I work in a popular cafe in the city, and I handle some of the orders. It is a Saturday night.

Me: “Hello, sir! I’m [My Name]! How may I help you?”

Customer: “Gimme a mocha Frappuccino.”

Me: “Coming right up, sir!”

I return a couple of minutes later with his mocha Frappuccino and ring him up. He pays and I hand him his drink.

Customer: “Took you long enough.”

Me: “Enjoy your drink, sir!”

Customer: *Scoffs* “I doubt I will.”

He leaves but soon returns with his drink in hand.

Me: “Was something wrong with your coffee, sir?”

Customer: “Yes, I ordered the mocha Frappuccino, and this is a chocolate drink, not the mocha.”

Me: “Sir, you do realize that mocha means chocolate, right?”

Customer: “No, it doesn’t. Even if it did, this isn’t one.”

This goes on a couple more times. He then proceeds to slam his drink down on the counter so hard that it splashes everywhere. My male manager sees and comes to check on me.

Manager: “Sir, is there something wrong?”

Customer: “Yes, this incompetent lady here claims that this is a mocha frappuccino when it obviously isn’t.”

Manager: “Wait, [My Name] messed up your order? That’s not like her.”

Customer: *Getting angry* “Well, you obviously don’t know her, then! I ordered a mocha Frappuccino and [My Name] gave me this crappy chocolate drink!”

Manager: “Sir, mocha means chocolate. She did give you the right order. It seems that you’re the incompetent one, not [My Name].”

The customer turns red.

Customer: “Well, how was I supposed to know that?”

Me: “Maybe the multiple times I explained that to you?”

Customer: “You’re a girl! You don’t know anything! You’re just a little b****!”

Manager: “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave if you start insulting our employees.”

Customer: “You’re all motherf****** b****es!”

We eventually called security and got him out of there, and he never did get a replacement for his drink.

Since I’m having no luck with my job search, I agree to volunteer at the charity cafe my mum runs through our church. I wouldn’t normally because I have trouble standing for any period of time, but having been shut for six months due to a certain global disease, new restrictions mean that they need someone at the door to take details for contact tracing, which I can do sitting down.

Mum and [Second-In-Command] usually go in at 8:00 and Mum bakes fresh scones and pancakes while [Second-In-Command] completes the new and extensive cleaning routine. The other volunteers arrive between 9:30 and 9:45 to open at 10:00.

This morning, I arrive at 9:30 and ring the bell to be let in. It’s a miserable day and the cold and wet has gone to my joints, so it’s a two-crutch day. [Second-In-Command] lets me in and I can immediately hear someone grumbling in the corridor.

Second-In-Command: “Don’t say a word. She’s been here for fifteen minutes and I wish I hadn’t let her in.”

I recognise one of our regulars, who’s known to be difficult, standing in the corridor. As soon as she sees me, she starts shrieking.

Regular: “I’ve been here for twenty minutes and they won’t let me in the hall to sit down! It’s disgraceful! I demand a seat!”

Second-In-Command: “We’ve been through this. We can’t let anyone in until we finish the cleaning, and that won’t be until we open at ten.”

Unfortunately, my station is in the corridor facing her, and the second I sit down and start taking my coat off, she starts screaming again. 

Regular: “Preferential treatment! She’s getting preferential treatment because she’s her daughter.”

Second-In-Command: “She has a disability and can’t stand. And that’s where she does her job.”

Regular: “What if I had arthritis?”

Second-In-Command: “Do you have arthritis?”

Regular: “No, but what if I had a seizure?”

Second-In-Command: “Then we’d get you immediate medical attention from the trained nurse whose daughter you’re screaming at.”

Regular: “I’m going to complain to your minister! You can’t treat me like this! You will let me in now.”

Second-In-Command: “The answer is still no.”

She shrieked and sulked and demanded for the next thirty minutes until we officially opened and she got into the hall to sit down. Then, she started grabbing anyone who went past her table to try and get them to sympathise with her. Other regulars actually came out to apologise for her behaviour. My mum had to tell her she had to stop disturbing everyone else or she’d have to leave. 

She swore we’d lost a customer, but I think we can live without her £1.50. If she’d asked nicely for a seat, we’d have got her one, but screaming at everyone got her nowhere. And she’s guaranteed that if she arrives early again, she won’t be allowed in the building before opening time.

I’m sitting in a nice cafe at a small table close to the window. I’m sipping a drink when a woman lumps herself down at my table opposite me.

Woman: “Before we start, what you need to know about me is that I’m a Virgo, and I don’t care if you don’t ‘believe’ in astrology, because it’s important to me. Okay? And I won’t change for anyone. I’m me, and I won’t lose weight. I won’t stop shopping. I won’t go on one of your little runs, okay?”

