(I have a sleep disorder. This disability is mitigated by my service dog, a Labrador. I am taken to a store for some items I need. This is generally not an issue. My service dog goes with me, because it isn’t safe to leave her home. Unfortunately, I begin to have issues. My dog alerts me, so I quickly stop what I am doing to find a worker.)

Me: “Listen. I have exactly one minute before I pass out. Please do not call the EMTs. I will be fine.”

(My service dog is whining and pawing at me, basically getting in my way, and trying to get me on the floor before I pass out — basically, what she’s trained to do.)

Employee: “Yeah, whatever.”

(I knew this was a bad sign, but I didn’t exactly have the time to find someone else. I sat on the floor nearby and promptly passed out. I woke up being loaded into an ambulance while animal control was taking my service dog into a cage. My dog was understandably freaking out, trying to come to me, because they were disrupting her work. I have a medical alert bracelet that says NOT to separate my dog from me on my wrist. I was still a bit out of it from passing out. I did the only thing I could think to do: scream at the top of my lungs. Everyone stopped to look at me. It took ten minutes to convince the EMTs to let me go, and longer to get animal control to give my dog back to me. This was all because an employee didn’t listen. Apparently, they had panicked when they saw me on the floor. They ran over, which prompted my dog to gently nudge her away from me — not aggressively, just a gentle push. She is a larger dog, though. The employee called 911, saying that my dog had attacked me and tried to hurt them. Mind you, my service dog was in full dress: a harness that says, “service dog.” on both sides, a collar that also says, “service dog,” on it, a tag stating that she is for medical alerts, AND a leash that says, “Service Dog. Do Not Pet.” I realize that retail isn’t a fun time, but that whole incident could easily have been avoided. I did inform their manager, but they still work there, so I don’t know what all happened. They glare at me every time they see me, though.)

(I work at a grocery store chain, and today I am out collecting carts. I notice a customer parked in a disabled spot, having problems getting out.)

Me: “Sir, do you need help or anything?”

Customer: “Oh, no, I’ll just wait for this lady and use her cart.”

(There is another customer at her car next to his putting her groceries in. I assume this is the end of it, and walk away to go collect carts. When I turn around, the lady is still putting her groceries up, and the man is more than halfway to the doors. I try to catch up to him, but he’s just getting a cart.)

Customer: *sees me just as I stop to wait, so that I can put the carts in* “Well, you’ll just have to wait! Thanks for not giving me a cart!”

(He then proceeded to almost toss a small cart across the lobby. Fifteen minutes later I was back inside bagging. He came through my lane and acted like he hadn’t yelled at me or anything.)

(At the cafe where I work, the food line is right behind the register. Customers can see the employees take their food out of the toaster and finish preparing it.)

Customer: *runs up to counter* “I forgot to say if there’s tomato on that I don’t want it!”

Me: “Tomato does come on that sandwich but I’ll tell him to leave it off.” *turning to my foodline worker, who just pulled the sandwich from the toaster* “[Coworker], she doesn’t want the tomato on that!”

Coworker: “Gotcha!”

Customer: *shooting a look of disgust from [Coworker] to me* “Nuh-uh! NUH-UH! Nobody talks over my food! I want a refund! Y’all nasty!”

(I am bagging for one of the cashiers. One lady comes up with a bag of two kinds of grapes. Due to policy, the cashiers have to weigh them separately, even if they cost the same. My coworker carefully pulls out one of the sets of grapes and sets it on a paper towel so she can weigh it.)

Customer: “What are you doing?!”

Coworker: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but we have to weigh the grapes separately.”

Customer: “I want new grapes! You touched them!”

Coworker: *looks really confused at this point* “Ma’am—”

Customer: “You know what? Never mind!”

(The transaction gets finished, the customer leaves, and both of us are dead confused.)

Me: “What the heck was that about?”

Coworker: “I have no idea, but it seems like she doesn’t know you’re supposed to wash grapes… or how many people stick their hands in those bags.”

I’m working the front desk of a small local library when a somewhat disheveled older women comes in. She ask to become a member of the library and as I’m giving her the application she starts this conversation:

Women: When are you do?
Me: What?
Women: When. are. you. do?
Me: I’m not pregnant ma’ma.
Women: Oh, well you look pregnant…I guess your just chubby.

Needless to say it was very awkward moment while I was putting her information into our system.