(I worked in volunteer emergency medical services for years. Without charge to anyone, a person would call 911, which would then send me and a crew with an ambulance to provide emergency medical care and transportation to the hospital. Unfortunately, our experience was that during a blizzard, some people would call 911 with a fake medical emergency and then decline transportation to the hospital. This was done because they had learned that a snowplow would be dispatched in front of our ambulance to make sure we had a clear route to the house in question. This way, the person would have their street plowed before others. The request of the woman in this story, however, blows my mind. We arrive at the location following the snowplow that is clearing 18 inches of snow on the road. I trudge up to the door and ring the bell. A young woman with an alcoholic drink in her hand answers. There is loud music playing. This is obviously a “blizzard party.”)

Me: “[Town] EMS, who is having the emergency?”

Woman: “Yes, that’s me. Um, I have diabetes.”

(I know that anyone with diabetes should not be drinking an alcoholic beverage.)

Me: “Okay, let’s sit down and check your blood sugar. Are you feeling badly?”

Woman: “Oh, no, I don’t need anything like that. I already checked my blood sugar. It’s [number that’s a bit high, but not an emergency]. I need my insulin from my house in [Next Town Over]. I was wondering if you’d drive me to get it?”

Me: “Ma’am, we are an ambulance for medical emergencies. We cannot transport you from one house to another. The policeman over here, however, most likely will.”

Woman: “Oh, that’s great. But, um, after I get my insulin, could he bring me back here to the party? I’m having such a great time!”

(I just facepalmed. The policeman did give her a ride home to her insulin… but not back to the party.)

This story is part of our Chilly Weather Roundup!

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I am female. For a few years, I drove and maintained a friend’s Camaro. I learned the hard way that you don’t go through puddles at any decent rate of speed or the distributor gets wet and the car quits. My friend was driving when we learned that bit.

Fast forward a few years to a rainstorm with huge puddles. Looking out the window at the upholstery shop I work at, I see a Camaro taking our puddle-ridden alley far too fast for current conditions. I turn to my boss.

Me:
“I bet you that in five minutes that guy’ll be at the door asking to use the phone to call AAA.”

Boss:
“You’re on.”

I gather a screwdriver, paper towels, and my flashlight and umbrella to be ready.

Guy:
“Hey, can I use your phone? My car just quit.”

Me:
“Let me have a look at it before you make the call.”

The guy is reluctant; after all, he’s a guy, and I’m a raggedy woman in an upholstery shop.

Boss:
“What do you lose? Five minutes? She might even fix it.”

The guy and I slosh down the alley to his car, and yup, it’s dead in the water (pun intended) right past an enormous puddle.

Me:
“Pop the hood, please.”

He does.

Me:
“Hold the umbrella for me?”

I open the distributor and sop up all the water. Good thing I brought the whole roll of towels. I put it back together and close the hood.

Me:
“Try it now.”

Skeptical, he hops in and turns the key. The car goes VROOM!

Guy:
*Awed voice* “What are you, some kind of wizard mechanic?”

Me:
“Go very slowly through the rest of the puddles, or else the distributor will get wet and the car will quit again.”

Guy:
“Okay.”

He headed off at a truly leisurely pace and made it past all the puddles in the alleyway. I was wearing the biggest grin as I splashed back to the shop.

I’m working my first restaurant job. It’s the middle of summer in Orlando, Florida: 90°F, 80% humidity. No wind, no rain, just heat. The A/C has broken in the whole restaurant and the vents in the kitchen really aren’t doing much besides sucking up the smoke. Some customers mention it but brush it off as no big deal. Others have significantly less useful comments.

Rude Customer:
*Angry* “It’s hot in here! Is the A/C broken?!”

Me:
*Still polite* “Yes. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to fix it.”

The rude customer gestures to the dining room.

Rude Customer:
“Well, you should! It’s too hot out here!”

I decide to respond in my most cheery customer service voice while pointing to steaming grills, fryers, and toasters.

Me:
“Oh, I know! Imagine what it’s like back here!”

The customer has a look that’s somehow a cross between sheepish and angry.

Rude Customer:
“Uh… I’ll have the [burger].”

Me:
“Good choice.”

CONTENT WARNING: Child Cruelty

(I’m just about to close our store. It’s in the middle of winter and I see a woman with a child in a thin sundress and tights walking past the storefront. Our last customer, a police officer, walks up to them.)

Policeman: “Excuse me. You should really get your daughter a coat and gloves. It’s freezing outside and she looks like she’s very cold.”

Woman: “That’s none of your business. Besides, kids don’t feel temperature like normal people do.”

Policeman: “Normal people? I don’t think–”

Woman: “They don’t feel the cold as we do. Anyway, she’s always complaining, so I just stopped caring.”

Policeman: “Maybe she’s complaining because she’s freezing? Look, her fingers are as red as–”

Woman: “No, no, no! She faking this! Kids do everything for attention! Just ignore her!”

Daughter: “Mommy, I’m really cold.”

Woman: “SHUT UP! NO TALKING WHEN I’M TALKING!”

Policeman: “Look! I don’t normally interfere with people’s parenting but this is clearly bad for the girl’s health.”

Woman: *shrugs*

(The next time I stepped outside, I saw her surrounded by four cops who loaded her into a police van.)

Me: “Thank you for calling [Company]. This is [My Name]. How may I help you?”

Caller: “I’m calling to check on my order that I placed last week, because I haven’t received it yet.”

Me: “I’m so sorry you haven’t received your order yet. Do you have your order number?”

Caller: “Yes, it’s [number].”

(I pull up the order and its tracking information.)

Me: “I show that the order is out for delivery today.”

Caller: “Can you tell me why it’s taking so long? They told me that I would receive it on the 7th, and today is the 10th!”

Me: “Yes, I do show that it was originally scheduled for delivery on Friday the 7th, but the tracking information indicates that there was a delay due to bad weather, so [Shipping Company] rescheduled delivery for the next business day, which is today.”

Caller: “Oh, yeah, I do remember that there were really bad storms going through Friday and Saturday. I guess I can understand why they couldn’t deliver it.”