Unfiltered Story #224595

(I am eating lunch on the patio of the zoo’s restaurant during my lunch break. I don’t wear a uniform because I work behind the scenes, so most guests assume I am just another visitor. While I am eating, a woman and her grandchildren sit down nearby. One of the kids, a 4-year-old boy, starts throwing crackers and French fries at one of the squirrels skulking around the patio in search of handouts. The boy’s 6-year-old brother soon joins in. The woman watches in amusement, and even murmurs some encouragement to the kids. Making sure to draw attention to my employee badge, I approach the family)
Me (to the 4-year-old): Excuse me, please don’t feed the animals. We don’t want them to get sick.
Woman (brightly): That’s right! Don’t feed the animals!
(The woman then goes back to eating her lunch as if this 180 degree switch in her stance on the issue never occurred. But to be fair, the kids stopped throwing food at the squirrels.)