I work in a retail setting where we sell beer and also refund deposits on empty alcohol containers. This scenario happens daily.

Customer returns empties and asks for beer to go.

Me: “Ok, so your total is 33.55 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 your empties.”

Customer: “Is that with my returns?”

Me: “he dad tomorrow is [sisters] first anniversary since she got married”

Dad: “wow really how long have they been married?”

Me: “It’s their FIRST anniversary!”

Dad: “yeah but how long have they…”

The library from hell.

Hamilton Public Library (HPL) has a serious problem. And it’s unfortunately a common problem in many public institutions.

The issues is that anybody can walk in off the Street with whatever issues they have and start tearing into some random person who is often minding thier own business. Or they may decide to curse up an APOCALYPSE then entire time and of course anybody who dares challenge them for it is attacked. Sometimes full blown fights involving multiple people literally pile through the main floor Street entrance, with insults and often fists flying.

I’ve personally been wittness to MANY verbally or physically abusive incidents at the HPL and the vast majority happen at Central branch which is in Downtown Hamilton.

Security at the library is a bad joke, and often absent during violent incedents.
The library staff are almost always useless and refuse to call security or Police unless Actual blows are exchanged. When called they are typically lazy and slow.

I was being harrased by a crazy guy I had never met before and had to ask two separate librarians 3 times to call security and deal with this creep. The guy had verbally threatened me, right in front of the librarians desk, and in fro t of MULTIPLE witnesses. And I HAD TO CALL SECURITY.
When 40 minutes later the guard finally brothered to show up, her entire attitude bead one of affected irritation. She made it CRYSTAL clear that she didn’t want to be doing her job.

More recently fact my own mother was telling me that another HPL branch librarian told her that patrons had to call the police themselves.

This IS INSANE. Despite how these other people or even groups are allowed to act i have often found myself on the wrong end of irate security with nothing else to do but harass me, usually for very petty stuff. One time I aswered a call from my Mom and was pounced on by a security guard for no reason. I was making to much noise!

Yes despite all the fights these people refuse to break up, or the few times I have requested thier help, I was making to much noise by answering a call.

Security: SIR YOU ARE MAKING TO MUCH NOISE.

ME (INCREDULOUS): I am talking to my mom! What do you want me to do hang up on her?

Security: “looking uncertain”

My mom (over phone): IS SECURITY HARRASSING YOU AGAIN?

Me (to security): you want to tell her to shut up? She already knows this happens. Alot.

I never got bothered by that guy again.

Last week, the most absurd Incident I have EVER witnessed at Central Library happened.

Random woman walks through the Street entrance, cursing and swearing up a storm.

30 or so patrons including myself are at the computers and immediately take offense to this behaviour. She lasts full 30 seconds before one of the patrons says something to her.

Her response? ” FUCK YOU! FUCK OFF OR I’LL TEAR YOU TO PIECES!!! etc…

There was no security anywhere in sight.

Crazy lady sorts down and a few minutes pass. I turn around to look at the librarians who saw the entire thing

Me (dripping sarcasm): This is the part where you call the police!

They do and say nothing.

A minute later I decided to push the issue. I walk over to the librarians desk.

Me to librarian: Can I ask you a question?

Librarian: Sure.

Me (as if talking to a child): Hypothically, what would you have done if that woman had turned violent?

Librarian stutters: oh! um well..

Me: “I was being sarcastic”. I turn and go back to my computer.

They did NOTHING. Security never showed up. This woman was allowed to curse and then threaten a patron with a very messy death. The Police showed up later, several times in fact. Just patrolling the library.

I see the officer’s and turn around to the library desk

Me (angry now): DO I REALLY HAVE TO DO YOUR JOB FOR YOU?!

Both librarans make go ahead do

(We’re on vacation with some extended family and are staying in a hotel that seems really nice but is turning out to have some… Odd quirks. I’ve already been in my hotel room for a bit unable to sleep, and it’s pretty late when my mom finally makes to the room. She says hi, gives me a hug, and then immediately says:)

Mom: “Did [Uncle] tell you what’s outside his window? A brick wall! Isn’t that crazy?”

Me: “Uh… Sure, mom.”

Mom: *enthusiastically* “Let’s see what’s behind our curtain!”

Me: “Ok?”

(She throws open the curtain and we see… A door! It took her a while to figure out why I was laughing, and I’m sure I was a little loopy from being so tired, but she ended up seeing the humor, too. We eventually realized that if you pulled the curtain aaaaaaaall the way open, there were windows facing out to the pool and the door led to the deck.)

My grandmother passed away last year. It was a terribly heartbreaking time for my family which she was a huge part of. The NHS in the UK gets a pretty bad rep for all sorts of issues but I can’t complain.

During the time my grandmother was alive she recieved treatment from the NHS for… A double aneurysm, a series of mini strokes and a major sepsis infection. It may not be the prettiest of greatest health care service on the planet but the amazing work of the doctors and nurses there kept her around three times when any one of the health issues could have taken her from us.

Say what you will… but each of these surgeries / treatments cost us nothing at all and probably gave us 20 years.