Armed And Dangerous To Yourself

(I’m working the register when a young woman comes up with a starter bow, a handful of basic target arrows, an archery glove, and a hip quiver.)

Me: *while swiping her purchases* “Learning how to shoot?”

Customer: “Yeah, I did some archery when I was younger and I thought I’d try to get back into it.”

Me: “You might want an armguard, then, just in case. If a bowstring hits your arm by accident, it can really hurt.”

Customer: “Oh, I thought about that, but I never had a problem when I was a kid. And anyway, the only arm guards you guys have are camo–” *wrinkles her nose* “–and it just seems silly to wear that for target shooting.”

(She pays and leaves. The next day, the same customer comes up to my register. She places an armguard on the conveyor belt. As she does so, I can see a number of angry purple and red streaks around the crook of her arm.)

Customer: *cheerfully* “Yeah, so, I’m an idiot!”