I just got an armed escort home! *LONG!*

[KMMCurly]

Well, not an armed escort by still instead of my nice walk home I had to get the managers to arrange for someone to drop me off at home all due to some punks who couldn't take 'no' for answer.

Now, on Wednesdays I work until 11, just long enough for it to niiiice and dark before I walk home. At about 10:40 some guys walk in and head straight for the booze, none of them look old enough so everyone instantly clocks them and keeps an eye on them, especially the security guy (important later).

But of course they come to me, I must look like a soft touch, they all come to me. Every. Single. Time. I ask for I.D. One guy pulls out his licence, the others are a no-go. So I tell them no beer for them, and now the fun starts

SC's 1,2 +3: you know who these are right?
Me: The wonderful and long suffering cashier Thought in italics
R: Heroic Security guy

SC1: You're having a laugh right?
Me:Why do they always ask this? No, if you don't all have I.D. I can't sell to you.
SC2: That is f*cking bullsh*t!
SC3: Yeah!
Me: Yep, you're buying booze and I ask for I.D. God, I'm such a bitch! Sorry you think so but that doesn't change the fact that I can't sell to you.
SC1: But I have I.D.!
Me: But they don't and you're in a group. Dumbasses. Don't you know you send the one with the I.D. while the rest wait outside? And you wonder why you got caught?
SC1: This is such bullsh*t!
[enter R]
R: There a problem?
SC1: She won't sell to us?
R: You got I.D.?
SC1: I do!
R: But they don't? Sorry boys we can't sell to you.
SC3: That is so f*cking weak!
R: Wells sorry but that's they way it is, if you boys would to leave now.
SC3: Stop saying you're sorry it makes you look f*ucking weak you f*cking faggot.
Me:Yeah, 'cause trying to buy booze and then trowing a fit like a two year old makes you look well tough.

Well, they leave and that should be the end of that right?
Yeah, right. And if you believed that I got a couple of national landmarks to sell, cheap.

Well, finally it's time for me to go home (incidentally I got to see out some more cardless kids but at least they left it at just pissed off sighing) and I walk towards the escalator at the front of the store to go up stairs to the staff rooms and get my stuff.

And at the entrance who do I see but SC3 yelling at R and another security guy. It's been 20 minutes and this guy still hasn't got it into his skull that he ain't getting booze! Give it up. Seeing that, I change my mind and go up the stairs at the back of the store. Surely by the time I've got my stuff together and 'powdered my nose' these creeps will have pissed off by then, right?

Those landmarks are still going cheap ya know.

Well I come down to grab a few things before I go home and I am informed by J, my team leader, that while the SC's have left the store they are still hanging around outside.

At this point I get scared. I've got a 15-20 minute walk back home, in the dark. Normally I don't mind, I always keep an eye and ear on my surroundings and I carry keys in my hand with the keys sticking through my fingers, if anyone comes for me I'm at least going to make them think twice about it. But 3 against 1, when I have no idea if they're packing knifes (and they certainly looked the type to do so)? Yeah, no f*cking way.

Now when I scared I tend to get angry as well, so I'm standing there, my shopping completely forgotten, calling these punks every name under the sun, shocking the hell out of J, and working myself up into a right state. J then gets R to call down the night-manager and they arrange for one of the stackers to take 5 mins off to drop me back home. Which he does, after a little teasing from me about him being knight in a shiny red car

But I am just so pissed off over the fact that I can't do my f*cking job without running the risk of some little f*cker getting arsey about it and threatening me.

What a choice, don't card and run the risk of getting fired and a £5000 fine or card and run the risk of getting stabbed. What a world.

[Bramblerose]

SC1: You're having a laugh right?
Me:Why do they always ask this?

No, but a bunch of intarwebz folks will...

[Evil Queen]

It's a mixed up, fucked up world. Unfortunately, we all have to live in it. It's good that you stood your ground (you would have probably been fired if you hadn't anyways) but punks are punks and they're always up to no good.

*gives cookies*

[MMATM]

That's a tough spot to be in anywhere, but in the UK it's even tougher.

Anything carried with the intent to use it as a weapon (even in self defense) is illegal. This law is stupid. This stupidity has no effect on it's being the law, unfortunately.

However, it's perfectly legal to carry a torch (flashlight) around, and anything one might pick up or use as a spur-of-the-moment self-defense weapon is legal.

Plus, carrying a torch for your walk home (in the dark) is probably a good idea anyway, if you aren't already. And you have a range advantage with it as well. If you can blind the goon(s) before they get within arm- or knife-reach, you've got one huge advantage from the get go.

Also, if you can run, by all means swallow your pride and do so.

Finally, if SC1 comes in again, he has to hand you his name/address/etc etc... CALL THE COPS! You've got his info and several witnesses to his and his friends' antics. At the very least, he'll be banned from the store. At most, well, if he tries anything (following you, threatening you, etc) you have him on assault charges. And remember, anything he or his friends have on them that they're planning to use as a weapon, or the primary function of which is as a weapon, means additional charges.

