Society is about to snap (My crazy experience) at the grocery store

[DeadSlash]

This happened like a week ago, thought I'd share, it's pretty surreal.  It goes to show how quickly things can devolve in society.

 

I went to the supermarket, the main item I needed was applesauce.  My Father just got out of the hospital for a bowel blockage and couldn't eat solids, so he wanted some drinks, farina and applesauce.

I was wearing gloves and an N95 mask.

The store was setup with 1 way isles so you had to go through the store in an "S" pattern.  Most people were obeying the rules, as was I.    

I got to the applesauce isle and part of it was roped off while a girl stocked shelves.  I did the rest of my shopping and saved the applesauce for last.  After coming back, she was still stocking shelves and had a 20-25 foot section roped off, I came down the isle to see if I'd be able to reach the applesauce and saw it was on the other side of the isle, so I had to go around.  As I was walking away, I heard a woman ask if she could grab something from where the girl was working and the girl said "No, come back in 15-20 minutes when I am done."

I went out of the isle circled around (obeying the new one way grocery store traffic laws) and approached the isle from the other side.  The apple sauce was about 3 feet out of reach.  Again, the girl had roped off a 25 foot section of the isle, so the actual applesauce was about 10 feet from her.  She was not wearing a mask. (more on this later) I asked if I could grab applesauce and she said "No, you'll have to wait."  So I asked if she could grab the apple sauce for me and she said "Ha! No I can't get it for you." and her tone is super important here, because she was almost cackling as she said it, the subtext was "I don't work for you!" 

Now, at this point, I'm out of sorts, because my father just got home from the hospital, and I'm honestly in ZERO mood, so I lift the rope take 2 steps beyond it and grab 2 jars of applesauce.  I was not within 10 feet of this girl.  She said "WHAT THE FUCK?" and I said, oh I'm sorry, I thought you said you *wouldn't* grab it for me." and she yells "You fucking piece of shit! You are the reason people are getting infected!"  

In the amount of time this took to transpire, I'm already back on the other side of the rope, and while I never raised my voice, I was super pissed I turned around to look at her, and I pointed at my mask and I said "Yeah, me in gloves wearing an n95 mask, you wearing nothing, and *I'm* the one getting people sick?

At this point, this blonde 16-17ish lily white girl yells "CUNT!" as I am turning away.  As I was walking away, she was talking to someone "Him! That guy, he's out of here! That guy! Ban him! Ban him!"

I did not turn around to see who she was talking to, but I did a full lap around the store waiting (hoping?) for a manager to confront me, nobody did.  I checked out with no incident.

 

Some postscripts:

1. They had masks for all employees.  Most of them had them although about 1/3 had them around their necks instead of on.  I only know this because  I asked the cashier if the store was going to provide them all with masks. He said they got masks for everyone that day. I asked him if the cashiers were the only ones that had to wear them and he said they were all supposed to, but they hated them because it made it hard to breathe.  So the girl stocking the shelves had protective gear available to her, but chose to close 2/3 of an isle because it was more comfortable. 

2.  In retrospect, I probably could have asked a store manager for the applesauce, and I would have had she been closer than she was, or if I knew she'd lose her shit. 

3.  I worked in retail all through high school and college.  I have empathy, but she was wrong.  She was power tripping her ass off. 

4. Why didn't I report her? This will not track with anyone who isn't religious, but my father had just gotten out of the hospital with a tube in him and such and it wasn't great.  I did a lot of praying, and I felt like if I checked out with zero issues, going to the manager would be vindictive and very unchristian, so I didn't.

 

It was pretty crazy, this girl looked like a sophomore in high school on the cheerleader squad and she went from 0 to hunger games in 0.1 seconds.  It was a very surreal moment. 

[lame ass security]

"Him! That guy, he's out of here. Ban Him."  Hmm, sounds like someone I know.😄  But yeah, these are weird times and she lost it. You showed a lot of restraint, don't know if I could have.

[ZoSoRose]

Tldr

[DeadSlash]

2 hours ago, lame ass security said:

"Him! That guy, he's out of here. Ban Him."  Hmm, sounds like someone I know.😄  But yeah, these are weird times and she lost it. You showed a lot of restraint, don't know if I could have.

I thin it had more to do with me being caught off guard than restraint. 

