOD: She says her mother left her here for a while and that she is okay and doesn't need any help. What do you guys think we should do?
Me: She seems pretty freaked out. Can you ask her for her mother's phone number so we can call and see if the story is true? (I am, of course, worrying that the kid is a runaway)
FDG: I'll go see if she wants to hold a ferret or a mouse or something- poor kid must be really lonely.
MOD: Maybe I should call General Manager and ask what to do.
General Manager, when telephoned at home for advice, was furious and, as we were closing in less than an hour, told us to call the police if LG was not picked up by a parent in half an hour or less. She also told us to try to get a phone number and call the parent to explain when the store closes and that unattended children are not permitted for safety reasons.
MOD tried talking to Little Girl again, and came back with steam coming out her ears.
MOD: That kid just told me her mother is shopping at Kohl's (clothing store across the parking lot) and doesn't have a cell phone- but the kid does! She is shopping ACROSS THE PARKING LOT and can't be bothered to take her own daughter?
MOD calls Kohl's and gets in touch with their MOD, and requests that a page to the effect of, "Will the mother of a child by the name of Little Girl in Pink please return to Red Dog Blue Catco immediately to retrieve your daughter, as the Red Dog Blue Catco store is closing at 9:00 PM and will be forced to call the police to pick her up if she has not been collected by a parent by 9:00?" be made across the entire store. Kohl's agrees, and we hope against hope and all our retail experience that a contrite parent who did not realize we close before Kohl's does will appear rapidly.
Little Girl declines the offer to hold a ferret or mouse, and continues to wander aimlessly around the store and duck behind things anytime anyone looks at her. This odd behavior gets the attention of a Concerned Customer, who comes through my line 15 minutes before closing.
CC: Did you know there's an unattended child in your store? She seems really frightened. She looks about nine and is wearing pink.
Me: Yes, Ma'am, we're aware, unfortunately there is not much we can do until we close, at which point we will have to phone 911 to send a police officer to take her somewhere safe.
CC: Oh my goodness! You're closing and someone has left a child here?
Me: Yes, she's been here for at least two hours.
CC: TWO HOURS!!!? (steam coming out of her ears as well now)
Me: Yes Ma'am.
CC: Well, her mother can just forget quietly picking her up- I know you can't say anything rude, so I'll stay until she shows up and say it FOR you!
Me: *GRIN* I'm sure that would be helpful, thanks.
CC: Let me buy her a candy bar and a soda. She must be hungry!
Little Girl proceeds to decline candy and soda and continues to hang around, then suddenly dashes for the door. We thought for a moment a parent had shown up, but there was no one outside.
MOD rushes out the door after her and stops her, explaining we had had an ARMED ROBBERY a few weeks ago and the vacant lot by the store was very unsafe, and asks her to please come back in until her mother arrives, for her safety! LG agrees.
Five minutes before closing, MOD gets on the phone with 911. 911 is arranging to send the local police to get Little Girl, when lo and behold, exactly at 9:00 a blue sedan SCREEEEECHES to a stop outside the store and Little Girl proceeds out the doors toward it. MOD, CC, and I follow. Lousy Mother hops out to open the rear door for Little Girl.
MOD: Ma'am, I'm so glad you're here to pick your daughter up. I just wanted to inform you that I was just on the phone with 911 asking them to send a police officer to collect her, as we are now closed.
LM: WHAT?! HOW DARE YOU! This is MY CHILD and you have no right to tell me where she can or can't be!
CC: Lady, if that's what you call parenting, I think you need to take another look at your definitions. If I left my kids in a store for TWO HOURS while I shopped, I would hope Social Services took them away- because you know what they call that? Neglect and abandonment!
Me: Just for future reference, Ma'am, we had an armed robbery recently. This is not a very safe area to leave a child.
LM: IT IS MY DECISION WHERE TO LEAVE HER! She likes it in your store and I HAD TO SHOP!
CC: Well, you could have damn well taken your own daughter with you to shop, you lousy excuse for a parent. I wish you had taken five minutes longer so the police would have come and taken your child away. You don't deserve to have a daughter!
LM: HOW DARE YOU?! She is in middle school and she had a cell phone! She was fine!
MOD: Let me just point out that we do not know you or your child, and anyone could have come in to take her- we wouldn't necessarily have known if it was her parent or not.
CC: Kids get kidnapped all the time because of crap parents like you!
LM: DON'T EVER TELL ME HOW TO RAISE MY DAUGHTER!
CC: They're not telling you how to raise her- I'm telling you not to leave her alone in a goddamned pet store, b****!
LM slams car door, and speeds off, brakes and tires squealing, into the night with poor LG in the back. The police receive her license plate and direction of travel, and promise that they will be pulling her over and doing all they can to determine whether or not she is a fit parent.
Never did hear the outcome, but never did see LG or LM again. And CC, well, she somehow, mysteriously, always managed to come around when I just happened to have an extra coupon just waiting to be given to someone cool, for the rest of the time I worked there.
But you never know.
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