Adding Insult To Injury

(I am working when a young girl either slips or collapses at the top of the escalator. She is badly injured with large amounts of blood clearly visible and she may also be having a seizure. At this point, she is surrounded by her family, a first aider, and another customer who happens to be a nurse; also attending are the store manager and security staff. I have rolled some racks of clothes into the path to stop people from getting too close, and I have been given the task of moving people quickly past. One lady approaches the group, getting far too close and sticking her head between people to try and get a closer look.)

Me: “Excuse me, if you wouldn’t mind moving along to keep the path clear for the paramedics?”

(She ignores me and continues gawping.)

Me: “You need to move away from the area. Please give them some space.”

Woman: “Don’t speak to me like that! I need to see if it’s someone I know first, don’t I?”

Me: “Oh, have you lost someone you came in with then?”

Woman: “No, I came alone. I wanted to see if I knew who the person was.”

Me: “Well, the family here don’t appear to know you, and they are becoming quite distressed by your staring. I think it’s safe to assume you don’t know the person, so I suggest you move on.”

(She continues peering over at the girl on the floor.)

Store Manager: “There is nothing to see here. Move along.”

(She moves off only a couple of feet and peers through the clothes racks surrounding the scene.)

Store Manager: “Madam, you were asked to move on. Please do so.”

Woman: “I am looking at these clothes. This is a SHOP; I am entitled to do my SHOPPING, aren’t I?”

(At this point, the father of the girl, who is in tears, stands up.)

Father: “Will you just go away?!”

Woman: *squaring up to him* “Are you trying to start something with me?!”

(She had to be physically removed from the scene. It took half an hour for the ambulance to arrive. During that time, I was shouted at multiple times for the disruption and for asking people not to stare. The elderly grandmother of the injured girl also ended up chasing a teenager through the store after she was taking photos on her phone.)

This story is part of our Epilepsy roundup.

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