No Outside Food Or Bad Attitudes Allowed

I’m a lifeguard at a lodge, and before people walk into the water park, we have to check their bags for anything that isn’t allowed in. There are signs on all four doors to get in that say, “Outside food and drink prohibited,” real big.

An older lady walks up with her granddaughter and I greet them.

Me: “Good morning, ma’am. Can you open up your bag for me, please?”

She opens the bag and inside are five bags of chips.

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but outside food isn’t allowed in the water park. You can leave it here with us — there’s a security camera watching the area — or you can take it back to your room.”

She makes a really ugly face.

Older Lady: “Well, I’m not leaving it here with you!”

Me: “You’re welcome to take it back up to your room, then, or out to your car.”

Older Lady: *To her granddaughter* “C’mon, we have to go back up to our room because she won’t let us in.” *To me* “It doesn’t say that anywhere! We were never told that!”

Me: *Pointing at the doors* “Ma’am, it’s—”

She stormed off before I could say anything, and good thing, too, because I was about to tell her it was on all four of the doors. About ten minutes later, she came back with a now empty bag, shoved it in my face saying, “THERE!” and then marched into the water park.