Pet Yourself In My Shoes

Edinburgh, Pet Store, Scotland, UK | Right | September 28, 2012

(A regular customer has come into our pet shop with her pet hamster in a carry box. Apparently, she is on his way to put her hamster to sleep as he is very ill. She has dropped in to buy him a last treat for the journey. As she makes her way to me to pay, another customer stops her to look in the box. This other customer is a woman in her thirties with a baby in a stroller.)

Customer: “Oh, you have a hamster. How cute! Can I pet it?”

Regular: “Um, I’m sorry, but he’s not well. I’d rather not take him out.”

Customer: “What’s wrong with him? Surely a wee pat isn’t going to hurt him?”

Regular: “He has a tumor in his tummy, and it’s started to cause him discomfort. We’re on our way to the vet.”

Customer: “Aww, the poor thing! Please let me show my friend. She’s in the shop and she loves hamsters!”

(Suddenly, the customer tries to take the carry box from my regular, alarming her. I quickly make my way over to them.)

Regular: “Excuse me, but this is my hamster! He’s old and sore, and I’m taking him to be put to sleep. The last thing he needs is for a stranger to manhandle him!”

Customer: “If you’re going to have him killed anyway, you should let my friend see him first! She loves hamsters!”

(At this heartless statement, my regular begins to cry. I decide to take a risk and teach the woman a lesson. I take hold of the customer’s stroller handles.)

Me: *to the customer* “My coworker just LOVES babies. Can I take yours away to see her?”

Customer: “Excuse me?! Leave that alone! What gives you the right?!”

Me: “But I want my co-worker to see your baby.”

Customer: “I don’t care! That’s my child, and you’ve no right to touch my buggy. I don’t even know you! Why don’t—”

(Suddenly, a wave of realisation hits the customer and she stops mid-sentence. She then swears at me, takes the stroller back and storms off, all the while refusing eye-contact with my regular, who is still crying. I had to get my manager to tell her what happened. Although I technically had to be written up, my manager was sympathetic and the poor regular got the treats for free.)

This story is part of our Hamsters Roundup!