"There's Been a Complaint Against You...."

[blas]

Well, last time I checked, Jester wasn't the president (at one time or another) and didn't swagger around with body guards.

[ditchdj]

Yeah well personally I dont see how it matters who you threaten. A threat's a threat to me.

[Jester]

Well I'm not saying it's the right or ethical thing to do. I'm just saying that's what I would do.

It's what you would have done, if you could have done it. I could not have. I was not aware of any of this until after the fact, when my manager told me in the office at the end of my shift. Dad was long gone by then.

As the parent of a child with autism, I can assure you that most of us love to have people take our children for just bookworms - i.e. a typical type of kid. Your remark was not off in the least.

The only way that remark could have been considered off in any way would have been if I knew that the kid was autistic. I didn't. I had no idea that he was autistic until the meeting with my manager. It was news to me.

People, I'm pretty sure this was meant to be rhetorical, and now you're getting in to Fratching territory trying to answer it. Stop it.

Broom is right. It was an exclamation on my part, venting my frustration.

Besides, I know what's wrong with people. They're people. And people, as we all know, are idiots.

That man is probably just a sick, sad loser who purposely likes to twist stuff around to get people in trouble and get his jollies off.

That's a possibility. But if we take Dad at his word, he was merely reacting to information that, unbeknownst to him, was bad. I can't say I would have reacted differently if I thought or was told that someone said something disparaging about one of my nieces. I'd like to think I would have checked the source or given the person in question a chance to defend themselves, but I can't say that with all certainty. So if he was just being Protective Dad, I can kind of see it, and in that case, most of the blame goes to Whoever Said That Crap To Him. I still have no idea who it was.

Jester, props for looking at it the way you are, but the bottom line is that saying "I want to beat the shit out of that person over there" IS a threat, regardless of whether it's followed up with a disclaimer (i.e. ..but, I'm not a violent person).

Yeah well personally I dont see how it matters who you threaten. A threat's a threat to me.

I want to repeat. The guy said that IF he were a violent person, he WOULD have beaten the crap out of me. Some of you may take this as a direct threat. I do not. Nor did my manager. I have no issue with it, and I think that involving the police in a matter like that would serve no purpose other than to waste their time and exacerbate the situation. A situation like this is not one to exacerbate...this is the kind of thing you want to defuse.

While I do agree that there are a lot of times when the police probably should be involved, I am of the personal opinion that a lot of times people on this forum, from the safety of being parked on our butts in front of our computers, opine that the police should be involved. And I think a lot of times when that happens, it just isn't the case. Both the police and the courts are overlogged with cases, many of them frivolous. While I do not think all police are hardworking and honest, I do think the great majority of them are, and out of respect for them and the system, I am not going to dial them up every time some blowhard threatens me. Frankly, whether it is work-related or not, the vast majority of the time, I can defuse threatening situations just by talking.

So yeah...enough with the police. They were not called, nor did I or my manager think they should have been. And in this situation, whatever you may think, she and I are really the only ones who could have had the right to make that call. Please...let's end this particular part of the thread right here. Thank you.

Well, last time I checked, Jester wasn't the president (at one time or another) and didn't swagger around with body guards.

No, but I once ran for Mayor, I am a Minister in the Beer Church, I am the Patron Saint of Procastination, and I am the one and only God of Lunacy.

Of course, not one of those titles warrant my having bodyguards...but it sounds good, don't you think?

[Lace Neil Singer]

Jeez, what a nosy, busybody bitch! Let's just hope that karma bites her hard in the arse for poking her nose in and telling that dad something that didn't happen.

And yeah, some people are just nasty wastes of time; I once had a customer insist I'd cussed at her, when I'd done no such thing. Turned out, she just had sand up her butt cuz I was talking to the manager over the phone about a serious petrol spillage rather than rolling out the red carpet for her and kissing her feet.

[jackfaire]

I would not consider "If I were a violent man I would....." a threat.

Simple reason is because it isn't a threat. Most people who in a fit of anger want to express that anger and that disclaimer at the beginning is usually what is said when someone is blowing off steam.

It's like "If I were 5 inches taller, If I was her boyfriend," Anything prefaced with a statement like that is nothing even close to a threat because it reveals a "god I wish" mentaltiy

[Salesmonkey]

Both the events in the actual story and events related in the comments fully demonstrate why hearsay evidence is inadmissible in court.

[Broomjockey]

Please...let's end this particular part of the thread right here. Thank you.

Moderator-added emphasis to this. Next person who tries to further this line of conversation will be receiving an infraction.

[marlovino]

Just out of curiosity, do you have any security camera's in that area of the bar? Maybe you might be able to see who the Dad talked to while he was there.

[Jester]

It's like "If I were 5 inches taller, If I was her boyfriend," Anything prefaced with a statement like that is nothing even close to a threat because it reveals a "god I wish" mentaltiy

If I were 5 inches taller, I'd probably be able to dunk a basketball.

God, I wish.

Just out of curiosity, do you have any security camera's in that area of the bar? Maybe you might be able to see who the Dad talked to while he was there.

Yes, we do. But frankly, I don't care. To bother my managers with this just to see which customer told him this is beneath me and, frankly, would be a waste of time. What purpose would it serve, other than my own curiosity? None.

Also, since there is no sound on our cameras, and we don't know where or when Whoever It Was said this to Dad, it would be a waste of time even towards my curiosity, as it would not tell us squat. For all we know, it was said outside, in front of the bar, or around the corner, or who knows where.

Not worth my effort. It might be worth the effort if there was a criminal complaint against me, or we were pursuing legal action against him, or my managers didn't believe my side of the story. As none of the above is the case, I am going to continue to be the positive person I usually try to be and move on.

[OfficeSlug]

"Watch what I say" - I get that line all the time too.

But if someone gets stupid ("Oh! I just made that $100 bill!" for instance) - I choose to say nothing.


Which also gets complaints.

Because I didn't laugh.


CAN'T WIN.

[Jester]

Luckily my management is pretty damn cool. If someone complained because I didn't laugh at their jokes, my management would be like, "And....?"

Hell, there are many times where people make lame jokes and I just stare at them, making it clear that it wasn't funny. Or some other smartass reaction.

I get away with a lot. After all, I DO control the booze!

[42_42_42]

Reminds me of my days back at the grocery store bakery. A SC complained to the store manager that I had cussed her out. Fortunately, 3 of my coworkers were within ear-shot of the entire conversation and the only one of us to have used swear words was her. She was really just pissed that I told her that we could not do a cake the way she wanted (she wanted something that would violate copyright laws). Of course I explained this to her nicely and professionally and gave her several options for other ways to do her cake. Knowing how the management worked at that store, I was very lucky that my coworkers could and did back me up, otherwise I'd have been written up.

[Jester]

we could not do a cake the way she wanted (she wanted something that would violate copyright laws).

I'm confused. I have seen many cakes that are decorated with various copyrighted images, including cartoons, logos, and animes. But you can't do it?

[Lace Neil Singer]

At the pizza place, I once had a woman complain that I'd sworn at her.

Sadly for her and her made up fairy tale, my boss was able to confirm that I hadn't been working on that day. I still have no idea why she made a story up to try and get me into trouble, unless it was to get free stuff.

[Jester]

I still have no idea why she made a story up to try and get me into trouble, unless it was to get free stuff.

I think you just answered your own question.