Our local grocery store installed self checkouts a while ago, and I regularly go through them and know how they work.
One week, the store had an amazing sale on canned soup, so I decided to stock up and got about 20 cans of different flavors.
If I’d gone through the regular, manned checkout, this wouldn’t be a problem, as they just scan the SKU and zip, zip, zip, all done.
Not on the self checkout, unfortunately. Each and every item is read out loud by the little robot voice which in my case is a somewhat overly chipped female voice.
You cannot scan the next item until she stops talking. So it was scan, “One can of Campbell’s soup, $2, on sale for $1,” one can after another. Since her tone did not change, by the end, it was all I could do not to laugh or start dancing to her inadvertent electronica/house music cadence.

I am recently in a situation where I have been really hurt by my SO by an addiction of theirs. It’s a personal struggle they have which doesn’t really have to do with me, but when they are really having a hard time, it does tend to affect me and our relationship. I find some resources online that deal with people in my specific situation, send out a message to their general text number explaining what happened and that I’m seeking help. I get the following response:

“Hi, thank you so much for reaching out. I’m so glad you reached out to get support – this kind of [situation] is terribly difficult to handle on one’s own. The story [my SO] told you sounds extremely unlikely, but at least they are wanting to tell you the truth about things. That’s a huge step! We can absolutely help you both get the right support. Where are you located? [-name with organization]”

I am floored. My SO has been very open and honest about what has been going on, and we have not had any issues with them being untruthful, so I have no idea where this person who was somehow designated to respond to me has gotten this idea from.

I respond with my general location and also ask what they meant about the story sounding unlikely. They respond:

“Oh great, we have two very knowledgeable therapists in [location]. Either of them can do online therapy with both of you (individually or together). I was just referring to the story about [situation], but that is definitely something to discuss with your therapist, I’m not qualified at all. Let’s get you connected with a therapist right away! What questions do you have?”

Me: “Honestly, I’m feeling a little put off about going forward with your organization due to your response. The last thing I need right now is someone insinuating— on top of everything my [SO] and I are dealing with — that they are lying to me, and from someone who is not even a qualified therapist!”

They actually proceeded to apologize and backtrack a little, even offering to pass me on to someone else, admitting they had lost my trust. I now have a bad taste in my mouth not only about the organization in general, but reaching out again somewhere online. I think my SO and I will be seeking help locally to a trusted counsellor they are already seeing.

I went to one of those “no wait” ERs. The front area was just a desk. They wanted me to fill out 4 pages of paperwork while standing, which was very uncomfortable, given the reason I was there. I was told that I could not use any hospital services- not even a chair- until I’d finished the paperwork.

After I finished the first page, a woman came up behind me and started tapping her foot. I thought she was a fellow patient, but she was actually there to show me to my room. When I was finally done, the woman led me through empty hallways to a dimly lit room. I sat on the rolling bed, and she told me that someone would be in shortly to take my vitals.

I waited for 2 hours. I would have tried to find someone, but the hallways were empty and I wasn’t sure I’d find my way back.

In the end, their doctors couldn’t help with my problem.

But hey. At least I didn’t have to wait in a waiting room.

Back when I worked in a fast food restaurant, I had to train a couple of people. All of my coworkers were people I would give a reference for at new jobs. All except for the last person I trained. Oh my god. She was the most incompetent person I have ever met. Every time I wanted to slap her.
She was supposed to be trained on registers, but she was so bad at taking orders as though she wasn’t listening to the customers.
She was changed to grills, but no matter how much we trained her or told her what to do, she would always ask us how to do something or what goes on the food. There was a time when there was a rush and she was absolutely useless. I was so stressed out I could barely eat during my break and felt nauseous afterward.
She was bad at listening, blamed others for her mistakes, bad at reading the order screen, acted like she knew everything, acted like she had seniority over others, and always messed up on the food. We also had to keep telling her to rewash ingredients WITH GLOVES ON because she kept washing with her bare hands. She would also do small coughs without covering her mouth.
There was the time I considered doubting her intelligence. I was in the back telling her how we were going to clean the bathrooms. She pointed at a jar of an ingredient and asked is that the ingredient we use for the food?
I was so happy when she quit the job because she found another better job. Even happier that the manager didn’t give her job back when the better job fired her after a couple of days because it didn’t work out. Why didn’t we give the job back? She left in the middle of the week without notice and left us high and dry covering her shifts.
If she contacts me, I’m going to ignore it. If she sees me, I’m going to wave and tell her I have places to be. If I see her, I’m going to ignore her. This is one person I hate so much.

This happens in a vet’s office. My boyfriend and I are queuing on reception to make an appointment for our dog’s annual boosters. Customer in front of us:
Customer: The doctor should see me, I’ve got really strong headache, I need some medicine. Fucking Paracetamol doesn’t help.
Receptionist: Um, I’m sorry, sir. This is a veterinary clinic. We won’t be able to help you.
Customer: What the fuck do you mean you won’t be able to help me? You’ve got doctors, right? Get someone to see me immediately!
Receptionist: Sir, our doctors can only help domesticated animals. If you feel unwell, you need to book an appointment with your GP or go to the emergency room.
Customer: You fucking cunt, why won’t you help me? Stupid bitch! Just give me some strong painkillers now! Fucking stupid whore!
Receptionist: Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave!
Customer: You whore, I thought you had doctors here. Why do you want me to die? You fucking cunt.

At this point my boyfriend got extremely angry.

Boyfriend: Listen, fella, make your way through the exit or I’ll have to throw you out.
Customer: Why are you even here? You’re not sick? What the fuck is wrong with you, you stupid asshole?

This guy tried to sucker punch my boyfriend, but he missed. At this point my boyfriend just grabbed this man and threw him out of the building. The receptionist thanked my boyfriend and rang the police to let them know what’s what.

Anyway, we booked our appointment and had a little chat with the lovely receptionist. She said that every once in a while, they get people insisting to be seen by the doctor…