[DieselDaisy]

I wouldn't have purchased from that place. I am like that, and this is irrespective of a pandemic: bad customer service and they are not receiving my money.

[Dean]

"ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME MR. SECURITY MAN? THAT GUY! GONE!"

Hope your old fella is on the mend. Don't let this incident eat at you, you done the right thing and after a few days, the steam will dissipate!

Take care and stay safe

[action]

at the start of the outbreak, they laughed the virus away, and also with the people who were scared of it or even cautious

"ho! ho! ho!, they laughed as they nearly turned blue. "ho! ho! ho! china is on the other side of the planet, and besides more people die of the flu."

those same people, those same meatheads, are the ones tripping out now that it is serious.

Intelligence is measured by the way people react to this. Intelligence is in correlation with the level of constancy you keep in your approach to this outbreak. If one day you laugh with it, and two weeks later you trip out of your mind, you are at the very bottom of the curve when it comes to intelligence. If, through all of this, you keep level-headed, that's a sign of high intelligence.

Edited April 17, 2020 by action

[action]

7 hours ago, DeadSlash said:

4. Why didn't I report her? This will not track with anyone who isn't religious, but my father had just gotten out of the hospital with a tube in him and such and it wasn't great.  I did a lot of praying, and I felt like if I checked out with zero issues, going to the manager would be vindictive and very unchristian, so I didn't.

 

this is all that matters.

it was a test, and you passed. more power to you

greetings from a fellow christian

[James Bond]

Were you wearing a Slash t-shirt?

[soon]

So, you figured you instantly knew better about a workers health and safety protocols. You then crossed a boundary, therefore breaking a rule, and now you wanna play victim.

dont come fucking whining to me about it. Even if it was a “cheerleader” who dared to enforce their rules on you.

[AtariLegend]

1 hour ago, soon said:

So, you figured you instantly knew better about a workers health and safety protocols. You then crossed a boundary, therefore breaking a rule, and now you wanna play victim.

Yeah sorry. Don't know what other people have read, but that's my takeaway too.

[Lio]

She should've taken the applesauce and put it within reach of you if she didn't want you in.

You're not supposed to spend more time than necessary in a store. 

What an attitude towards a client. 

Lol at people defending her.

[Coma16]

What's a lily white girl? Sounds racist

[DieselDaisy]

The fundamentals of helping customers, ''the customer is always right'', common sense and basic decency should not be cancelled-out because of lockdown-like restrictions. But it is a bonkers time. Somebody told me that they saw two women fighting in a supermarket over a packet of pasta!  

[Coma16]

21 minutes ago, DieselDaisy said:

The fundamentals of helping customers, ''the customer is always right'', common sense and basic decency should not be cancelled-out because of lockdown-like restrictions. But it is a bonkers time. Somebody told me that they saw two women fighting in a supermarket over a packet of pasta!  

The pasta pack was more like the straw that broke the camel's back. Expect society to suffer because of this lockdown for years to come. 

[AxlisOld]

OP is the asshole here. It's roped off, that person doesn't like that they're working with the public right now, and you were a complete shithead over applesauce.

[DeadSlash]

16 hours ago, soon said:

So, you figured you instantly knew better about a workers health and safety protocols. You then crossed a boundary, therefore breaking a rule, and now you wanna play victim.

dont come fucking whining to me about it. Even if it was a “cheerleader” who dared to enforce their rules on you.

To be fair:  1. I was relaying a story, not "playing the victim." I got what I came for.  I did not get in any kind of trouble.  My inconvenience was minimal to nil.   I admit I got irritated and this might be an age or culture thing, but for me I do not identify irritation and surprise as victimization. If you feel victimized by minor irritations, I respectfully disagree with your point of view, but I think it is more likely you misunderstood the point of the post.  I found the interaction remarkable in the truest sense of the word.  I felt it out of character enough with normal everyday life that it was worthy of commenting or making remarks on.

2. As far as the workers health and safety, I think that without googling, you already know that a yellow rope would not protect anyone in any way shape or form the corona virus.  Also, doubling the recommended social distancing buffer is not a safe, smart or scientifically reasonable alternative to wearing protective gear.  I would even concede that you could make a case for in the absence of available masks, but they were available but "uncomfortable."  In light of the fact that her lack of the proper protective gear was by choice and not necessity, I would dare say that yes.  I actually DID instantly know better about safety protocols. 

