You're too young for back problems!

[Lace Neil Singer]

I'm prompted to post this cuz of a recent incident, but it in fact happens a lot where I work. SC asks me to lift big heavy item; bag of cat litter or crate of beer for example, then throws a hissy fit cuz I politely tell them that I can't do that, due to having backache. SC then usually says this or a variation thereof:

"You're too young for back problems!"

In other words, implying that I'm lying when I say I have backache. Tell that to the plonker who sent me flying off my motorbike a few years back; I landed on my back in the road with said bike on me. That is why I have backache and I am perfectly happy to explain said reason if asked. However, complaining is a road to nowhere as my supervisors are well aware that I do have backache; I handed in a doctor's note about it several years ago, ie after I came back to work all better after said accident.

Colour me confused, but I didn't realise that there was a minimum age for back problems, and myself as a late 20 something doesn't reach that minimum age. -.- I'm not about to lift heavy crap and make my back worse, just cuz SCs believe that this is gospel fact.

[CaroPhoenix]

Trust me - I've had customers who've told me the same thing. (Surprisingly now that I'm 35, no one says I'm too you! ).

But ... OUCH!!!!! What a way to get a backache. I'm sorry. I've only fallen down the stairs a few times (broke my tail bone in one incident), fallen on black ice, fallen on very slippery wet wood, etc. Nothing so major as a motorbike accident.

Ah well ... aren't customers wonderful.

[d962831]

I hate customers who do that, hell even some of my managers do that. I'm 18, but I've got a really bad lower back, so if I lift to much in a small amount of time, I'll be in immense pain for quite a while. And I absolutely hate explaining why I have lower back problems because really it's none of their damn buisness.

[blas]

I get told "You're too young to have stress in your life" when I say the reason I'm on edge or angry or gaining weight is because of stress.

Hell if I'm too young to have stress in my life.

[MrSunshineState]

One time while working at the movie theatre (I was 20 at the time) I had a customer get mad at me because it took me "too long" to walk to the box office (I was box office cashier and was cleaning the lobby during a break).

I told them it was due to my knee (I sprained my knee about a week prior while doing yard work, there was a small hole in the ground I didn't see and stepped in causing me to fall forward as my knee went backward). The customer of course complained how I am too young to have bad knees and young people today don't know hard work etc.

I have had a bad knee since being in 7th grade. I was playing football at PE and had my knee locked (dumbass, I know). While my knee was locked I was hit from behind. Hurt like a mofo But then again, football injuries are cool

[BookstoreEscapee]

I get told "You're too young to have stress in your life" when I say the reason I'm on edge or angry or gaining weight is because of stress.

According to my cousin's kids, you are not an adult until you are 40 (they came up with this rule when they were 8 and 10). So I shouldn't have any stress until I'm 40, then? I'll take that.

I once wrenched my back lifting a customer order (it was a school order of about 100 copies of a book, packed into 2 boxes, one of which was longer and flatter than the other, so I couldn't judge the relative sizes of them too well). I was assuming they were half and half. The top box was heavy, but I could just handle it. It wasn't until after I tried to pick up the second box and felt my entire lower back pull, that I looked at the order sheets and realized the first box only contained 1/3 of the books. Meaning the second box weighed twice as much.

I had to call the manager, who was pregnant and definitely not helping me, and she had to get someone to cover the music department so the guy working back there could come and help the customer load the books in her car, cuz he was the only guy working that night. I couldn't even stand up straight for several minutes afterward. I managed to finish the night, but the next night I spent most of the slow times laying on the floor behind the cashwrap, and went home 2 hours early because I couldn't take it any more. (I got me a hot chocolate at Starbucks next door, and went home and took a bubble bath.)

After that, I was very careful about the boxes I would lift, and if any customer had a problem with that, well, too damn bad!

[RammsteinGirl]

No minimum wage retail job is worth screwing your back up. You can injure your back without even realizing it.

[blas]

You are so right RammsteinGirl. Actually, if you want to get more specific, NO low paying job is really worth any type of pain, pressure, stress, or strong emotion. I try to tell myself that, but it never fails.....shit still happens.

[Princess-Snake]

According to my customers, I'm too young to be having back problems and leg problems. Oh, never mind my blood clots in both of my legs. Never mind having a bad back due to having to carry heavy fluids all day. No, I'm just a lazy bitch that doesn't want to do work. Yeah, that must be it.

[iviles]

Im so glad Im not alone. I have a pushed in bone in my back. I've actualy had doctors say Im to young to have back problems....hmmmm shouldnt these people have to look at your medical recoreds at some point in time?!? But I try as hard as I can but the moment it hurts. I stop! But be very careful I have a customer with the same type of injury as you do and its constent pain management for him. He's only 20 and we've had to put a bunch of SC's in their place when they make rude comments about his cane and how slow he is. So take care of your back and tell those SC's to get a grip!

[StevieJD]

When I was a teenager I was struck by car driven by somebody that thought the sidewalk was a short cut. I lived. Others did not. I may have all my limbs and walk without a limp but there is absolutely no way that I can repetitively lift any significant weight.

Ok, maybe a little melodramatic. So instead I offer to show them my scars. I got some good ones. Get's them every time.

[Miffed]

If someone ever told me I was too young to have problems/stress, I would probably just laugh in their face and walk away.

My legs are fairly crappy due to frequently sitting awkwardly as a kid (imagine sitting on the floor, on your butt, legs bent and twisted with your feet right next to your hips.) not to mention the stress that comes from teenage life.

Self centered jerks, they're the ones overdramatising their problems, thinking the crap they deal with makes them the only person in the world to deserve pity.

[draftermatt]

"You're too young to be bored" - My grandmother
"You're too young to have a headache" - former owner of the company I work for
"You're too young to have back pain/knee pain/shoulder pain" - My parents who called it growing pains, until the doctor showed them the horrible knot in my knee, or when they put their hand on my shoulder and felt it rotate out of joint.

"You're too young to have to know anything" Is what it seems like most people are saying. Well guess what, I may be 23, but I've had a mortgage since I was 19, full time job since I was 17, went to college & worked 40+ hours, responsibilites out my ass, etc. I may not know it all, and I try not to act like I do, but don't you dare not respect me or what I'm saying just because of my age.

[Supermarket Slave Girl]

If a customer has something like a big bag of cat litter or a 30 carton of coke, i think it's anything over 10 kilos we are not allowed to lift, but you cave customers who put those things up on the belt and expect you to lift it into their trolly.

When i was pregnant with my last baby i was about 12 weeks gone and having a few problems with spotting ( sorry tmi) and wasn't allowed to lift anything over 5 kg and had some idiot demand i lift his carton of coke into the trolly for him even though he was very capable of lifting it onto the belt.

I had to tell him i couldn't do it because of my pregnancy and because i wasn't showing yet he didn't believe i was pregnant and called me a lazy bitch.

Screw you buddy, i'm not risking the life of my unborn child just because you don't feel like lifting something, Jackass.

Sorry for the threadjack

[tropicsgoddess]

I may not know it all, and I try not to act like I do, but don't you dare not respect me or what I'm saying just because of my age.

Well Said!!! Nobody is young to have aches,pains and stress and whoever says that you're too young for ___________ problems seriously needs to get their heads checked.