You Keep Using That Word. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means.
An older woman comes in with her mid-twenties daughter and her son. They’re shopping but the old woman finishes fast, so she pays for her stuff and waits at the front of the store.
Apparently, this was too much for her because she started trying to call for them. But she did it by whistling for them, like they were dogs.
She was also at the front of the store, whistling rather quietly. I could barely hear her, and I was only a meter or two away, and her daughter was somewhere in the massive store with music playing.
Eventually she scoffed and got up, glaring at me:
Customer: “I guess I’ll have to find them myself!”
Me: “Wait, have you been talking to me?!”
Customer: “Obviously!”
Me: “How was it obvious?”
Customer: “I was whistling!”
Me: “That means you were either trying to carry a tune or call a dog, nothing else.”
Customer: “You’re being very rude!”
Me: “And whistling to get a human’s attention isn’t?” *Trying to salvage this.* “What did you need help with, ma’am?”
Customer: “Isn’t it obvious?!”
Me: “I think from this point on it’s safer to assume that anything that you think is ‘obvious’ isn’t.”
Customer: *Scoffs.* “I need you to find my daughter and grandson! They’re taking too long!”
Me: “Would you like me to page them?”
Customer: “No! Go into the store and find them!”
Me: “I’m working the checkout lane, ma’am. I can’t leave my register.”
Customer: *Scoffs more.* “And how was I supposed to know that!”
Me: “Isn’t it obvious?”
She glares, and goes back into the store to find her family, who were probably hiding and enjoying a few moments of peace.