[EDIT] Also, blinding oncoming goons is in no court of law anywhere considered using the torch as a weapon. Hitting them with it would be, however, so use wisely. [/EDIT]

Disclaimer: I am not an attorney. I am especially not an attorney in the UK.

[KMMCurly]

It's a mixed up, fucked up world. Unfortunately, we all have to live in it. It's good that you stood your ground (you would have probably been fired if you hadn't anyways) but punks are punks and they're always up to no good.

*gives cookies*

*nums cookies*

Even if I didn't get fired I would have got a serious talking to and probably a warning and considering I want to put my name forward for team leader training that wouldn't be good.

I still in that messed up place between wanting to cry and wanting to hit something. So while I am proud of myself for standing firm, I'm still upset that I ended up fearing for my safety over it.

[Evil Queen]

Oh, you mean that topsy turby place where you're torn from one emotion and the next, huh? Been there, done that, went through a LOT of pillow cases... I had an irritating boss....

Have you considered taking up Boxing as a sport?

[KMMCurly]

Trust me MMATM the fact that the UK as practically no self-defense laws is one of those things that baffle and annoy me. But I won't get into a rant on that subject here.

Luckily I do have a small torch on my key ring that I use when it gets too dark (even though I stick to the main roads where there's street lights), a small thing that helps as an alibi should anyone want to know why my keys were in my hand.

My dad has a few close friends who are lawyers, if these guys try anything I will be running to them, and the police, as fast as I can.

[fireheart]

That's why you carry an aerosol deoderant in your purse and maybe a cigarette lighter (if you smoke). Perfect self-defense weapon and it's hard to argue that it's for self-defense purposes.

[KMMCurly]

Oh, you mean that topsy turby place where you're torn from one emotion and the next, huh? Been there, done that, went through a LOT of pillow cases... I had an irritating boss....

Have you considered taking up Boxing as a sport?

I'm begining to see the wisdom in it. If this what my pillow goes through just for one night I hate to think would happen to it if they try anythin else. It's been sobbed into one moment then thrown across the room and screamed at the next...

[Evil Queen]

I'm begining to see the wisdom in it. If this what my pillow goes through just for one night I hate to think would happen to it if they try anythin else. It's been sobbed into one moment then thrown across the room and screamed at the next...

Try my situation. Everyday I returned home from work, I would kiss my boyfriend hello and tell him to let me change out of my workclothes before hanging out with him. I used this time to beat the stuffing (seriously) out of my pillow and spend the next 5-10 minutes tearing my pillowcase to shreds.

Afterwards, I'd be fine. Go hangout with my boyfriend and be all hunky-dory, ready to go back to work the next day. That had to be the most expensive job I ever had...

[Difdi]

Anything carried with the intent to use it as a weapon (even in self defense) is illegal. This law is stupid. This stupidity has no effect on it's being the law, unfortunately.

If that's applied literally, then self-defense with bare hands would be illegal for anyone who has ever taken any kind of self-defense or martial arts class.

I'm so glad I live in a civilized country, that doesn't automatically assume that the armed one was the aggressor (even if the unarmed one is dressed like a skinhead and outweighed the armed one by 200lbs).

[Moggie]

One of the other reasons to take up a sport like Boxing or some other bare-handed self defense class is that it will give you more confidence in yourself. That means you'll look less timid and target-like when jerks come into your store and it'll give you a handy way to vent all that fear/frustration stuff that happens afterwards.
I am so sorry you had to go through that.
*offers cupcakes*

[alvone]

should of known this was England. To be honest i think you did the right thing getting an escort home.. nowadays people get attacked for no reason... glad all is okay though!

ahh the days of getting booze underage. fun times

[taxguykarl]

One of the other reasons to take up a sport like Boxing or some other bare-handed self defense class is that it will give you more confidence in yourself. That means you'll look less timid and target-like when jerks come into your store and it'll give you a handy way to vent all that fear/frustration stuff that happens afterwards.
I am so sorry you had to go through that.
*offers cupcakes*

That's for sure, I've taken karate for 2 1/2 years now (another belt test coming up soon!).

I've been the escort to cars once last April. One of our flier distibuters got it in his head that he was owed more pay than he actually earned (his time logs did not support his claim). He called the manager threatening her with violence every 5-10 minutes that day, 'til she finally called police.

The other clients were so fearful (he was 6' and about 250#) that I had to walk them to their cars. I did the same for the rest of the staff. I was left alone for the last couple hours. After closing, I walked around the building rather than go out the back door. I saw some guys from the cell phone store in the strip mall on smoke break. I opened my jacket to reveal the tax service logo on my shirt and asked them if the had seen a guy meeting that description. They said no and agreed to call police if and when they did.

FWIW, after the police offer took the call and warned the stalker (for want of a better term), the calls stopped.

[RetailWorkhorse]

I used this time to beat the stuffing (seriously) out of my pillow and spend the next 5-10 minutes tearing my pillowcase to shreds.

Remind me again why I'm moving in with you.