An elderly gentleman came into our store. He could barely walk with his cane, and his legs trembled so much that two employees converged behind him in order to catch them in case he keeled over backward. I knew at a glance that he was not able to follow me to any book section, even if I walked slowly and offered my arm to hang onto.

Either he didn’t have loved ones to pick it up for him, or else he was determined to hang on to that last thread of independence left to him, regardless of the pain and exhaustion.

Thankfully, everything aligned perfectly. He knew the title and the author of the book he wanted, AND we had it in stock. One coworker appeared out of the café with a chair as soon as the elderly gentleman tottered his way to the information desk. As the grateful elderly gentleman sat down, I went on my mission to look for and retrieve the book he wanted.

I had the information written on a piece of scrap paper and I was heading to the section when a rude regular stepped directly into my path, bodily blocking my progress.

The rude regular was a fit-looking man and could even be called handsome, but everyone hated him. This was a guy who was a complete and utter jerk to female employees because he viewed women as “the weaker gender.” This was not a secret or even an assumption; he had openly said those words, along with a number of opinions about a “woman’s place” (don’t ask where that place is, as it is too vulgar to share here) and used his height and build to intimidate female customers and employees alike. 

Management had been spineless as far as banning him, though they had begrudgingly “allowed” us to refuse him service, mostly because the female staff told them that by law they were allowed to and management feared the tangle that would happen if they tried to prevent it.

Rude Regular: “I’m looking for [Book].”

Me: “It’s in the Psychology section, which is right over there.” *Gestures*

Rude Regular: *Raising his voice a little bit* “Aren’t you going to help me find it?”

Me: “I’m actually helping another customer at the moment, but I’ll be happy to help you as soon as I’ve finished with him.”

I tried to walk around him and he sidestepped to block my path again, his voice dropping to a threatening growl.

Rude Regular: “Maybe you didn’t hear me. I need help finding [Book].”

Me: “Maybe you didn’t hear me, sir. I’m helping that gentleman over there.”

I gestured to the elderly man, who was slightly slumped over his cane in the chair but still managed to carry on a friendly and animated conversation with a male supervisor.

Me: “If, however, you are in a rush, the information desk is about ten feet behind me and you can get some help there.”

The rude regular looked at the elderly gentleman, sized him up, sniffed disdainfully, and planted himself squarely in front of me.

Rude Regular: “I’m not interested in walking that far. I’m talking to you, and I expect to get the service that I deserve.”

I gave him my most oily, nasty smile.

Me: “Certainly, sir. I will give you the service you so richly deserve.”

Rude Regular: *Relaxed, with a superior, smug sneer* “That’s better.”

And with that, I darted around him before he could react and went straight to the section. The rude regular stood there with an expression of profound shock on his face.

I retrieved the best-looking copy of the book I was searching for and carried it back to the elderly gentleman, refusing to even glance in the rude regular’s direction.

That was the right book, and he was very happy to have it. It was at the time of day when there was no line at the registers, so he was rung up right away. He politely declined further assistance and tottered out the door.

Of course, the rude regular wouldn’t let it go, and he chose, of all people, the male supervisor to complain to. [Supervisor] flicked me a reassuring glance and then turned an expressionless, dead-inside expression to the rude regular.

Supervisor: “While, yes, I agree that it is our job to assist customers, [My Name] was currently helping someone. If you really felt that you needed help finding a book, you should have asked someone who was not already busy.”

The rude regular flinched but continued to bluster.

Rude Regular: “But… but she was rude to me! She needs to be taught some manners! I demand that you reprimand her right now!”

Supervisor: “I heard her. She was polite the first two times that you rudely demanded assistance, after which, apparently, she simply decided to exercise her right to refuse service to you and continue doing her job.”

Rude Regular: “She doesn’t have the right to refuse me service! Her job is to serve me!”

Supervisor: *Putting on his most intimidating FBI stare* “Actually, she does have that right, and I will advise you to stop harassing employees.”

Rude Regular: *Squirming a bit* “If she doesn’t want to be harassed, then she should do what she is told! Come on, you’re a man! You should know how women these days—”

Supervisor: “Don’t you even pull me into your trash club. You need to leave before I call the police and have you removed.”

He whined and then left.

Supervisor: *To me* “Good lord, I wish I had the authority to ban that jacka**.”

After that, I would occasionally see the rude regular slinking around from time to time until I left the store. Management still refused to ban him, but after being taken down a peg by a fellow man, he went from openly being a slime bag to just a sulky mumbler, so it WAS a bit of an improvement.

Many years ago, I started working for a minor company, and pretty much everybody warned me that [Coworker #1] (among others) was a major moocher. “Don’t ever loan him money!”

After a month or so, I’d confirmed that, and I’d also learned that [Coworker #1] was a MAJOR pest.

The next time he hit me up for a loan “until payday”, I “reluctantly” let myself be convinced.

He should have known better.

I started reminding him of the loan several days before payday. On payday, of course, he didn’t have the money. By a week or so after payday, he flinched when he heard my voice, and he was actively avoiding me! It was marvelous!

A couple of months later, a female coworker that [Coworker #1] had a crush on came over to my machine, obviously irritated. [Coworker #2] seemed rather surprised that [Coworker #1] didn’t tag along all the way over there. I wasn’t surprised in the slightest!

