Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

[Lace Neil Singer]

I had a real "WTF" moment the other day. At the moment, in both the main store and petrol station, we are giving away these kid vouchers for schools. The kids collect them and the schools use the vouchers once all are in to exchange for sports equipment or put towards school trips. We have to ask all customers, "Are you collecting kid's vouchers?"

Anyway, this woman came up to the till and I asked her the obligitory question. She replied snappily, "Do you have to be so inconsiderate?" My face at this moment looks like this: I spoke nicely, said please and thank you and am being polite. She then said, "I object to being asked about kid vouchers when I've been trying for a baby for years. I think it's really insensitive." I told her that we have to ask everyone this question; she takes the hint and doesn't mention it again.

While I feel for this lady and her situation, I am firstly not psychic and second, to someone oversensitive, everything must seem insensitive. -.-

[ralerin]

Part of me understands why she's a snappy bitch-everyone asking her and hubby/boyfriend about when is she going to pop some damn kids out NOW when they can't, literally, have any must have hit a nerve.

On the other hand, she could have been politer about it, or replied with a no thanks.

[Food Lady]

How were you supposed to know she couldn't have kids? I'm so sick of people assuming we can read minds. If I could, would I be a cashier??

[Lace Neil Singer]

Yeah; if I was psychic, I'd foresee myself some winning lottery numbers.

Part of me understands why she's a snappy bitch-everyone asking her and hubby/boyfriend about when is she going to pop some damn kids out NOW when they can't, literally, have any must have hit a nerve.

On the other hand, she could have been politer about it, or replied with a no thanks.

She could also have saved her temper for someone other than a cashier, who firstly doesn't know squat about her situation, and secondly is unable to snap back at her and tell her to get a life. Yes, it must suck to be unable to have kids and want them, but while one's friends and relatives would, hopefully, know better than to bug her the whole time (and if they keep on despite that then she has every right to tell them off), a nameless cashier can't be expected to know her situation. If things are so bad that she's snapping at shop assistants, then perhaps it's time to seek therapy.

[South Texan]

At the moment, in both the main store and petrol station, we are giving away these kid vouchers for schools. The kids collect them and the schools use the vouchers once all are in to exchange for sports equipment or put towards school trips. We have to ask all customers, "Are you collecting kid's vouchers?"

It's a shame your store did not call them "school points" or something referencing the schools rather than kids. That would make any question regarding them much more neutral.

Based upon what your store has called them, I honestly was expecting you to report the woman saying something about having to collect enough "kid vouchers" to exchange them for an actual kid.

[TelephoneAngel]

WTF indeed, I know plenty of people, myself included, who have no children but collect these vouchers anyway and give them to family members or neighbours to give to their children's schools.

[excuse me??]

My 1st wife & I didn't have children, but we taught children and were around parents all the time... Our "Kids" were actually 2 little dogs, that we loved to spoil with walks and treats.

Sad about that lady wanting children... but people need to respect us clerks more than they do.

[Lace Neil Singer]

It's a shame your store did not call them "school points" or something referencing the schools rather than kids. That would make any question regarding them much more neutral.

Why should they have to tho? Someone would probably get offended that way as well; you can't please everyone and no-one should have to change the name of a perfectly innocent thing like these kids' vouchers on the offchance that someone might be offended.

Also, the vouchers are not just for schools; Brownies, Guides, Cubs, Scouts, playgroups, nurseries, kiddie interest clubs etc also collect them. So calling them school vouchers would be a bit pointless, really.

[Magpie]

The poor woman. She's never going to be able to enjoy spending time with her friends' kids, and she'll be that much more lonely. Yes, it takes effort* to not be bitter, but she's ruining not only her life but, for example, making yours that much less pleasant.

*a heck of a lot of constant effort backed up by general meditation so that the effort actually does some good

[AccountingDrone]

The poor woman. She's never going to be able to enjoy spending time with her friends' kids, and she'll be that much more lonely. Yes, it takes effort* to not be bitter, but she's ruining not only her life but, for example, making yours that much less pleasant.

*a heck of a lot of constant effort backed up by general meditation so that the effort actually does some good

No shit. MrDrone and I *had* a friend, who had gotten married. Things started out fine, but after a couple of years they apparently discovered that no kids would ever be forthcoming, and the wife turned into the bitch from hell ... any married couple friends were permanently and instantly dropped from any sort of communications [no idea why unless it was because they might possibly get pregnant and pop out a kid or already had kids ] but oddly since we are unable to reproduce, we were still on the allowed as friends list.

I was running errands with a couple of my goddaughters along [they were um, 6 and 9 at the time as I remember. Hey I have 6 of 'em, sometimes it gets difficult to keep track of them ] and stopped by to drop off a DVD she wanted to borrow and she went off on me about how heartless I was for having kids and not telling her and how cruel I was for having kids when she couldnt have kids I just turned around and we all left ... I have absolutely no idea how I could manage to have had kids without her noticing ... and I know that I do not look anything like the cute little blond girls, nor does my husband. She called up mrDrone and was screaming at him when we got back to the house ... about how could we have kids when she couldnt ... and then be so cruel as to not tell her that we had kids.

We decided that as much as we liked George, his wacko wife was making life intolerable for us, as she would not stop harping on us having kids, no matter how hard we tried explaining that they were just goddaughters and not actually our kids...

[Rapscallion]

Did you tell George this?

Rapscallion

[AccountingDrone]

Did you tell George this?

Rapscallion

Yup. He refused to rein her in, and it wasn't worth dealing with her insanity. i do not care what your reproductive issue is, I will commiserate ONCE with someones inability to breed, then get over it. I do not need to hear any more about it, I will not refer to it. If I have to do something with a breeding female, I will do so and it has no bearing on any body elses ability to breed. If you actually want to discuss medical issues, on a clinical level I am perfectly willing to do so. I read a lot of clinical stuff, and will discuss nifty procedures with mrDrone and other medical personnel I know. I do not feel like dealing with insanity.

[Sapphire Silk]

While I have sympathy for women who are unable to have children, they must still bear responsibility for their own behaviors. Women are not allowed to take their frustrations out on the rest of society, and if they drive their friends and family away they have no one to blame but themselves for their loneliness.

This lady needs serious grief counseling. Without it, she will continue to wallow in depression, and eventually even her husband will kick her to the curb.

[Andara Bledin]

I have never understood the burning need to have children that came out of your own body to the exclusion of all else; I see it as rather selfish, but I'm odd like that. Sure, I can see the desire to pass on one's genetic code, but it should be about the children thenselves, too, and for that, you just need kids, and we've got millions of kids needing parents all over the globe.

One of the few things I ever respected my former mother-in-law for was that when they discovered that they couldn't have kids without a lot of pharmaceutical/surgical help, she chose to adopt, instead.

^-.-^

[trailerparkmedic]

I've been having some terrible baby fever lately, despite the fact I'm in no position to try. I don't know if it's because I know a lot of people who have been popping them out over the past few months or because I'm a woman in my late 20's, but it can be consuming. I can't even imagine how crazy I would feel if I couldn't have any, so I do feel bad for the woman...but that's no excuse to be a flaming bitch to everyone! The woman needs to get over herself; I'm convinced that most everyone is going through something painful in life, but that doesn't given everyone the right to run around and act like assholes to everyone else.