It’s Time To Listen

(I work at a children’s play center. Since it’s a Friday night, we’re supposed to close at 8:00, but if there are no customers by 6:30, we usually close an hour early. It’s 7:15, and my coworker and I are counting down the drawer, when someone comes in with their kid — about five or six years old — to play.)

Me: “Hi there! Just so you guys know, we do close at eight tonight, so you have about 45 minutes to play.”

Dad: “Oh, that’s more than enough time! We’ll be out of here by quarter ’til.”

(At 7:50, I go over to them to remind them we close at eight.)

Me: “Just letting you guys know: we close ten minutes from now.”

Dad: *visibly disappointed* “Oh… Does that mean we really have to leave in ten minutes? We just got here, you know.”

Child: *to his dad* “See, Dad? I told you they’d still make us leave.” *to me* “I tried to tell him, miss. They never listen.”