It’s been a long week. I am tired, both physically and mentally, and I must look it because when I walk into the fast food place to get some pick-me-up food, the manager says to me:

Manager: “Are you okay?”

Me: “I will be. I’ve been looking forward to a hot meal.”

I put in my order, but suddenly, my card declines. I don’t have a lot of money, but I have budgeted for this modest meal; I kinda need it for my mental health.

Me: “I… I’m so sorry… I… I thought I had enough.”

Manager: “I saw on the news this morning how much profit this chain made in the last quarter. Billions. And they still won’t approve my staff working full time hours to qualify for benefits. So, you know what? F*** em. Order anything you want. On the house.”

Me: “You really don’t need to—”

Manager: “No, I really do need to.”

He practically threw my order at me, along with an extra burger (a premium one!) and more sides. Since it was slow (it was the middle of the night), he then grabbed a burger himself, and we sat by the entrance and chatted about life and its ups and downs for a few minutes before I thanked him and went on my way.

I know his kindness came from a “f*** corporate” attitude, but it was exactly what I needed on that day and I think about him often.

I am serving two customers, and one of them hands me a $100 bill.

Me: “I’m sorry, but I can’t accept that bill.”

Customer: “Why not? Surprised someone like me has a $100?! Is it because I’m Black?”

Me: “No, it’s because the bill is. It should be green.”

The customers storm out, one of them scolding the other.

Customer: “I thought you said that cashier was the color-blind one!” 

Related:
We Can’t Believe They Thought That Would Work

My boyfriend and I have decided to stop for some fast food after a day of fishing. We are in the drive-thru. I’m driving while he is in the passenger seat. We order our food and pull forward to the first window.

Worker: “Hi! Your total is $10.82.”

I hand her $20.82.

Worker: “Um… this is too much money.”

Me: “Uhhhh… I’m trying to make change?”

Worker: *Snidely* “I don’t know what you’re doing. This is too much money; the total is only $10.82!” 

She proceeds to TOSS the 82¢ back onto my lap angrily, as well as the change from $20, and closes the window on me.

I pull forward to wait for our food. Then, I turn to my boyfriend.

Me: “Was I wrong? Did I somehow give her the wrong amount of money?”

Boyfriend: “No, she should have given you back $10. She was being weird.”

Also, I thought about it when I got home, and even if I had been wrong, that’s no way to speak and react to a customer for making a mistake.

A client has sent us a brief for shooting a brand awareness video. Their requirements seem ambitious, but not impossible, and we get back to them with a quote.

Client: “What! Why is it so much money?!”

Me: “Well, we’ve provided a breakdown of the costs in the document, but most of that will be the camera equipment and the on-location shooting.”

Client: “Apple say you can shoot feature-film quality shots on their iPhones! Use iPhones for the video. That means you can take all that camera equipment costs off.”

Ugh. I hate those Apple ads for exactly this reason.

Me: “What you’re asking for is not possible on an iPhone.”

Client: “Fine, use an iPhone Pro Max, then.”

It didn’t work out…

I am in the hospital, knowing I’ll be here for at least a week and possibly more. I am sick of hospital food, so I go downstairs to go across the street to a sandwich store chain that’s in the hospital.

I am pretty far back in the hospital, at the backside of a building, behind a labyrinth of staircases and hallways to get out to the front door. The walk from my ward to the sandwich store takes almost fifteen minutes.

I wait in line, get up to the counter to order, and realize I’ve left my wallet in my room. I ordinarily keep my wallet in my back pocket, but there was no need to in the hospital since I was in my room most of the time.

I am exhausted mentally by this point from my hospital stay. I tell them I’ve forgotten my wallet and turn to make the trek all the way there and back again.

All of a sudden, a nurse behind me swoops in and buys my food for me, saving me the trip (and the money). I thank him profusely, asking him for his name or to tell me where he works in the hospital so I can pay him back. He just smiles and tells me to focus on getting better.

That was years ago, but I will never forget that act of kindness. 

Related:
Why Nurses Should Rule The World, Part 17
Why Nurses Should Rule The World, Part 16
Why Nurses Should Rule The World, Part 15
Why Nurses Should Rule The World, Part 14
Why Nurses Should Rule The World, Part 13