The Greatest (Moaning) Generation

(I work at a large supermarket. Towards the end of my shift, I shut off my register light and put up a “lane closed” sign so I can count my till and clock out. I have one more customer in my line, who I finish checking out, when an older man steps in behind her and starts loading a cart full of purchases onto the counter.)

Me: “I’m sorry, sir, but this register is closed. You can take your purchases over to register 2 or 3, which both have very short lines, and someone will be able to assist you.”

Customer: “No. I’ve already put all my stuff up there, and I am not moving it all over. Do your job and ring me up!”

Me: “Well, sir, it is the end of my shift, and I have to remove the till from my cash register so have it counted, so I need to shut everything down now.”

Customer: “Is your register still on?”

Me: “Yes.”

Customer: “Then you will ring up my items. I don’t understand why young people today are so g**d***ed lazy! This is your job! Just f****** do it!”

(I decide that it will be quicker to ring him up than to argue with him; plus, I don’t want him making any more of a scene, so I agree. I am about to start ringing up his first items when a middle-aged lady walks past the register.)

Customer: “Oh, you can skip ahead of me if you want, since you only have a few items.”

Me: “I’m sorry, ma’am, but you will have to go to another register. This register is closed.”

Customer: “She only has like three items! Are you really so f****** lazy that you can’t ring up three items?!”

(The woman looks, smiles, ignores my instructions, steps in front of [Customer], and hands me her purchases.)

Customer: *smiling smugly* “And that’s what we used to call manners in my day.”

(I bite my tongue and ring them both through. Luckily, no one else attempts to enter my line. By this time, it is ten minutes past when I was supposed to clock out, and my till hasn’t even been counted yet. I go count down my till and clock out, almost half an hour late. When I walk up front, I see that [Customer] is still there, talking to the elderly greeter.)

Customer: “That’s the lazy b**** who tried to refused to sell me my items. I tell you, our generation was the last with real work ethic, huh? Lazy g**d***ed kids can’t even do their jobs.”

(I ignored him and walked out.)