My aunt has lived for several months in Asia and then decided to move back to the USA. The plane was scheduled to leave at 10 am. She left her house for the airport, which without traffic was over forty minutes away… at 9:40 AM.

She was completely shocked and bewildered that the plane… DIDN’T WAIT FOR HER!

When she told us this and was confused by the fact that we had no sympathy for her, she said “Well, they should have realized from the manifest that we weren’t there yet!”

We all just laughed at her.

Close to 5 am one Saturday morning, I stopped at a taxi stop near a train station in central Copenhagen. There was a long line of customers as well as lots of mostly young people everywhere trying to flag down a taxi.

At times like this, I prefer to only pick up people at taxi stops. My logic is: If they’re sober enough to find their way to a taxi stop, they’re probably sober enough not to get sick in my car.

I drive to the front of the slightly disorganised line, roll down the window and ask: “Who has waited the longest?”

Just as two young women were about to open one of the rear doors, a young man skipped the line, shoved his way past them and slid into the back seat.

Me: “I don’t think it was your turn.”

Passenger: “How about a fare to [place ten miles away]?”

Me: “I don’t care where you’re going. You skipped the line.”

Passenger: “I don’t wait in lines.”

Me: “And I don’t drive people, who don’t wait in lines.”

He complained a bit, but eventually left. The two young women got in and I took them to their destination.

I have worked at a senior centre-cum-boules court in a park in the past, with most people there being the sort you could actually have decent conversations with.

But, of course, not everything was idyllic: there was one man, claiming to have been a hunter of sorts, who was rather rude to staff and a few regular visitors alike, whose antics ultimately pushed me to quit.

The most egregious thing he did? One day, in the same park, a children’s birthday party was going on: the party was not particularly close to the centre, and while loud, it could be heard only if you stayed outside the building itself anyway.

This old guy went for a smoke on the outside, finished his cigarette, then came back in and had the audacity to tell me I “had” to go to the party and tell them to stop because “they were disturbing the elderly here”, even if, again, nothing of the said party could be heard from the outside.

Being diplomatic didn’t work, showing him that nobody else in the place was bothered didn’t work, telling him to deal with it didn’t work, and suggesting to just leave for the day didn’t work: HE was bothered by the children’s party on the other side of the park, and by God was he going to get it shut down somehow, complaining about it for a long time. And even when the party eventually ended, he wasn’t entirely happy because it “took them too long”.

No wonder he was never directly invited to any events we organized.

I was once at an art and craft supply store that also did custom framing, waiting for a consult with the frame representative. There was only one person in the frame department, and it can be a slow process, so I ended up waiting a little while, which was fine by me.

Another lady was also waiting for a frame consult and we ended up having a lovely conversation about the artwork we had each brought in. Clearly, we couldn’t just have a nice conversation because we were interrupted by a very abrasive old guy who very much was not reading the room.

Old Guy: “Where are [specific type of off-the-shelf frame]?”

Me: *Pausing for a moment to exchange glances with the other lady.* “Um, I don’t know but probably in one of those aisles?”

I point to the section of the store that has off-the-shelf frames.

Old Guy: “Well why don’t you go find [frame] for me?”

Me: “I would just ask a staff member if I were you. They’ll know specifically where things are.”

This goes back and forth for a few more rounds and I basically have to spell it out for him that we’re not staff and we don’t know where the frame he wants is and he ends up looking at each of us with the absolute most sour expression and saying, “well you could still help me!”

Demanding labor from random women is not a good look, sir.

I was working as an agent for a computer helpdesk for one brand of computers that were only sold by a chain of supermarkets.

Me: “Good evening, [Brand] service desk how can I help you?”

Customer: *Very aggressively.* “I have problems with my computer and you’re going to help me.”

Me: “Before we continue, I need the serial number of your computer.”

Customer: *Sighs.* “No, because I don’t know it. Now my problem is [problem that needs warranty, therefore a serial number].”

Me: “Sorry, sir, I do need the serial number or I can’t help you.”

Customer: *Angry.* “I told you, I don’t know it.”

Me: “I need the serial number because it tells me what machine you have and if it’s still under warranty.”

Customer: *Angrier.* “You don’t need the serial number for my problem.”

Me: “I do need the serial number and I’m going to make this easy for you. Either you tell me the serial number or I’m going to end this call. The serial number of your PC is engraved on the front panel.”

Customer: “I will file a complaint about you if you hang up on me.”

Me: “This call is recorded, my manager will hear me asking several times for the serial number and he’ll hear you refusing to let me know. Guess what will happen to your complaint… Now for the last time, may I have the serial number?”

Customer: “Okay, the serial number is [number].”

Me: “Thank you. According to the number you just gave me, your computer is out of warranty and I’m not at liberty to help you.”

Customer: *Furious.* “That’s not right! I bought that computer three days ago!”

I know that this supermarket never stocks computers for five years. The customer must have bought it somewhere else.

Me: “This PC is five years old. If you bought it three days ago from [Supermarket] you can return it and get all of your money back.”

Customer: “I didn’t buy it from [Supermarket], I bought it from my neighbor for €650.”

Me: “Sir, those computers were sold for €650 five years ago. Today you can pick them up at a goodwill or thrift store for less than €50.”

Customer: “You’re an idiot. My neighbor has a computer store and he gave me a special price.”

Me: “I hope that that special price included unlimited support, because we cannot help you.”

My manager told me that the guy did file a complaint and demanded support but that was dismissed because I followed company policy and his computer was out of warranty.