Rubber band fight...

[bean]

Coworkers and I usually wind up flinging some rubber bands at each other through our shift. Occasionally I'll get bored and fling some in the air just to see if I can catch them. I did that tonight on express, followed up with someone shouting HEY! at me.

I look at them and they say my rubber band (the one I had just caught, and still had in my hand) had hit them in the head. And they required medical attention.

WTF?

I offered to call management over and get an ambulance, and he just kept yelling at me about how he was injured and was going to sue the pants off of me personally.

I smiled and politely told him if he really needed medical attention, I would get it for him right now, otherwise he didn't have a leg to stand on. Then rung his order up (the whole time he was griping about how a rubber band hit him in the head and how bad it hurt... a 0.01oz rubber band that was tossed 15 ft in the air that I had caught in my hand and was STILL holding).

He left, yelling about how he was going to sue us.

Seriously you asshole... I tossed a rubber band IN THE AIR, AND CAUGHT IT... and was holding it in front of you when you approached me. Fuck off and kindly die in a fire.

[BroSCFischer]

Could he have been hit by one of your co-workers, and just thought it was you?

SC

[bean]

No. I was across the store from other coworkers at that point (I was the only one on express.. register 16.. the nearest coworker was on register 7). I was literally tossing them in the air to see if I could catch them when he started yelling at me. I hadn't had a customer in nearly 10 minutes, which is the only reason I was tossing them up. TOSSING, not flinging. Also, he refused to let me call the store manager or an ambulance, even while he was "demanding medical attention" (his words, not mine) and pointing at a pimple above his eye saying I hit him there.

I should have called the store manager anyway just so the guy could make an ass of himself in front of more people.

[Legal Eagle]

Maybe playing around and throwing stuff in the air where it can hit customers isn't the BEST thing to do when you atre at work.

[casey13]

Did you get a manager? I would be concerned of him injuring himself and coming back later claiming it's proof of you hitting him with a rubberband. Usually stores will take pictures.

[EvilEmpryss]

Hope you've got a camera on you at work. Even then, management may side with the SC anyway, just to avoid a publicity brewha. I'm hoping the best for you, though.

[nuthing12]

Just tell him "prove it asshole!"

[Broomjockey]

Maybe playing around and throwing stuff in the air where it can hit customers isn't the BEST thing to do when you atre at work.

And if he'd been doing so, I'd maybe agree. But when you've had no customers for an extended period of time, and you're tossing something that would have a hard time damaging an ant, let alone a human being, I think some slack is called for.

[XCashier]

And if he'd been doing so, I'd maybe agree. But when you've had no customers for an extended period of time, and you're tossing something that would have a hard time damaging an ant, let alone a human being, I think some slack is called for.

If he was shooting the rubber bands, yes, that could hurt someone. Simply throwing it into the air won't hurt anyone, though. Still, might be better to find something else to do during downtime.

[Broomjockey]

Still, might be better to find something else to do during downtime.

Well, I'm translating my time in the box office to this situation, where there was literally nothing else to do. Newspapers hadn't been delivered that day, I'd read the magazine twice, done the job the managers had given me, and wasn't allowed to leave the box office at all, since I was there alone. Wasn't even a door person to talk to. There was literally nothing to do beyond play with rubber bands.

[cinema guy]

I've certainly been ther Broomjockey. 'No you can't read, it looks bad for the customers. And stop looking bored.'

[BookstoreEscapee]

I've certainly been ther Broomjockey. 'No you can't read, it looks bad for the customers. And stop looking bored.'

I used to read magazines on the lower part of the counter (on my side) where the customers couldn't see it. Well, until they actually came up to the counter and then they could see what I was actually doing. Never had anyone complain or anything, not that they'd have reason to because I was always well aware of whether there were people around. But the magazine rack was about the farthest I could get and still see the register, so grabbing something to peruse in my downtime (after pulling old orders and cleaning up other people's messes and straightening the gift area and .....) was easy. I also read the first Series of Unfortunate Events book that way.

Besides, it's a bookstore! How can they forbid you from reading in a bookstore?!

[Shimatta]

This kind of reminds me of that episode of House, M.D. where one of the side stories is a girl that has an injured arm and whatever she sees at that moment is what whe thinks caused it. Seeing a horse pin/picture thinks she fell off a horse.House holding a cane she says an mean old man hit her. Your guy sees a rubberband and thinks it caused his headache.