When Your Coworkers Take Matters Into Their Own Hands — Literally

I live in a relatively small town, but it’s near two larger ones and a city. MOST of my customers I can recognize, but we do get new ones, of course. I have three customers who are completely deaf: a husband and wife, who are very nice, and a homeless man, who is not so nice. The man always asks for a paper and pencil so he can ask us questions, but he can read lips. I am pretty used to dealing with him.

One day, however, he was in my coworker’s line. This was during the height of the global health crisis, so we were all wearing masks. He mimed for the pencil and paper, but she didn’t have any. Then, he kept pointing at the screen, trying to ask her a question, and my coworker was getting annoyed.

Coworker: “I already told you: that’s the price it is.”

The man tried to ask something, getting just as annoyed.

Coworker: *Louder* “That’s the price it is!”

She repeated this several times, getting louder and louder. I was in the middle of helping an elderly customer, so I hadn’t said anything, but she was starting to get way too loud. I looked over and saw who the customer was.

Me: “[Coworker]. [COWORKER]!”

She looked up finally.

Me: “He’s deaf! You’ll need to pull your mask down so he can read your lips, or write it down somewhere!”

Coworker: “Oh!” 

Instantly, she started to use sign language. After the customers left, I looked at her in surprise.

Me: “You know how to sign?! Wow! That’s awesome!”

Coworker: “Yeah, took it in college. Do you know any?”

Me: “I know ‘thank you’, ‘orange’, and ‘a**hole’.” *Pauses* “It was in a movie.”