I Heard That You’re An Idiot

(I’m waiting online for a ride with a nine-year-old autistic boy that I babysit. His father and grandmother are with us. The boy starts to enter the ride before all of the people have exited.)

Me: *to autistic boy* “Sweetie, come back here, please. Come back. You need to stay back here.”

Employee: “He can’t be in there.”

Me: “I know, just give me a moment. ”

(The employee grabs the boy by the arm and takes him back outside the gate and points to the other employee.)

Employee: “You can’t go in there until the lady says you can. Okay? Do you understand me?!”

Father: “He’s autistic. He isn’t going to answer you.”

Employee: “I know, but you still have to talk to them!” *to autistic boy* “Do you understand? You wait until the lady tells you you can go in. Understand? Understand?!”

Father: “I just said he was autistic!”

Employee: “BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO TALK TO THEM!” *walks off to the ride he actually works on*

Me: *to father* “Did that just happen?”

Father: “He probably yells at deaf people, too.”