She made some disparaging remark about him, so I asked if she wanted him to go away.

Coworker #2: “YES!”

Me: “No problem!”

I stepped around the corner.

Me: “Hey, [Coworker #1], about—”  

[Coworker #1] disappeared so fast, I swear there was a sonic boom!

[Coworker #2] was staring when I came back around the corner, laughing.

Coworker #2: “How did you do that?!”

Me: “Magic! Say the magic words, and the annoying little git disappears every time!”

I eventually explained things to [Coworker #2], and she thought it was hilarious.

And it turned out that there was someone else who had done the same thing I had. We were amazed that [Coworker #1] never paid either one of us off to make it stop.

My boyfriend was hired as a manager for a local burger restaurant that had just opened. There were a lot of problems with how it was run that the owners would not allow him to fix.

The main issue was that the majority of the employees were the minor children and friends of the owners. They refused to do their jobs, and if [Boyfriend] tried to teach or instruct, they would complain and he would end up in trouble.

On top of that, they would often call out just because something better came up. The owners expected [Boyfriend] to pick up all shifts for no-show employees. He was contracted to work forty-five hours a week but ended up closer to seventy-five.

He opened one day and got this call an hour after his shift ended.

Owner: “I need you to come back in tonight to close. [Only Adult Employee] called in sick, and we need someone over eighteen there.”

Boyfriend: “I’m sorry, I can’t tonight. It’s Tuesday. I told you when you hired me that I’m only available to open Tuesdays since it’s date night, and I have canceled on [My Name] for the last three weeks. 

Owner: “[My Name] will understand. You need to come in.”

Boyfriend: “No, I have not had a day off in over a month. [My Name] has been waiting forever to see a movie, and it’s being taken out of the theaters next week. I will not cancel on her again. I have come in early or worked late every day for the last three weeks. I will not be in tonight. You or [Owner’s Husband] will need to fill in.”

Owner: “Well, fine. Be that way.”

[Boyfriend] thought that was the end of things, and we went out and had a lovely evening.

The next day when [Boyfriend] went in, [Adult Employee] and [Owner] were there.

Boyfriend: “[Adult Employee], how are you feeling? I know you called in sick yesterday.”

Adult Employee: “Oh, I’m fine. I just forgot I was working and was too stoned to come in.”

Boyfriend: “Okay. I didn’t know you were scheduled today. Did someone call off?”

Adult Employee: “I don’t know. [Owner] just called this morning and said she was redoing the schedule and asked if I could pick up a few shifts.”

Hearing this, [Boyfriend] headed to the back where [Owner] was and glanced at the schedule. He had been removed from all except the closing shifts on Friday and Saturday for an entire month.

Boyfriend: “What the f***? Why am I taken off the schedule? I have a family to support.”

Owner: “You didn’t f****** care about that last night. If you don’t want to work when I call you, you don’t have to work at all.”

Boyfriend: “So, since I didn’t want to come in on a night that I was not available to cover a shift for someone that just admitted that he just got stoned and forgot he was working, I’m taken off the schedule, and he is given a majority of my hours.”

Owner: “Well, this should teach you how to prioritize your life. You’re the manager. It’s your job to be available, and from now on, you’ll think about this when I call you to come in.”

Boyfriend: “You’re right. I do need to reprioritize. F*** you; I quit. Have fun covering every Friday and Saturday because none of the lazy brats you have hired are going to do it.”

The next week, [Boyfriend] got a new job as a bartender making more money in half the number of hours. The icing on the cake was what we found out later: when customers at the restaurant asked where [Boyfriend] was, the owners insinuated that they had fired him for stealing… only for the manager they replaced him with to rob them blind, including their car, four months later. It forced them to close.

One of my coworkers comes into work drunk. This is grounds for immediate dismissal, so he is promptly fired. [Coworker] usually walks to work, but the manager has me walk him out just to make sure he didn’t come in a car.

On our way out, a customer approaches us and addresses [Coworker].

Customer: “Hey, you! Take me to your [items].”

Coworker: *Pauses* “I don’t think I can. I’m pretty drunk.”

Customer: “What?! They let you drink on the job?!”

Coworker: “Nope! I was fired, like, two minutes ago.”

Customer: “Um… okay.”

He went off to find someone else to help him, leaving [Coworker] and me laughing on the way out.

We employees carry a walkie-talkie/smartphone-type device in our work vests so that we can radio employees in other departments and look up in-store products. I have just clocked in for the day and logged into said device. I have just arrived in my department when two men approach me.

Customer: “I want waterproof.”

Now, I am thinking, “Does he want waterproof paint? Waterproof epoxy? Some waterproof lumber? What does he want?”

Me: *Politely* “I just got here; my walkie-talkie is still loading up. I’ll look it up when it loads up.”

Customer: “Why don’t you know where anything is?!” *Turns to his friend* “This stupid f***er doesn’t know where anything is!”

I am a patient guy, but talking down to someone like they are an animal does not fly with me at all.

Me: “Sir, we sell over 25,000 items here. Could you keep up with 25,000 items?”

I do a 180 and walk away. As I am leaving, I hear the other customer say:

Other Customer: “Hey, [Customer], I think you were a little harsh on him. He was just trying to help you!”