The sign is there for a reason... or "OW MY BACK"

[Red_Dazes]

Short story.

The Boss Lady had CW and myself transferring merchandise from one top cap to another in seasonal. Basically this entails CW and I to both stand on ladders I grab stuff from the right and pass it to CW and she resets it on the left. Fairly simple, but still the stuff we are moving is pretty heavy and could cause damage if it... oh I don't know... FALLS ON YOU. So we put up the lovely "Do NOT ENTER" barricades on both ends of the aisle to ensure that no one gets killed.

You get a cookie if you know what happens next.



....So there I am lifting this particularly heavy set of gift bags ((there is a ton of them in there they get really heavy...who knew?)) I turn to pass it to CW who is still fiddling with the last set I gave her, when all of a sudden there is a woman and her shopping cart standing between our ladders and reaching through mine to get to the shiny things behind me. And it was at that very moment of course that the handle to the gift bag set decided it no longer wanted to support weight. So I got to perform some weird ladder dance to make sure that this lady didn't get squished. I pulled something in my back in the process.....and snarled at her quite thoroughly, don't remember what I said as the pain was quite prevalent... but she fairly ran out of the aisle.

....My back still hurts...


on a similar note one of my other CW doing a similar reset managed to knock something off the OPPOSITE side of the top cap and it landed on a baby in a stroller... it was very light so there was no harm...but man was that mother PISSED.

[Mytical]

Ouch, sounds painful. If I understand right the other side was not cordoned off? Yeah I might be a bit upset as a shopper myself (the one who's infant had an item dropped on it) Might want to suggest both sides get cordoned off in the future 'just in case'.

As for the one who came through the sectioned off area, had anything happened to her..the only one at fault would have been her.

[Spork4pedro]

I see this all the time when I go to Home Depot or some place like it and they're lifting massive things off of shelves with forklifts! People will just step over or lift up the ropes.

In regards to your back I hope that you filed a worker's comp form or somehow documented it with your employer. I made that mistake when I fell off a ladder. Also, I hope it feels better

[bainsidhe]

Make sure you have the proper accident report info filled out and go see a doctor if you must. Back injuries are nothing to sneeze at and once you pull something, you've set yourself up for further injuries in the future. Take care of yourself.

[Kiwi]

Make sure you have the proper accident report info filled out and go see a doctor if you must. Back injuries are nothing to sneeze at and once you pull something, you've set yourself up for further injuries in the future. Take care of yourself.

THIS!!!!! 100 times this!

I hope your back feels better!

[shadowpanda]

My mind is constantly boggled by idiot customers pulling stunts like this.
Once, whilst putting away a delivery, I had to block of both ends of an aisle to big blue crates on dolly bases (flat bases with wheels). I apologized to every customer I saw and said if they needed anything they could either ask me or wait a few minutes until I was finished. The number of customers who deliberately (and after my warning) rolled the crates out of the way to then squeeze their way through, then moan because they caught and ankle on the boxes was insane!
Idiots!

OP- Hope your back heals ok

[Falor]

In regards to your back I hope that you filed a worker's comp form or somehow documented it with your employer. I made that mistake when I fell off a ladder. Also, I hope it feels better

And even if you didn't immediately file your employer's paperwork you should be able to file an Incident Report of whatever variety next shift. Most companies have some sort of grace period for Employee Incident Reports. Mine in particular is lenient to say the least -- I've seen them filed a couple months after the fall because it wasn't bothersome at the time but gradually crept up there.

[Hyndis]

Report it as soon as you can. I, too, hurt my back at a job hauling around far too heavy objects on high shelves.

They paid for all of my medical bills and also gave me money for general expenses while I was off work recovering.

[DeltaSierra]

I see this all the time when I go to Home Depot or some place like it and they're lifting massive things off of shelves with forklifts! People will just step over or lift up the ropes.

Here they put METAL gates over each end of the aisle when they are using the forklifts, and they latch on to the aisles, along with 'DO NOT ENTER' signs prominent, and I STILL see people try to unlatch them so they can get through!!!!

[Mytical]

Here they put METAL gates over each end of the aisle when they are using the forklifts, and they latch on to the aisles, along with 'DO NOT ENTER' signs prominent, and I STILL see people try to unlatch them so they can get through!!!!

You could put those concrete barriers they use on roads, have a complete SWAT team in full Riot gear, and barbed wire..there are customers that would still try to get through.

[Red_Dazes]

If I understand right the other side was not cordoned off? ....Might want to suggest both sides get cordoned off in the future 'just in case'.

.

We are supposed to block off both aisles when we work on the top caps. I didn't hear enough of the story to know if she just didn't block off the other aisle or if the customer was just being stupid and went though anyway ((I'm leaning towards the former, cause the other CW is an idiot.))

[Ironclad Alibi]

You could put those concrete barriers they use on roads, have a complete SWAT team in full Riot gear, and barbed wire..there are customers that would still try to get through.

Am I wrong for thinking this might make for an interesting reality show?

[DeltaSierra]

What I'd like to see is a reality show where they do set up/cordon off a aisle, or have a "do not enter" sign somewhere then film the people who disobey the signs, and then interview them and ask them just WHY they were being such douches....

[Retail Associate]

A few years ago an elderly man suffered a heart attack in the produce section. Paramedics were working on him and the area was cordoned off with "Do Not Cross" tape. People just ducked under the tape so they could go get their onions or bananas.

(The elderly man didn't survive.)

Another time an overhead main water line burst in the Trim-a-Tree dept soaking everything underneath it and leaving standing water down several aisles. This area was taped off but no one paid any attention to the tape. They just sloshed through the water so they could get what they wanted, then complained because it was all wet.

(We lost a large portion of our Christmas inventory that year.)

People are idiots.

[sylvier]

As for the one who came through the sectioned off area, had anything happened to her..the only one at fault would have been her.

Oh yes, so you'd think. But remember Stella - the woman that successfully sued Mickey D's several years because their coffee was too hot. (Refresher course on Stella - she had ordered coffee at their drive-through and was burned when the hot coffee splashed on her knees where she decided to park the takeout cup)