I won't use the original idea for this title

[Mara-chan]

Today's SC was a family. Mother, older daughter, approx 8 year old son and baby. The daughter ran the mother's card as the mother held the baby. The mother didn't speak english too well, so I delt mainly with the daughter. I didn't notice right off what the kid had in its hands... and mouth.

As they were leaving the mom turned and I got a better look at the kid. He was sucking on TWO of the little rubber stress balls we sell. I wasn't 100% sure they didn't come in with them, and I didn't see them near the shelf where we sell them so I didn't say anything.

But not more than 30 seconds after we left the mom sent the kid back in. He handed me two slobber-filled stress balls.

"I'm sorry, we didn't notice he picked these up. THey're wet."

I took them. I looked at him with my mouth open. I looked at the stressballs. I rolled my eyes and tossed them in the trash.

I KNEW I should have said something before they left and made the mom pay for them. It kinda pisses me off that the mom would send the kid in instead of coming in herself to apologize. She probably figured by sending in the kid we wouldn't charge him. Either that or she didn't want to be confronted when she didn't speak english well.

Either way... WTF?!? You let your child chew on things it picks up in stores? And then take no responsibility for it?!? If I didn't have other customers waiting I would have gone out and bitched her out.

*sigh*

[StanFlouride]

Another reason I love working at the hardware store- everything we sell is either heavy, poisonous, or sharp. If parents don't watch their kidlings it's a self-curing phenomena.

[Kiwi]

When I worked in the new age store and a grandmother was walking a toddler around the store. We had a fountain in the window display had glass shelves in front of it and a "please ensure children are supervised at all times" sign

the toddler reaches out, tips over the display (which happened to be bamboo bubble bath in glass jars) and they all roll and smash into the fountain.

the grandmother looks at me and the other worker and then picks up the child and darts out of the store, my worker and I both take off after her and after we caught up with her brought her back to our store and she played the "no english" card until I mentioned the world Police. the funny thing was she was the same ethnicity of the other girl working with me and she pretended to not even understand her!

then she tried to argue that we should have a sign....

we show her the sign

then she says we should have a sign that damages would have to be paid for

we show her the sign as you WALK in the store that said that (well technically it said "Due to the delicate nature of items in this store, we ask that all damaged items are paid for"

then she tries the old delicate items shouldn't be in reach of little children anyway

then she tries to barter how much she should have to pay, first it was cost price, then it was half retail price, (I knew the owner would make ME pay for the stuff if she didn't) so I told her I was sick of it and calling the police and she huffs and puffs and flicks a visa across at the counter at me.

it took both of us the entire afternoon to get the fountain cleaned out, shes lucky I didnt charge her for that to!

[Wade]

Let me guess, Mara-Chan, you were going to call the title of this "Suck Balls," weren't you?

[XCashier]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/fun/re...?date=20060316

Let me guess, Mara-Chan, you were going to call the title of this "Suck Balls," weren't you?

[Mara-chan]

Let me guess, Mara-Chan, you were going to call the title of this "Suck Balls," weren't you?

Who, me?

[PepperElf]

ROFL. oy you should have.!!

[Biggie]

HA! Thats gross. My store sells a breathalyzer and we NEVER clean it. It is so gross when people put their lips to it and try to use it. YUCK! Do they realize how many people have donw that. I never touch that thing. I never knew how disgusting some people are.

[Balgram]

Ugh ugh ugh, the mental images you give me...

Ugh!

Both the stress balls and the breathalyzer...that's gross as anything.

[TWOLF]

You just reminded me of a story from my past. Back when I lived in my home state I used to go with my family to this buffett in the local mall. Well it was arround the holidays and there was this kid with his mother and grandpartents. The son was bouncing these balls arround and finaly his mother yelled at him"Give me your balls!". I almost burst out laughing and she turned arround and looked at me saying"Don't you start!". I thought the grandfather was going to bust a gut and when they were seated before us my dad said"I almost told him get used to hearing that."

[PepperElf]

My store sells a breathalyzer and we NEVER clean it.

um. if you're selling it why would you have to clean it... unless you're just renting it out to use?
and if that's the case, that it's a pay-for-use item... wouldn't it be illegal to not clean it after it was used?

[Dreamstalker]

I was thinking that there's a display unit out and that's never cleaned.