(no subject)
Every day, Maria's husband and children come home, respond to her cheerful "Hello!" with grunts, then toss their belongings at her to take care of. While she does this, they stand around talking amongst themselves, and either ignoring her, or glaring balefully at her to ensure that she does everything exactly the way they want it done. This varies from person to person, item to item, day to day, but she is never told before hand how it is to be done. If she does it wrong, she is insulted, condescended to, and shouted at. When she is done, they leave, without so much as a civil 'thank you' or 'good-bye'.
Most people - including most retail management - , reading of this situation, would think "I wouldn't put up with that! Why doesn't she leave them?" Now, to challenge your perceptions, let's put Maria's situation into a different context, one involving people she is not involved in interpersonal relationships with.
Every day, customers coming through Maria's checkout lane respond to her cheerful "Hello!" by grunting and throwing their rewards cards at her, and their items onto her counter to be taken care of. While she bags for them, they stand around talking amongst themselves, and either ignoring her, or glaring balebalefully at her to ensure that she does everything exactly the way they want it done. This varies from person to person, item to item, day to day, but she is never told before hand how it is to be done. If she does it wrong, she is insulted, condescended to, and shouted at. When she is done, they leave, without so much as a civil 'thank you' or 'good-bye'.
Suddenly, most people - especially retail management - believe this to be OK. Society sucks.
In case you're wondering, this was triggered by a rude, lying bastard, who got pissy a) because he came to the self-bag lane and b) because he forgot his debit card, and decided to take this out on me by going to my supervisor and claiming I was rude and spent the whole time "sighing and rolling her eyes". Hey, lying asshole! You got a bridge to sell, too? I needed that. No, really, I did. After all, I've only spent the last WEEK wondering if there's a rude noncommunicative asshole convention in town, I was on the worst cash (express) AND I've got a cold coming down on me over the long weekend, plus a wedding coming up in less than three weeks. I don't have enough stress! Go ahead, lie about me to make yourself feel superior. No, really, please. I like it. Honest. It's the real reason I work in retail, not because I couldn't find anything else. Really. Mhm. And I don't want you to fall in a hole and die slowly, either.
At least they didn't prepare a write-up. I've a suspicion not signing an unfair write-up would have gotten me in trouble. Christ, this crap just came out of nowhere. What the bleeding fuck is wrong with people?