(While on a trip with my mom and cousin, I go into a secondhand shop in my former hometown. When I still lived near the store, I knew that they only accepted cash, so I am happy to see a sign stating that they now accept credit cards. There is only one employee in the store, an older man. I pick out a few items and take them to the register, but as soon as I take out my card…)

Employee: “Sorry, I can’t take that. I can only take cash.”

Me: “But your sign says…”

Employee: “I know. If my daughter were here she could help, but I dunno how to run this thing.” *he points to an iPad with a card reader plugged into it*

Me: “That’s easy. I can show you, since I don’t have any cash on me.”

Employee: “Naw, I’m never gonna figure it out.”

(I had to go back out to the car and ask my cousin to lend me some money.)

(I’m showing a customer our range of picture frames.)

Customer: “How big is 8″ by 10″?”

(I pick up a frame of that size and hand it to her.)

Customer: “How big is it though?”

Me: “That big.” *pointing at the frame*

Customer: *stares at the frame blankly before moving on* “What about this?”

Me: “It’s 4″ by 5″. It would accommodate a picture that is a quarter the size of the one in your hand.”

Customer: *waving her hands wildly* “That makes no sense!”

Me: “Umm, perhaps if you tell me the size of the picture you want to frame, I can show you what we have?”

Customer: “Don’t you give me a picture?”

Me: “We have some available for purchase.”

(I show her our collection.)

Me: “Is there any that take your fancy?”

Customer: *after looking over the selection* “Do you have any with my grandchildren?”

Me: “…”

(The store I work at lets us wear whatever we want as long as it is all black. We also wear a multi-colored, neon bright nametag and an apron. I am in the cereal aisle, standing on a ladder, stocking boxes and talking to a regular customer. She works at our City Hall and is wearing a suit. A man walks into the aisle spins around for a second and then asks the woman where a product is. I start to answer him but he angrily snaps.)

Customer: “You need to stop talking and wait your turn!”

(The woman gives her best smile and gives him convoluted directions that basically take him all through the store and then back to the cereal aisle. Ten minutes later she is gone and he is back in the aisle. He comes again to the same exact spot, spins around looking and then looks at me, throwing his hands up in frustration.)

Me: “It’s behind you.”

(I am currently looking for work during the story and I’m handing out a resume; I’ve also been on hormone therapy due a deficiency so I’ve gained weight because of it.)

Me: *enters the store and goes up to one of the workers* “Hi, I was wondering if I could see your manager? I want to hand in my resume.”

Worker: “Don’t even bother. You’re too fat to work in this store.”

Me: *shocked* “Excuse me, how has my weight got anything to do with getting a job?!”

Worker: “It might send the wrong message.”

Me: “About what?”

Worker: “That it’s okay to fat.”

Me: “Can I still speak to the manager?”

Worker: “Why?”

Me: *sarcastic* “I don’t know, because you’re being rude?”

Worker: *sigh* “Fine.” *calls Manager over*

Manager: “Hello, what seems to be the problem?”

Me: “Your worker here was extremely rude and prejudiced.”

Manager: “About what?”

Me: “My weight! I was just going to hand in my resume when she stopped me.”

Manager: “Well, you are a little porky and we don’t want to send the wrong message.”

(I stormed out and handed my resume at other places. I ended up getting a job somewhere else and paid better.)

Customer: “When do you close?”

Me: “Thanksgiving.”

Customer: “No, I mean tonight.”

Me: “Thanksgiving. We’re a twenty-four hour store, ma’am.”

Customer: “Oh.”