(The office where I work has a fee for any cancellations with less than 24 hours notice. We also have a policy to collect copays up front at the time of service. Both of these policies are par for the course in the offices in our area.)

Patient: *hands me her insurance card*

Me: “Okay, it looks like you have a $10 copay.”

Patient: “I don’t have any money!”

Me: “I’m sorry, but we do require that you pay your copay at the time of your visit.”

Patient: “Well, I have no money, so I can’t pay you anything.”

Me: “Okay… Let me check with my manager to see what we can do.”

Patient: “Never mind! I don’t have time for this!” *turns and leaves our office*

Me: “Okay, then.” *bills her the $25 cancellation fee, instead*

(I work in a library that allows patrons to use a computer for two hours a day. You either need a library card with us, or you can purchase a guest card for $2.00. Most patrons don’t balk at paying $2.00 for two hours.)

Patron: “How can I get on the computer?”

Me: “You can either buy a guest card for $2.00, or you can use your library card to log on to the computer.”

Patron: “D***! I have to pay?”

(I assume that he doesn’t have $2.00 on him.)

Me: “Well, if you don’t have a library card, yes, but you can sign up for a library card free today.”

Patron: “What do I need?”

Me: “I’ll needs to see two proofs of address stating that you live in our county.”

Patron: “Well, I ain’t got that!”

Me: “Then it looks like you’ll have to pay $2.00 to get on the computer today.”

Patron: “I was in the military; do I get a discount?”

Me: “For $2.00? No, sir. We do not offer military discounts. I’m sorry.”

Patron: “Y’all are trying to take all my hard-earned cash.”

(The patron then pulls out a wad of hundred-dollar bills. He unfolds at least ten, and gives me a twenty.)

Patron: “I want all my change back, too!”

Me: “Sure thing, sir.”

(I am the stupid customer in this story.)

Cashier: “Okay, your change is 96 cents.”

Me: “Wait, if I give you a dollar, will you give me a dollar back?”

Cashier: “…”

Me: *turning red after sudden realization* “Oh, my God, never mind. Ignore me.”

Cashier: *laughs* “It’s okay. I thought that was supposed to be a trick question.”

(Like any other cashier, sometimes I’ll add a cent or two to the amount a customer gives me to save time when making change. This takes place during a typical, if not a bit slow, shift. The amounts have been changed, but show the basic idea of what happened.)

Me: “Your total is $50.01.”

([Customer #1] hands me a fifty-dollar bill and a one-dollar bill. I hand back the one and put $50.01 in the machine.)

Customer #1: “Haha, thanks. Sorry about not having the penny.”

Me: “It’s no problem. I’m not too concerned about missing one cent. I’ll probably find one during my shift today, anyway.”

(I hand them their receipt and items and give the usual retail goodbyes. [Customer #2] comes up to the till, we exchange pleasantries, and all seems well for a while.)

Me: “Your total is $75.50.”

Customer #2: “Oh, I only have $70.”

Me: “Then I’ll need to void something off, unless you have multiple ways of paying?”

Customer #2: “Oh, no, no, no. I need all these things. But I only have $70.”

Me: “I’m sorry, sir. But I need the full amount or I’ll have to void something off.”

Customer #2: “Can I just give you $70 and pay the $5.50 later?”

Me: *my typical happy retail worker face pulls back into a slightly irked look* “Um, no, sir. I am not allowed to do that.”

Customer #2: “You did it for that guy in front of me!”

Me: “He wasn’t short. I just decided to cover the one cent instead of making him 99 cents in change.”

Customer #2: “So do the same for me!”

Me: “Certainly! That’ll be $75.49, then.”

Customer: “No, no, no! For the $5.50.”

Me: “A penny is not a problem. I am not going to let my till be $5.50 off.”

Customer #2: “The other cashiers would do it!”

Me: “If they want a write-up and to be fired for the till being that far off, that is their choice.”

(He argues with me for a while, yelling and beginning to curse while I keep politely saying no. I have already signaled for my manager to come over who, inevitably, takes my side.)

Manager: “If her till is off at the end of her shift, it is her fault. She is allowed to choose who she compensates change for.”

Customer #2: “Then give me a discount so I can afford my things!”

Manager: “No. Even if you had been polite, there is nothing wrong with the merchandise, and you will be charged full-price.”

Customer #2: “Then I’ll break something. You’ll discount it then, right?”

Manager: “Probably not. I’d call security for you tampering with merchandise.”

Customer #2: *yells angrily*

Me: “Sir, I can still void something off so you can afford most of these things.”

Customer #2: “No! F*** you, and f*** this s***ty store!”

Me: “Then this arguing is a waste of my time, sir.” *I look to my manager* “Can you abort or suspend this order? I have other customers to tend to.”

(My manager did just that despite the man’s protests, and lead him to the service desk while I helped other customers. I was told, after my shift, that he refused to pay the $5.50 and tried to convince the manager to take it out of my pay-check. When my manager said no, he threw something at her, called me a “stupid f***ing millennial,” called her an “incompetent b****,” and then was quickly dealt with by security and banned.)

This story is part of the Millennials Roundup!

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(I work in a coffee shop. It’s a slow night and I’m keeping an eye on the front counter. My friend has stopped by and we end up talking for a minute when a woman comes in and joins our conversation. At the end of our conversation, this scene comes into play:)

Woman: “Hey, can I ask you something?”

Me: “Sure! What can I do for you?”

(She leans in over the counter a little and glances around to see if anyone is watching.)

Woman: “I need five dollars. Do you have any on you?”

Me: “Um… No, I don’t have anything on me. What do you need five dollars for?”

Woman: *casually, as if there’s nothing weird about this scenario* “I just needed some money to buy a soda.”

Me: “Oh, you mean for here?”

(Our drinks are about a dollar plus tax, and I notice she only has a dollar with her. Right before I’m about to offer to pay for her drink, she cuts me off.)

Woman: “No, I wanted to get a pop from [Store down the block]. Are you sure you don’t have any money?” *she leans over and peers into the tip jar beside her* “I wouldn’t want you to take anything from the tip jar or the register, because [Manager who isn’t there] would probably rip you a new one.”

(At this point, I’m freaked out and annoyed at her persistence, even though I have told her four times that I don’t have money on me and I’m not giving her money from the tip jar or the register.)

Woman: “Well, are you sure you don’t have any in your coat pocket?”

Me: “I don’t. I’m broke.”

Woman: “Can you go look?”

(I hesitated, thinking she was going to steal from the tip jar while I’m away, but thankfully my friend had been standing behind the woman the entire time and kept an eye on her while I went back and talked to my coworker, who was also the acting manager for the evening. I explained what was going on, and she came back with me to try and get the woman to leave. As soon as the woman saw my coworker, she acted like nothing had happened and left. Apparently this woman is a known drinker and frequently comes around trying to bum money off of people. She’s even shown up at my coworker’s house!)