Before I can answer, the waiter interrupts with my food.

Woman: “What the h***?! You ordered without me. I was, what—” *looks at her watch* “—fifteen minutes late? I said I don’t like being held to a schedule.” 

Me: “Lady, I don’t know you.”

Woman: “Oh, don’t like what you see? Too fat for you now? Well, I’m sorry we can’t all be super skinny models.”

Me: “I don’t know you. I don’t know why you sat down. I was trying to eat alone. I’m guessing your date didn’t want to wait for you.”

She erupts and starts to wail on about how men are terrible, for some reason still aimed fully at me. She ends up taking food off my plate and throwing it to the floor. She stomps out, leaving me utterly bemused.

Waiter: “Are you okay, sir?”

Me: “Yes, I think so. Can I have my meals replaced?”

Waiter: “Of course, free of charge. I am so sorry you had to go through that.”

As I wait, a guy across the room gives me a half-smile with a sort of apologetic shrug. I mime asking if it was his date and he nods. He eventually comes over, apologises, and explains that they met online and there wouldn’t be a second date.

The funny thing was that, apart from the same hair colour, we looked nothing alike.

It is mid-2021. I’m a manager of a cafe. My county has just passed another mandate requiring all customers entering restaurants to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. Previously, vaccinated customers could forego masks. Of course, on day one of the new mandate, in walks a maskless customer demanding to be served.

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but there’s a new mandate that’s just come into effect today. You can’t come in here without a mask.”

Customer: “Well, the sheriff’s not enforcing it.”

Me: “That’s fine, but it’s a health code violation, and if I don’t enforce it, we could get fined.”

Customer: “I’m fully vaccinated, and the sheriff’s not enforcing it, so you shouldn’t, either.”

Me: “Again, ma’am, it’s a health code violation. I don’t make the rules. If you won’t put on a mask, I’m going to need to ask you to leave.”

This goes back and forth for some time, before I completely lose my patience — and my filter.

Customer: “Well, the sheriff’s not enforcing it, so why should you care?”

Me: “Because I could get fined, you dumb b****.” 

She went red in the face before marching out of the cafe. I’m probably going to get in trouble with my boss for that comment, which I admit was crossing the line. In my defence, I’d been working in ninety-plus degree weather with a busted AC for two weeks, and she’d been the latest in a chain of customers putting up a fight over a rule I had no control over. I was just completely done at that point.

Related:
An Ugly Side Of Society Has Been Unmasked, Part 15
An Ugly Side Of Society Has Been Unmasked, Part 14
An Ugly Side Of Society Has Been Unmasked, Part 13
An Ugly Side Of Society Has Been Unmasked, Part 12
An Ugly Side Of Society Has Been Unmasked, Part 11

I’ve ordered some lunch to-go from a local cafe. I’m a little early but I pop my head in to see if I can collect it yet.

Owner: “No, sorry, it’s not ready yet. In fact, I need to run to the shop.”

Me: “Oh, okay. Any idea how long it will be? Should I pop back later?”

Owner: “No, no. I will only be a few minutes. Take a seat if you like.”

I take a seat in the corner out of the way. The owner shouts through to the back kitchen as she leaves.

Owner: “[Employee], can you watch the front for me, please? I’m running to the shop to get ingredients for this gentleman’s lunch.”

Employee: “I’m on a break.”

Owner: *Looks at the clock* “You’ve had your break; it’s quarter past.”

Employee: “Yeah, but I came back yesterday a minute early, so I’m having an extra minute today.”

Owner: *Shaking her head* “Okay, fine, after your break. Please watch the front.”

She leaves. I read the paper and check my phone. Eventually, the door opens and the owner returns. [Employee] rushes to the till.

Owner: “Did you mind the till? Because you know anyone could come in and open it. We’ve been over this so many times, [Employee].”

Employee: “I was at the till!”

Owner: “Well, why weren’t you here when I came in?”

Employee: “Well, I, err… It’s because… this really mean customer came in and he was shouting and saying we got his order wrong.” *Starts sobbing*

Owner: “Really?”

Employee: *Still sobbing* “What, I’m a liar now?”

Owner: “Okay. Sir, are you still there?”

I walk around the corner.

Me: “Me? Yes, hi.”

Owner: “Did you perhaps see the man who shouted at my staff?”

Me: “Oh, no. No one came in while you were gone.”

Owner: *To [Employee]* “Let’s talk out the back.”

I don’t know what is said, but a door slams somewhere behind me and the owner comes back alone. I get a great lunch and an apology (although I don’t need one). As I am leaving:

Owner: “Sorry about all that. She’s a lovely girl but not the brightest. We have cameras everywhere and this isn’t the first time she has made this sort of thing up.”