Sick With Power

I am in a hardware store with my daughter when she starts to feel unwell — really unwell. I speak to an employee.

Me: “I don’t suppose you have a bathroom? She’s not feeling well.”

[Employee #1] takes one look at how poorly my daughter looks.

Employee #1: “Sure, you can use the staff bathroom. Follow me.”

He leads us out back, swipes through the door and through the corridor, and points out the toilets. He leaves us to it, and I find our way back out into the store. As we emerge from the door, another employee catches us.

Employee #2: “What were you doing there?”

Me: “Oh, my daughter wasn’t well. An employee let us through.”

Employee #2: “Hmm… Which employee?”

Me: “Oh, I didn’t catch his name. But we didn’t let ourselves through.”

Employee #2: *Abruptly* “Well, I know that! What did the employee look like?”

I’ve been in this shop enough times to know what a manager looks like and dresses like, and this person isn’t one. I’m not sure why they are being so insistent.

Me: “Average-looking.”

Employee #2: “Tall or short? Thin or fat?”

Me: “Maybe… I don’t know. Look. My daughter has been sick; we need to leave.”

Employee #2: “No, you are going to stay here!”

Me: “Look. If the other guy broke the rules, I’m sorry. I get it; the rules are there for a reason. But she was just violently sick.”

Employee #2: “You’re not leaving until I find out who let you through.”

Me: “Is there a manager here?”

I explained everything to the manager, who apologised profusely. He rather loudly told off the employee for trying to stop me from leaving and “reminded them” that any disciplinary action would be managed by him and not any employee who was nearby.

Clearly, the employee on a power trip didn’t get their way, as our helpful employee was still there months later.