I am partially deaf and have been since I was born. When I worked in retail, I would always put a hard-of-hearing badge on my lanyard so that customers would know to speak louder. At this time, I was working as a cashier at a store where we had to ask customers if they wanted a store card.

Me: “Do you want a store card today?”

Customer: *Unintelligible*

I didn’t even hear that he had said something and, due to masks, I could not read lips, so I just continued to look at him, waiting for a response.

Customer: “I said no! How hard is that?! What’s wrong with you? Are you f****** deaf or something? Are you stupid?”

I moved my hair a bit to ensure that he could see my very visible pin.

Me: “Yes, sir. I am deaf; I didn’t hear you.”

He looked very guilty. His wife, who was appalled by his behavior, immediately slapped him on the back of the head.

Customer’s Wife: “You idiot! This is why I want a divorce!”

I’m buying art supplies for my class (woohoo, slashed educational budgets again!), and I am keeping a close tally of how much I can get on my meager budget. I think I have managed to get what I need, and I head to the checkout counter.

Cashier: “Miss [My Name]?!”

Me: “Uh… yes?”

Cashier: “You taught me! Like ten years ago! At [School]!”

Me: “Oh, wow! Sorry! I spend so much time with eight-year-olds that I forget you all grow up! You’re… [Cashier], right?”

Cashier: “Wow! You remember!”

Me: “I remember you were great at art! I’m not surprised you work in an art store!”

Cashier: “Yeah, I loved art! Wait… Are you buying all this stuff for school?”

Me: “That’s right! Gotta get the next generation painting like you did! Oh, and I have a coupon!”

I hand my ex-student the coupon, which is for 15% off of one item only. I then notice that my cashier is scanning the coupon, scanning an item, typing something into the checkout computer, and then scanning the coupon again. For every item. He notices that I have noticed, and winks.

Cashier: “I was great at art… not so good at math.” 

I got a discount for EVERY item!

My parents were from Georgia and Florida respectively, and though I have never lived in the south, I did end up with a very mild southern accent, including the tendency to use words like “darling” and “honey” when talking to people. This includes at work, talking to my customers. Usually, it’s not a problem, though I have had some people ask me not to do it after the first time because it makes them uncomfortable or whatever, and that’s fine; I understand and don’t mind the adjustment.

This woman, apparently, was a slightly different story. I was helping her with a money order, and everything had gone perfectly normally — until the end, when I wished her a good day

Me: “All right, have a good day, darling.”

Her entire demeanor changed and she just glared at me.

Customer: “My name is [Customer], not ‘darling’. I do not appreciate those kinds of euphemisms. Is that clear?”

Now, I have no problem adjusting, but her sudden anger took me off guard, and the “Is this clear?” with a very condescending attitude irritated me. It took me a second to respond, so she felt the need to repeat herself.

Customer: “Is that clear?”

Me: “Yes, I’m sorry, ma’am.”

She just continued to glower at me.

Customer: “I think it’s incredibly disrespectful to use those phrases, and I will not be treated like that. Is that clear?”

I was already annoyed with this woman for a simple thing that I would have been happy to fix if she hadn’t gotten on her high horse, and I had already apologized, so I just kind of blinked at her.

Customer: “I said… is. That. Clear?”

Me: “Of course, miss. I’m sorry.”

She just stormed off, with a final comment that she was going to complain to my store manager about me.

I caught my manager later and let her know.

Me: “Hey, you might get a complaint because, apparently, one of my customers took great offense that I accidentally called her ‘darling’.”

My manager just snorted and shook her head.

Manager: “Are you serious?” 

I understand some people don’t care for it, especially since I live nowhere near the south so it’s uncommon to hear, but that reaction seemed a bit extreme. I have no problem adjusting, but don’t treat me like a child and lecture me because of a dialect phrase. I wonder how that woman would fare anywhere farther south where most people speak like this.

I had to make a stop at the grocery store one night to grab three things that I’d forgotten to get during my usual weekly shopping trip. I was in a bit of a hurry, so I grabbed my basket, powerwalked to each item, and then powerwalked straight toward the registers.

As I was heading to the registers, I walked past an older man who was just shuffling along. He was moving in the general direction of the registers, but at a snail’s pace, so I moved past him and made my way up to the self-checkout area.

All six stations were occupied, so I settled my basket on my hip to wait. I pulled out my phone, scrolled through some of my notifications, and then, roughly forty seconds or so after I walked up, a station opened up.

At that same moment, the old man I passed finally made it over to the self-checkout area. He was still around ten feet away from me as I started to walk forward when he piped up.

Old Guy: “Oh, yeah, think you deserve to go first just cause you cut off an old man, huh?”

I paused and very briefly considered turning around to try and justify myself by pointing out how he was nowhere near the lines and how I wasn’t going to just stand behind him as he shuffled through the store on the off chance he was heading toward the registers. But, I realized that there was no way that trying to argue with someone throwing a tantrum over the fact that he was slower than everyone else in the store was going to turn out positively for me, so I resumed walking forward.

Old Guy: “Right! No shame for cutting off an old man; just keep walking. No shame!”

I put my basket down, pulled out and scanned each of my items, and then stuck my card in for payment. Elapsed time, maybe half a minute. In that time, two other people had finished and exited behind me, but the old man continued to stand at the entrance and shout at me about “no shame”. I wasn’t really paying attention to what he said, so that’s the only bit that stuck in my memory.

I finished paying, collected my things, and headed toward the exit, with the guy still shouting after me. I did glance back as I was setting my basket back with the rest near the front, and I got to see a lady cut around the old man, who was still standing at the entrance to the self-checkouts shouting. He turned to start shouting at her, ignoring the employee who was apparently trying to direct him to one of the open registers.

To the old guy, I am sincerely sorry your body and mind are failing you, but I am not willing to act like it is my fault that is happening to you.

A couple comes to the counter buying baby clothes. The woman is pregnant — VERY pregnant. As a mother of three myself, I can tell she’s only weeks away from the big day!

Me: “These clothes are so cute! Congratulations to you both!”

The father-to-be speaks out excitedly.

Father: “Thanks! We know we have some time, but we thought we’d get a head start on buying what we need.”

I am a little confused by the comment, “…we have some time…” but I don’t press it. However, the mother-to-be is looking a bit nervous.

Father: “Yeah, we have so much to do! Luckily, she isn’t due for another three months or so, so we should have time.”

I look at the mother again. Maybe it’s twins? Triplets?

Father: “I came back from tour to be here for the baby! They gave me three months leave! Can you believe it?!”

The mother-to-be is now just staring at the floor, looking very red.

Mother: “Honey, come on. I know you’re excited, but you don’t have to talk to everyone about it.”

Father: *To the mother* “Ha! You’re right.” *To me* “Sorry for talking your ears off!”

Me: “Well… thank you for your service. Let me get you a military discount on that.”

Father: “Thanks so much! I also saw you sold baby carriers, but they’re kind of pricey. Will they go on sale soon?”

Me: “I can apply a coupon to that for you, sir. Half price!”

Father: “Oh, for real? You won’t get into trouble? I don’t mind waiting for it to go on sale.”

Me: “No, sir, I would recommend buying it sooner. Much sooner.”

They bought the baby carrier, too. I really hope that when the baby comes “three months early” the father can do the math! 

Related:
Cause For Pregnant Pause, Part 28
Cause For Pregnant Pause, Part 27
Cause For Pregnant Pause, Part 26
Cause For Pregnant Pause, Part 25
Cause For Pregnant Pause, Part 24