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I work as a coach at a gymnastics gym. Last night there was a fundraiser for the team girls so they could afford competition costs (which are horrendous). The fundraiser consisted of raffles, a bake sale and a complete open gym--kids could do just about whatever they pleased. Anyone waiting outside in line could see through the massive windows that the gym was packed.
I was manning the trampolines and the foam pit area, making sure kids weren't jumping on each other and yelling one at a time on the tramp. The trampolines are floor level and right in front of a big pit, so kids were waiting (rather patiently, too, which was surprising) in line to jump into the pit.
Things are going swimmingly, then in walks Mr. Entitled. He's a grown man, probably 40 or so with his two teenage kids. They walk up to the trampolines, squeeze their way into the line and start jumping on the trampolines. One of Mr. Entitled's kids wanted to jump into the pit, but there was a tangled mass of children in the way, doing what kids do in a massive foam pit. Having fun. Mr. E walks up to me and stares. And stares. I just look at him. Keeping in mind, I'm not getting paid for being there. I volunteered my time. No sticky sweet coach tonight.
Mr. E: Are you going to let those kids play in the pit?
Me: ....yes?
Mr. E: Hm. Hmmmm.
Me: ....................
Mr. E: Well, my kids want to jump in the pit.
Me: Well, I will let them know when it is safe to jump in. There are a lot of kids here, see.
Mr. E: Can't you just tell them to get out? My KID wants to jump IN.
Me: (oh HELL no) They can't hear me when I do yell at them[it was veeery loud in there, and I'm not exactly the spitting image of a large authority figure with a booming voice], and this IS an open gym. They're doing what they paid for.
Mr. E: WELL, that kind of defeats the purpose of having a pit, don't you think?!
Me: ...........not really.
I turned my back to him, signaling that the conversation was over. He stood there and "hmm"-ed for a bit, then left me alone. Cut to a few minutes later, and he's yelling at kids to get out of the pit so his kids can jump in.
Then a few minutes after that, he's hogging the trampoline, jumping on it and not letting kids use the trampoline OR jump in the pit, just so HIS kids, out of the 100 other kids in the gym, have exclusive use to the trampoline and the pit.
He then threw a fit when kids stopped listening to his rude, bossy ass and started jumping and playing again. You know, doing what they paid to do.
He went to the mother in charge of the fundraiser and demanded a refund because his kids weren't getting enough time on the equipment. I think they were there for all of 20 minutes.
The mother, awesome as she is, looked shocked and told him no. He pressed, and she told him she's not giving a refund because he KNEW the gym was packed before he paid, and um...that its a FUNDRAISER.
I could see him demanding a refund from a charity. Tacky wanker.
I was manning the trampolines and the foam pit area, making sure kids weren't jumping on each other and yelling one at a time on the tramp. The trampolines are floor level and right in front of a big pit, so kids were waiting (rather patiently, too, which was surprising) in line to jump into the pit.
Things are going swimmingly, then in walks Mr. Entitled. He's a grown man, probably 40 or so with his two teenage kids. They walk up to the trampolines, squeeze their way into the line and start jumping on the trampolines. One of Mr. Entitled's kids wanted to jump into the pit, but there was a tangled mass of children in the way, doing what kids do in a massive foam pit. Having fun. Mr. E walks up to me and stares. And stares. I just look at him. Keeping in mind, I'm not getting paid for being there. I volunteered my time. No sticky sweet coach tonight.
Mr. E: Are you going to let those kids play in the pit?
Me: ....yes?
Mr. E: Hm. Hmmmm.
Me: ....................
Mr. E: Well, my kids want to jump in the pit.
Me: Well, I will let them know when it is safe to jump in. There are a lot of kids here, see.
Mr. E: Can't you just tell them to get out? My KID wants to jump IN.
Me: (oh HELL no) They can't hear me when I do yell at them[it was veeery loud in there, and I'm not exactly the spitting image of a large authority figure with a booming voice], and this IS an open gym. They're doing what they paid for.
Mr. E: WELL, that kind of defeats the purpose of having a pit, don't you think?!
Me: ...........not really.
I turned my back to him, signaling that the conversation was over. He stood there and "hmm"-ed for a bit, then left me alone. Cut to a few minutes later, and he's yelling at kids to get out of the pit so his kids can jump in.
Then a few minutes after that, he's hogging the trampoline, jumping on it and not letting kids use the trampoline OR jump in the pit, just so HIS kids, out of the 100 other kids in the gym, have exclusive use to the trampoline and the pit.
He then threw a fit when kids stopped listening to his rude, bossy ass and started jumping and playing again. You know, doing what they paid to do.
He went to the mother in charge of the fundraiser and demanded a refund because his kids weren't getting enough time on the equipment. I think they were there for all of 20 minutes.
The mother, awesome as she is, looked shocked and told him no. He pressed, and she told him she's not giving a refund because he KNEW the gym was packed before he paid, and um...that its a FUNDRAISER.
I could see him demanding a refund from a charity. Tacky wanker.
k they want.
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