3. My point wasn't "How dare a cheerleader scold me!" My point was I couldn't believe these words came from such an innocent looking kid.  The title of the thread isn't "How dare this bitch scold me" it was "Society is about to snap."

10 hours ago, Coma16 said:

What's a lily white girl? Sounds racist

Well played.

[AxlisOld]

Still a dick move. Ones need for applesauce does not excuse crossing a roped off area.

[Powderfinger]

If shit ain’t on fire, society hasn’t fully snapped. 

[action]

the worst part is not OP's behaviour, and not even the worker's. They both had to make decisions in difficult circumstances.

No, the worst part is people defending one or other (doesn't really matter which one) from within their comfy armchair, acting with faux outrage, always with the need to cancel people.

Yes, society is most certainly fucked. But it was fucked a long time ago.

[SoulMonster]

I think we are all a bit stressed and volatile now. Why don't we all just sit down and chill out with a nice cold glass of applesauce? 

[DieselDaisy]

What is applesauce exactly? Would that not just be concentrated or mashed-up apples? Surely that is easy to make by peeling and dicing up a load of apples and heating them on a low heat? Maybe add a pinch of cinnamon and sugar? Blitz if you want it finer. I am making a recipe off the cuff here, but something along those lines...

[soon]

7 hours ago, DeadSlash said:

To be fair:  1. I was relaying a story, not "playing the victim." I got what I came for.  I did not get in any kind of trouble.  My inconvenience was minimal to nil.   I admit I got irritated and this might be an age or culture thing, but for me I do not identify irritation and surprise as victimization. If you feel victimized by minor irritations, I respectfully disagree with your point of view, but I think it is more likely you misunderstood the point of the post.  I found the interaction remarkable in the truest sense of the word.  I felt it out of character enough with normal everyday life that it was worthy of commenting or making remarks on.

2. As far as the workers health and safety, I think that without googling, you already know that a yellow rope would not protect anyone in any way shape or form the corona virus.  Also, doubling the recommended social distancing buffer is not a safe, smart or scientifically reasonable alternative to wearing protective gear.  I would even concede that you could make a case for in the absence of available masks, but they were available but "uncomfortable."  In light of the fact that her lack of the proper protective gear was by choice and not necessity, I would dare say that yes.  I actually DID instantly know better about safety protocols. 

3. My point wasn't "How dare a cheerleader scold me!" My point was I couldn't believe these words came from such an innocent looking kid.  The title of the thread isn't "How dare this bitch scold me" it was "Society is about to snap."

Nah. Light years from convincing me that you get to be so dreadfully entitled and override workers health and safety protocols.

Just dont go standing on your porch cheering for the front line workers.

[AxlisOld]

5 hours ago, DieselDaisy said:

What is applesauce exactly? Would that not just be concentrated or mashed-up apples? Surely that is easy to make by peeling and dicing up a load of apples and heating them on a low heat? Maybe add a pinch of cinnamon and sugar? Blitz if you want it finer. I am making a recipe off the cuff here, but something along those lines...

Look at Mr Applesauce chef over here.

[DeadSlash]

12 hours ago, soon said:

Nah. Light years from convincing me that you get to be so dreadfully entitled and override workers health and safety protocols.

Just dont go standing on your porch cheering for the front line workers.

That is a fascinating take.  I lose my right to cheer for the frontline workers that saved my fathers life because I crossed a nylon rope in a grocery store and never came within 10 feet of a store clerk?

19 hours ago, AxlisOld said:

Still a dick move. Ones need for applesauce does not excuse crossing a roped off area.

Honestly, I have read a lot of your posts over the years, and I'm flat out calling bullshit if you are going to try and tell me that if your 80 year old father was rushed to the ER, in the hospital for a week, with fucking tubes in him (you unable to visit him because hospitals don't allow visitors right now for obvious reasons) finally gets home, not because he is WELL, but because he is well enough to not need constant care and he can't eat solid food and he tells you he wants apple sauce, that YOU would tell him "Tough tit, pop. There was a worker who wanted a 13 foot distance and in order for me to get the apple sauce, I would to have been within 10 feet of her, so it was a no go."  "Please, I'm hungry son!" "There was a rope pop, couldn't do it."    You, Captain kindness and respecting everyone's feelings...? You're going to shit on your dad because someone wants 13 feet instead of 6, because they think masks are "hot?" Whatever man.