I work on the reception of a children’s prison. Due to current global events, we have restricted the number of visits we can have to the prison per week to allow for social distancing and for the visiting room to be cleaned between visits, etc. To make sure that it’s fair and that all children are getting visits relatively equally, each child can only have one professional and one family visit per week — as well as unlimited phone calls and some video calls.

A social worker calls and asks to book a visit to see a child. I apologise, explain the above, and tell them that another professional has a visit booked this week for that child, so the social worker will have to call next week to visit next week.

Social Worker: “But my visit is very important!”

Me: “I understand, but [Other Professional] has already booked a visit. Can you discuss this with [Child] by video call?”

Social Worker: “It’s a statutory visit. I have to see them in person once per month, and next week is the start of the next calendar month!”

Me: “I know other professionals have had this issue, and I’m sorry, but we have found that most authorities are understanding what with the national guidance.”

Social Worker: “Oh. Well… when is [Other Professional]’s visit?”

Me: “Friday.”

Social Worker: “Oh, that’s perfect!”

Me: “Sorry, because of national guidelines on households mixing, you and [Other Professional] can’t visit together; you need to book your own slot.”

Social Worker: “Oh, I don’t want to come with her!”

Me: “Erm, okay?”

Social Worker: “I can come Friday instead of [Other Professional]. You said she’d understand.”

Me: “No? Sorry, no, I can’t let you cancel someone else’s appointment.”

Social Worker: “I can talk to [Other Professional].”

Me: “Yes. Okay. You speak to [Other Professional], and if they ring me to cancel the appointment, I’ll ring you to let you know the slot is free.”

The social worker agreed. The other professional did not call to cancel their appointment.

The social worker in this post is not representative of all social workers, who, in my experience, tend to be excellent, hard-working, and understanding people. This one was just entitled.

I pop into a shop to look for a specific item. Unfortunately, after checking the aisles several times, I soon realise they don’t have it and start to make my way out.

The shop is set up so you come in one door but have to leave through another near the registers. You can’t go out the way you came in because the sensors only work on one side.

I don’t want to wait for somebody else to come in and then barge past them, so I make my way to the registers. There is a little bit of a line, maybe four or five people. I walk by them, explaining as I go that I’m not buying anything and I just want to leave. Everyone is fine with that, knowing how awkward the store layout is, and moves out of the way. However, a woman near the front of the line blocks my path, refusing to move.

Customer: “The back of the queue is there.”

She jabs her finger towards the end of the line.

Me: “I’m sorry, but I’m not actually buying anything. I just want to leave.”

I try to go around her, but she keeps blocking my path.

Customer: “No cuts! The back of the line is there.”

Me: “I’m not buying anything. I’m just trying to leave.”

I hold my arms out so she can see I’m not holding anything.

Customer: “Back of the line!”

One of the cashiers notices the commotion and leans forward.

Cashier: “Madam, she’s not buying anything. Please let her pass so she can leave.”

Customer: “No! If she wants to leave, she needs to wait in line like everyone else!”

Cashier: “Only if she’s buying something, which you can clearly see she isn’t. Please let her pass.”

Customer: “No! No! No! I am sick of all these entitled b****es just cutting in line. She is not leaving this shop before me! I demand she gets in line like everyone else.”

Cashier: “You either let her pass or I call security.”

The woman went silent for a moment, glaring at me and then at the cashier. Finally, she stomped to one side and let me through. I got out of there as quickly as I could, thanking the cashier as I passed him. As I left, I heard the woman mutter about “entitled b****es” while glaring at me.

To the cashier: thank you so much for helping me. I hope you didn’t get into trouble!

I work in a café in a tourist attraction. We have a limited menu, as we are a small establishment, but there are restaurants to either side of us, so most customers don’t find this a problem. 

Customer: “Hi, love. What’s in your kids’ lunch bags?”

Me: “In the lunch bag there is a sandwich, some crisps, a flapjack, a jelly, and a water.”

Customer: “Okay, can I get one of them, please?”

Me: “Sure, would you like a tuna, cheese, or ham sandwich?”

Customer: “I’ll get a ham and cheese, please.”

Me: “Oh, sorry. We have ham or cheese.”

Customer: “But you have ham and cheese sandwiches.”

Me: “Yes, they are all ready-made and the adults’ sandwiches are larger.”

Customer: “Can’t you just stick some ham in the cheese sandwich?”

Me: “No, I don’t make the sandwiches.”

Customer: “Well, who does?”

Me: “The cook.”

Customer: “Okay. Can I get some chips, then?”

Me: “Sir, we don’t sell chips.”

Customer: “What? What kind of place doesn’t sell chips?”

Me: “Umm… this place.”

Customer: “This place is actual s***!”

Me: “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave if you don’t calm down.”

Customer: “Can I have a glass of tap water? Or do you not have taps?”

By this point, I am so annoyed and feel really disrespected by him.

Me: “Of course, kind sir. Anything for you.”

This morning, I take my car in for a service and announce to the man at the desk:

Me: “I’ve brought in the Subaru.”

He just looks at me. It only then occurs to me that as I am at our local Subaru main dealer, this is hardly useful information!

Me: “Er… I’ve brought in [registration number].”

Worker: “Certainly, sir, we’ve got you booked in. Keys, please.”

I’ve taken my four-month-old puppy to the pet store to grab a few bits. Whilst I’m in the puppy toy section, my puppy finds something interesting to sniff at. I soon realise it appears to be a patch of dried pee. When I go up the front to pay, I decide to inform the cashier.

Me: “Hi, just these, please. Oh, and just to let you know, it looks like a dog peed in between the puppy toys and dog beds.”

The cashier shoots me an odd look.

Cashier: “Thanks. These things do happen.”

I paid for my stuff and left. Halfway home, I realised that the cashier assumed my puppy had been the one to pee and I just didn’t want to clean it up!

The next time I went in there, she was a little curt with me, but since I’m now a regular, she has started to be quite chatty. Thankfully, my dog has never had an accident in the store, but if he did, I would always clean it up!