My manager is working retail while also attending college.

Customer: “Can I get a discount on [brand of jeans]?”

Me: “Sir, we don’t do brand-related discounts. Sometimes the manufacturers will have special offers on certain brands, but our store doesn’t do that.”

Customer: “I’d like to speak with a manager. You’re just a dumb loser.”

I ignore the jibe and page for my manager.

Me: “The manager is on his way, sir.”

Thirty seconds later, my manager approaches. The customer turns pale and sprints out of the store.

Manager: “We were on the boxing team together in high school. I broke his jaw once while we were sparring in practice.”

I am eating at a chain diner with some friends and see that they had a poster that says, “Free short stack if you sign up for our membership.” I sign up, get my confirmation email with the coupon, and ask the waitress if I can apply it to the order I am about to make. She frowns.

Waitress: “Oh, we don’t do that.”

Me: “Um, it’s on the sign right there? Did it expire?”

Waitress: “No, we’ve never done that.”

She is not rude, simply clueless, and she offers to go ask someone else. She comes back a few minutes later with a manager.

Manager: “Sorry, yeah, you have to wait for corporate to email you an actual coupon to redeem the pancakes.”

Me: “Okay. I have the confirmation right here, though. Does it say that on the sign and I just didn’t read carefully? Sometimes that happens.”

Manager: “No, it’s policy.”

I accept this. A few weeks later, I come back with some friends and ask to redeem the coupon, figuring that I have waited long enough for it to be valid.

Waiter: “You have to use that within three days of signing up.”

I am frustrated and explain what I was previously told.

Me: “It’s not your fault, but did policy change?”

Waiter: “No, that’s always been that way. Our manager said.”

He pointed to the manager who had previously told me we had to come back later.

My family and I are riding the Tower of Terror ride in the California Adventure Park in Disneyland. The cast member seating us on the ride comes by to check that all of the seat belts are buckled by having us tug on a yellow strap attached to the seatbelt.

When the cast member reaches my little brother, he stops and holds out his wrist to my brother and says, “Hey!” My little brother has a calculator watch — a watch with a tiny calculator attached — that he loves even though it is a little nerdy. The cast member has the exact same watch! We laugh about it and then ride the ride.

After the ride, the same cast member is waiting outside the elevator doors and beckons my brother and our family to him. He writes us a pass to ride without waiting in line just for having a cool calculator watch! Disney magic is real!

This story is part of our Feel Good roundup for October 2020!

Read the next Feel Good roundup story!

Read the Feel Good roundup for October 2020!

I am looking for a specific comic book that recently came out, so I’m going to various comic book stores in the area. I see one I’ve never been to before, “[Name] Comics & Games.” I pull into the parking lot, open the door, and freeze when there are clearly no comics in sight. The place is pretty bare, mostly empty folding tables and chairs. Three people are sitting at one of the tables staring at me.

Employee: “Uh, can we help you?”

Me: “Um, I’m looking for a comic by [Comic Book Artist]–”

Employee: “Yeah, well, we don’t carry comics.”

The employee stares like I walked into a hardware store and asked where they keep the milk.

Me: “Uh… Okay. Thanks.”

I walked outside and double-checked the sign, and yep, it said, “[Name] Comics & Games.”

Apparently, it’s a trading card game shop that also carries some collectibles, but surely they realize that having “COMICS” in their NAME is going to lead to a lot of people coming in looking for comics, right?

I’m an optician working in a large warehouse store. Since glasses and contacts are medical devices, some insurance companies will cover the cost of them, but we don’t have contracts with every provider for direct billing.

Customer: “I just have a quick question.”

Me: “Yes, sir?”

Customer: “Do you take my insurance here?”

Me: “Who’s your vision care provider, sir?”

Customer: “I don’t know.”

Me: “Okay, how about your medical provider?”

Customer: “I don’t know.”

Me: “Okay, is the insurance through your employer or your wife’s employer perhaps?”

Customer: “I don’t know.”

A beat or two passes between us.

Me: “Okay… with respect, sir, if you don’t know, how am I supposed to know?”

Customer: “Maybe I should go call my wife.”

Me: “Yes, please, sir. I need at least something to go off of.”

The man never came back with any more info or questions. My coworkers were all baffled, but sadly, we’ve all had exchanges like that.

Related:
Not Much Assurance About The Insurance, Part 12
Not Much Assurance About The Insurance, Part 11
Not Much Assurance About The Insurance, Part 10
Not Much Assurance About The Insurance, Part 9
Not Much Assurance About The Insurance, Part 8