Trying To Achieve Radio Silence

I am a 6’3 bearded fat man with a law enforcement and private security background. I’m also currently an operations manager for a state facility that provides temporary housing for children and teens who are waiting for a foster home.

A few days ago, my other manager and I received fairly substantial bonuses for getting our new intake facility opened a month ahead of schedule. Since I am not really in need of the bonus, I offered to help my team out by helping them out with some expenses and making their time at work better.

One of the main things everyone wanted was more caffeine (since we all chug that stuff like water throughout our shifts). Since everything was quiet at work. I decided to slip out to Wally World, so I could get caffeine to stock the staff fridge and acquire a working coffee machine.

Cue me standing in the appliance section looking at coffee machines and debating getting a single or multi-cup machine when this little grandma comes up and asks me if I could get something off the top shelf for her.

She was nice and thanked me for my help, and I went off to the caffeinated drink area.

As orders filtered in from my team on what drinks they wanted, I started looking around for them. It was during this time that, out of nowhere, I heard the shrill, piercing voice of a woman who had walked straight up to me.

Woman: “I need you to come with me right now.”

Of course, I ignore it and continue looking for the drinks my team wanted. The next thing I hear is:

Woman: “EXCUSE ME, YOUNG MAN, YOU NEED TO COME WITH ME RIGHT NOW!”

I did a quick look around to see if there was a kid or employee around because surely she wasn’t talking to the guy in grey cargo pants and an olive drab button-up shirt, but there wasn’t anyone else around, so I asked:

Me: “Do you mean me?”

She shouts:

Woman: “YES, I MEAN YOU! God, are all managers this dumb?”

Me: “Ma’am, I don’t work here.”

Woman: “Yes, you do. Is that radio of yours broken? Did you not hear them call for a manager?”

At this point, I realized I still had my radio on from work and responded:

Me: “No ma’am, I didn’t, but that’s bec—”

Woman: “—They gave you a radio, use it! Now come with me, they’re refusing to give me a refund!”

I was just staring blankly at her.

Me: “No, ma’am, I don’t work here, I’m in a—”

Woman: “—How dare you refuse to help me! You helped that dirty [slur for a Hispanic person], but you won’t help a god-fearing White person who is being taken advantage of!

I finally lost it at this, stood up straight, puffed my chest out, and called out my law enforcement voice.

Me: “Look, lady, keep your racist f****** mouth shut and listen! I don’t work here! Do you see what I am wearing? I am not dressed anything like an employee…”

She tried cutting me off:

Woman: “But the rad—”

Me: “—Lady, did it ever cross your mind that maybe it is for my actual job? I don’t work here, and I don’t want to hear another f****** word! If I see you in this aisle by the time I finish grabbing that box of energy drinks—” *Pointing a few feet away.* “—I am going to make the rest of your time in this store a living Hell!”

At that, she just scuttled away, and I finished stocking the staff break room for my team.