(It’s my day off so I go to the toy shop where I work with my eight-year-old niece. She’s a huge fan of ‘My Little Pony,’ so we’re off looking at toys. Two men are already there, talking about the show. My niece is pretty social, so she tries to strike up a conversation while I eye the display.)

Niece: “Ooh, you like My Little Pony, too?! Who’s your favourite? I love Fluttershy; she’s so pretty and kind. That’s how I want to be when I grow up.”

Man #1: “You’re a fan, huh? I guess you’ve got all the merchandise then?”

Niece: “Merch… an… dise?”

Man #2: “The toys and stuff. Don’t you have any?”

Niece: “Oh… yeah! I got some for my birthday!”

Man #1: “So you probably know the names of all the main characters, then?”

Niece: *lists characters*

Man #2: “What about the episode names?”

Niece: “Um…”

Man #1: “Don’t you know them?”

(I’m starting to get quite annoyed.)

Me: “What are you doing?”

(They both give me defensive looks.)

Man #1: “Nothing!”

Man #2: “We just wanted to know if she’s a real fan or one of those fake geek girls.”

Man #1: “She can’t even name the episodes.”

Man #2: “Bet she hasn’t even watched them all.”

(My niece is starting to get upset, so I lose all patience.)

Me:” Are you serious? All it takes to be a fan is for someone to like and enjoy something. Where do you get off acting so smug because you know more about a show for little girls than its intended audience?”

Man #1: “Are you saying men can’t like stuff for girls? That’s sexist!”

Me: “Sexist?! I’m not the one spewing misogynistic nonsense at a child simply because they can’t pass some pointless memory test. You obviously haven’t learned much, since the TV show is all about friendship and treating people with respect! Now, shove off or grow up!”

(They storm off. I turn round to see my manager watching me.)

Me: “Am I fired?”

Manager: “You’re not in uniform; they don’t know you work here. Besides, if someone talked to my kids like that, I’d knock them out.”

(My niece cheered up after a while, and I bought her some new ‘merchandise’. I hope those men went home and watched the show again, and maybe took its message to heart this time.)

This story is part of our Women’s Equality Day roundup!

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(I am working at a small chain toy store, the kind where very little is electronic. We do have birthday parties, where parents can come in and buy toys and put them in a tub, which we’d wrap for the party. This happens around Christmas. I’ve just rung up this woman’s purchases, something around $200.)

Me: “Okay, that’ll be [price].”

Woman: “Fine, but can you hold these for me for a few days?”

(This is not something we could do. An hour, maybe, but definitely not a few days. I tell her that.)

Woman: “But those tubs up there, you could just put it in one of those.”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but those are just for birthday parties that are being hosted here.”

Woman: “Well, I came here to do some shopping for my kids, and they’re here, so I can’t take them home now.”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, there really isn’t anything I can do. Store policy won’t let me keep them here.”

Woman: “I’m spending my money here, and you won’t even help me with my kids’ Christmas presents?”

Me: “I’m happy to help you find anything, order anything, and wrap anything, but I can’t break store policy.”

Woman: *now grabbing her kids, who were quietly playing with some of the open toys that are available* “You just lost a customer! I will never come back to this f****** store!”

(A story my mother likes to tell of my one and only public tantrum as a child. I was about two years old, and my mother was pregnant with my sister.)

Me: “I want toy! Want toy!”

(I dramatically throw myself to the floor.)

Mom: “Wow, that looked like it hurt. Are you going to do that again?”

Me: “No…”

(I didn’t bug her for anything for the rest of the trip.)

(I’m walking past a popular toy store where kids get to pick out the toy the want, stuff it, and dress it. The store is currently running a My Little Pony line of toys. I dart just inside the entrance to take a quick look.)

Worker: “Hello! How can I help you?”

Me: “Oh, no, don’t worry! I thought this toy was [Pony I Want], but it’s really [Other Pony]. I don’t think [Pony I Want] is out in Europe yet, anyway.”

Worker: “Oh, that one! That’s an online exclusive! It’s very sought-after; we’ve sold loads!”

Me: “Erm… you have an online store?”

Worker: “Yeah!”

Me: “… isn’t [Store]’s whole gimmick that you get to pick out and stuff the toy? How does that work if you order it?”

Worker: “We send it pre-stuffed!”

Me: “So, you have an online store that completely ignores the reason the store exists?”

Worker: “Er… I suppose so?”

(A customer walks in and asks to trade her ‘Ultimate Captain America’ collectible for the limited Edition, $700 Hulk collectible.)

Me: “Hello and welcome to Toy Trades. Is there anything you need help with?”

Customer: “I brought a collectible Captain America. I want to trade it for the Hulk.”

Me: “Okay, I’ll go grab the Hulk. ”

(I go grab the Hulk and pass my co-worker, who says that she must have an expensive collectible.)

Me: “Here it is.”

Customer: “Oh, thanks! Here is my Captain America. Um, lemme take that…”

Me: “Wait! By policy I need to look at your collectible.”

Customer: “You don’t have to look at it… Consider it like a gift.”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I need to look at your collectible first.”

(She grabs the Hulk and tries to run but another customer grabs her.)

Customer: “I JUST WANTED A D*** PRESENT FOR MY MOTHERF****** SON! TAKE THE CAPTAIN AMERICA, YOU IDIOT!”

(She throws a toy Captain America that has a Fast Food Restaurant label on it. Being the empathetic person I am, I grab a Hulk eraser and hand it to her.)

Me: “Have a nice day, ma’am!”