(I work at the largest theme park in Canada. While the park is very diverse, I seem to be the only one of my religion in my store. This can cause problems when managers and team leads are not educated in my religion.)

Manager: *hands me sheet of paper with a calendar on it* “Can you work all of this week?”

Me: “I have to take May 30th and June 1st off but besides that I’m good.”

Manager: “Why?”

Me: “It’s a religious holiday; I’m [Religion] and on this holiday we have to stay up all night and study. I’ll be too tired to work June 1st.”

Manager: “But that’s Canada Day! We’ll be extremely busy.”

Me: “Sorry, I don’t control when [Religious Holiday] is.”

Manager: “I have friends who are [Religion] and I’ve never heard of that.”

Me: “I’m pretty observant. Most people only follow the high holidays.”

Manager: “Let me just check this out.”

(To my shock, he takes out his cell phone and proceeds to Google my holiday to make sure it is real. Please note that while no one in my store is my religion, Toronto has a large population of people who are my religion (like Bathurst and Lawrence – if you’re from Toronto you know what I mean.))

Manager: “It isn’t showing up on Google.”

Me: *leaning over his shoulder* “You spelt it wrong.” *spells it out for him*

Manager: “Oh! There it is. Do you really need this off?”

Me: “I am legally allowed to take certain days off for religious observance. It’s in my contract!”

Manager: *sighs* “But you’re one of our best employees.”

Me: “Great! Hopefully, I’ll still have that title when I come to work on June 2^nd.”

Manager: *getting desperate* “You’ll get paid time and a half for working Canada Day.”

Me: “Well, some coworker will be very lucky, then!” *hands back sheet with calendar on it and walks away*

(Having a young child we have struggled to find a place we can all enjoy that doesn’t cost the earth. We put some money aside and eventually find a place that looks good. Knowing how badly toddlers are catered for I send an email over to their customer care team.)

Me: “I was interested in your [Location] site, and wondered what activities there was available for a family of a three-year-old. We hope to attend on [Day].”

Representative: “Dear [Name spelt wrong], we have lots of activities for all ages. On that site their is a soft-play centre, a young theme park, and shows running all day featuring all children’s favourites.”

Me: “That’s great. I just want to make sure as there is no info on your website. This will all be fine for a three-year-old?”

Representative: “I can confirm that this will be suitable.”

(The day comes around quickly. We drive the long drive there and pay the quite expensive day pass ticket price. First stop is the soft-play area that is overrun with much older children. Next, the theme park with all the rides for five and over, adults not being allowed to accompany. Feeling slightly cheated, we make a move over to the “all day live shows” to find that they were never planned to be shown on that day. We head over to the customer care to explain and ask for a refund.)

Support Desk: “You can still go to the swimming pool.”

Me: “We have a day pass; we can’t spend eight hours in the swimming pool!”

Support Desk: “Er… there’s the park.”

Me: “So your best suggestion is to walk around a field for eight hours? I think I would prefer my money back, please.”

(Eventually, and after two managers, we got it back.)

(It is my first day but second summer at this amusement/theme park. I am alone in the store but my manager is teaching five other trainees how to work cash. A customer walks in and I recognize her from a helping-the-homeless initiative my religious institute does with hers. She comes to the front with three tee-shirts and a keychain.)

Woman: “Oh, I remember you.”

Me: “Yes, hello. How have you been?”

Woman: “I am blessed, darling.”

Me: “That is wonderful.” *I go to scan her items but she stops me*

Woman: “Um… can I have someone who believes in Christ help me?”

Me: “Uh… it is only me on staff.”

Woman: “What about them?” *points to trainees*

Me: “They’re in training.”

Woman: “Well, I refuse to pay unless I get someone who is a god-fearing Christian. Get me your manager!”

Me: “Let me see what I can do.” *goes to manager and trainees* “This woman refuses to pay unless a god-fearing Christian helps her.”

Manager: “How does she know you’re not Christian?”

Me: “We’ve met before.” *in a whisper* “And she was the nicest then, either.”

Male Trainee: “I can help you.” *we walk over together and we finish cashing her out. When I give her the bags she doesn’t take them*

Woman: “Let me set you up with a nice Christian boy.”

Me: “No, thank you.”

Woman: *giving me the evil eye* “Just give me your phone number and I can—”

Me: “No, thank you.”

Woman: “Let me talk to your manager!”

Me: “My manager doesn’t decide who I date. It is all up to me and if you don’t leave now I will call security.”

Woman: *grumbles under breath but takes bags and leaves*

(I work in a well known theme park in Orlando. It is currently a festival that offers food and drinks from around the world. A lady orders a drink and I pour it.)

Guest: “Doesn’t this come with a garnish?”

Me: “Yes, normally it comes with a piece of dill but we currently do not have the dill to put on top of the drink.”

Guest: “Oh…”

(The guest walked away and returned five minutes later.)

Guest: “Is there anyway I could get a refund? I really only wanted the drink for the garnish.”

Me: “Uh, sure… Go talk to the cashier who sold you the drink.”

(She got her refund, but I’d like to know who would buy a $7 drink just for a piece of dill weed?)

(I’m a supervisor at a well-known theme park. I am working the front gate where we open our gates 10 minutes earlier for anyone with a season pass. A guest walks up to me right when the day ticket line has let in their first guests).

Customer: “I don’t think it’s fair that those lines got in 10 minutes early just because I was in the line for regular tickets. I don’t have season passes but we all spent money to get in. You should’ve opened them all at the same time!”

Me: “Well, I’m sorry you feel that way but we do advertise the early entry time as one of the perks of buying a season pass, so it wouldn’t be fair to all the pass holders in those lines if we did that.”

Customer: “Then you should’ve told us that!”

Me: “Well, the way we differentiate the lines is by the signs for day tickets or for season passes.”

Customer: “The signs are useless! Who reads anymore!? I read while I’m driving and that’s it! I don’t need to be reading when I’m walking or any other time!”

Me: “I do apologize you feel that way but unfortunately that’s our method here, due to the large volume of people we can get.”

(Then they walked off… with kids in tow.)