Sometimes I hate the male of the species (ended up kinda long)

[tehtech]

So Wednesday night I was working 6 to close (midnight) at the old grocery store. Recently corporate lowered a ton of prices (while the cost of a 20oz of Vanilla Coke went up.) and so we were given these ribbon things to attach to our name tags. They were just long enough to be very awkward for the women of the store to wear. I myself am not small in the chest area so it was already uncomfortable but we had similar ones in November for the free turkey promo and nothing happened so I thought nothing of it. Then this ass came in my line.

SC: So does your boyfriend know about the new lower prices?
Me: My boyfriend doesn't live around here (it's all true. he lives an hour away.)
SC: Does he know they make you wear that?
Me: *thinking* dude stop staring at my boobs.
SC: Does he LET you wear that?
Me: It's part of my uniform and I don't need his permission for things. Here's your change *all said with a sickeningly sweet smile*

I took the stupid thing off my name tag right after that and told a female supervisor that I'll never put another ribbon on it.

*Bonus with less suck and more awkward*
Later that night a regular came in as I was doing shop backs. Now he and I have occasionally exchanged small talk when he comes in about video games and whatnot. Totally innocent or so I thought. We were talking again only that night he was so obviously hitting on me that other cashiers were cracking up. I was getting uncomfortable only cause I knew I'd have to turn him down and I didn't want to come off as mean. I kept trying to get away as it got more apparent where he was going and finally he asks me out for drinks. I tell him "sorry I have a boyfriend" and BOLT down the soda aisle.

Fast forward to today. I'm working with one of the cashiers from Wednesday night so she's giggling again as he comes in. I try to be polite but didn't really make eye contact and the whole thing was all kinds of awkward. And he's a really regular (in at least once every other day) so there won't be a week I won't see him. I know i did the right thing but god do I feel like a jerk.

[depechemodefan]

I think you shouldn't feel like a jerk. You didn't do anything malicious. It's not like he ran home, tail between his legs, and cried (I hope not). Hopefully he just move on.

The first guy sounds like he lived during the Victorian age. Or the Middle Ages. Or the cave man age.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I. Hate. Ribbons.

Thrice now corporate has had us wear those damn things beneath our nametags. Once when we rolled out our loyalty program, once to advertise our "ten for ten" loyalty program (free $10 gift card when you get ten prescriptions filled at our pharmacy and present your loyalty card each time), and once when we launched our online shopping site.

I refuse to wear them. I work freight and am thus frequently picking up and putting down boxes, so the ribbons get dirty and ratty in a very short time.

And also if I'm going to be used as advertising, they can pay me, dammit. But management hasn't put up too of a fight on those ribbons. They just give me a new one when it's dawned on them that I'm not wearing mine, and then forget I'm not wearing the ribbon after a while.

[Hyndis]

I refuse to wear them. I work freight and am thus frequently picking up and putting down boxes, so the ribbons get dirty and ratty in a very short time.

Whats worse is having to wear nice black slacks and an ironed shirt.

While working with freight.

I had to buy new pants almost every week because of how fast they wore out to the point where they were literally ripped and tattered everywhere.

Every time I just went with denim I got a stern talking to. I don't even interact with customers on that job! I just work with boxes. No customer ever sees me.



That was one of the reasons why I quit that job, found a much nicer job later on.

[Miss Fatale]

That's the trouble, women are often indoctrinated into "not being mean" -- which means we often don't listen to our instincts, or are not blunt with others. (Not all, of course.)

It's good to care about how others feel and to be polite. At the same time, there's nothing wrong with saying no to a date, especially if you already have a boyfriend. No, never mind the specially -- no one should feel obligated to say yes to a date, regardless of status.

And he was hitting on you while you working? Yuck. The just makes things worse, since obviously if you are on the job, you wouldn't say "buzz off, jerk" like you otherwise might.

You can't help how you feel, but rest assure, you are not actually a jerk for saying no.

[Zell]

SC: So does your boyfriend know about the new lower prices?

WOOOOOOOOW.

He went right in, head-on with the question of if you had a boyfriend or not. He was totally hoping you'd say no.

[CrazedClerkthe2nd]

A coworker of mine and an old job was once hit on 4 times....in one night.

[bainsidhe]

How big or horribly placed are these ribbons that they draw THAT much attention to jaboobies? (new fave word per Lupo )

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

How big or horribly placed are these ribbons that they draw THAT much attention to jaboobies? (new fave word per Lupo )

They're more of an excuse, I think.

[Seshat]

Whats worse is having to wear nice black slacks and an ironed shirt.

While working with freight.

(brief thread detour)

For those who still have to work with freight and wear 'nice slacks and an ironed shirt', many of the companies that make 'workwear' suitable for factory or construction also make 'nice' outfits that are only slightly less tough. Well worth investigating.

[ralerin]

Question re: ribbons: Why hasn't someone complained to corporate yet that the placement of the ribbons draws attention to your breasts and creates more chance of sexual harassment?

[Plaidman]

Poor second guy. Thinks that you might like him since you treated him like a human. The day gets his nervves off to ask you out, all your cowoorkers are laughing at him, and you have to run while shout fuck no.



Thankfully that wasn't one of my times, because I sure wouldn't go into store like that.

[tehtech]

Poor second guy. Thinks that you might like him since you treated him like a human. The day gets his nervves off to ask you out, all your cowoorkers are laughing at him, and you have to run while shout fuck no.



Thankfully that wasn't one of my times, because I sure wouldn't go into store like that.

I bolted cause it was awkward. I felt bad because a) my coworkers have about as much tact as a moose and b) I was the victim of a stalker in college and that's how it started. Yeah it wasn't my best moment but that's all I could think of. This guy obviously lives local and so do I (right down the street) and I walk to work. At least half of my customers have a basic idea of where I live cause they see me walking to work. I figure just get out of the situation before I talk myself into it getting worse. I have a habit of being very friendly to everyone and it's gotten me in trouble in the past (see stalker: I got nothing but creep vibes but still had lunch with him almost every day until he started calling me 8 times in two hours). It was a survival instinct to run.

[tehtech]

In response to the ribbons

Wanted to make this a separate post since it's a total 180 from my last. The ribbons were huge. At least two inches wide and not sure how long but on me it ended up falling right on the most protruding part of my chest when my name tag was worn in it's required space on my shirt. The way it fell also caused the giant red word lower to land right on my boob. lovely place really. I didn't think about letting corporate know as it didn't seem like much of an issue but we have a largely female staff and none of us have small chests so I may write corporate HR an email about it.

[BrenDAnn]

Y'know, it's bad enough that the slot that our nametags attach to on the smocks at the c-store are at the perfect level to where you know a guy is looking at your breasts if he addresses you by name and you've never seen him before. I can't imagine having a ribbon there to draw attention as well! You have my total sympathy.