Cowardly, Chest-Beating people of the world, Listen Up!

You know sometimes I just see things that absolutely boil my blood. Something you see that just needs to be said. This is one of them.


Today I had the misfortune to witness a toughest-dog-behind-glass, pathetic example of humanity doing her absolute best to run some poor guy in his early twenties into the ground. Ranting, raving, scolding, puffing and beating her chest as though her opinion, and only her opinion was what mattered. The problem is this poor guy couldn't even defend himself due to one thing.


He was working.


This happened at a shop I happened to be in this afternoon. When she was finished with this poor guy (who you could see was getting REALLY pissed off with this woman’s tirade), she then sought the manager upon which the tirade continued on another poor unsuspecting victim. Luckily our poor soul had the good fortune to escape, but when I heard this, I really saw red.

“I hope you fire the little [deleted word]. I hope he gets the sack.”

Really? So you’d destroy a man’s livelihood and wilfully think it’s justified just to satisfy your own pathetic chest beating? That saying ridiculous things like that makes you feel proud of who you are, or helps you sleep at night?


After all this pathetic hot air blathering was done, the manager actually apologised to me for having witnessed it. My reply about the average stupidity of the average person and then realizing that at least half of people are at least twice as stupid seemed to ease the mood.

Not so for the young man who was probably out the back contemplating whether to bother with this job, or to find his assailant in the dark with a sharp object. But who can blame him really.

I’ve really come across the lowest of the low after 20+ years in retail, but when I hear garbage like this, I really feel like grabbing these kinds of people by the collar, and dunking their head into a cold trough of water just long enough for some attitude correction.

Why? Because most people wouldn't even have the guts to even peep a word out loud if the young fella on the other end could retort with a few choice words of his own or perhaps grab your miserable arse and drunk toss you out the door onto your withered old face. It might make an improvement.

That’s the problem with society the way I see it. People are quite happy in situations where they know people can’t defend themselves or speak up and back, and use this to basically beat their chest and make themselves heard, knowing they are bereft of any consequence. Take away the workplace, the tie and shirt from your assailant and you’d most likely get a smack in the mouth or worse. And that’s what it is. People like this are basically cowards.


My lesson for today: If you wouldn't say it to someone in the street without the thought of getting yourself beat down, then seriously reconsider what you would say to someone in the workplace before you open your idiotic mouth and start beating your chest. Coz the two ‘aint really that different.


OK, get this soapbox outta my face.

Do you know the website notalwaysright.com?

There are many people feeling the same way you do.

reply to post by ManFromEurope


Yeah I've seen it before. Always gives me a laugh at the stupidity of some people.

I swear, those security gates at most shops drops people's IQ's by at least half.

74Templar
reply to post by ManFromEurope

 

Yeah I've seen it before. Always gives me a laugh at the stupidity of some people.

I swear, those security gates at most shops drops people's IQ's by at least half.

Yeah, that must be some kind of side-effect of those things.. *brzzt* and half of your brain is dumbed down.
Sadly, I haven't seen some of those fine examples of humankind in the last years, as I would have liked to politely tap them on their shoulder, take them to the side and explain them their obvious errors about the world should be worshipping them.

Of course, those people are sociopaths and therefore completely ignorant against personal accusations, at least with regards to their own behaviour.. But I would feel better, I guess.

reply to post by ManFromEurope


I'm waiting for the "people have a right to complain" crowd to show up and derail the thread lol.

Yes, you have a right to complain about poor service. Just as we have a right to try to help you first before you get up on that high horse.

What you don't have a right to do is act like a spoiled 5 year old and make idiotic comments that make us want to remove you from the gene pool as a service to humanity.

That's the difference to me.

I can agree with you OP.

I wouldn't think any sane person would have a meltdown in a store. I highly doubt it would've been THAT big of a deal.

It may be because as a species we've become pretty over indulged. Everything these days are readily available. And it seems like things are becoming more and more easily available as time goes on. So in a sense it's almost like our brains have been conditioned to have things now, rather than later. And it's made us rather selfish. And when people don't get what they want, I guess their brain just can't deal with it properly. There's been so much conditioning that has been manifested. So what do they do? Create a big scene to make them look like the good guy in the situation, perhaps if you seem passionate enough, and loud enough, you'll be the "right" one in the situation. It's kind of like a defense mechanism. Your brain/body doesn't exactly like it when your wrong, and it doesn't like not having what it is accustom to. If you look at a evolutionary stand point of this, if you live in Alaska all your life, your body will be much more conditioned to the cold. If you aren't accustomed to this cold weather you will have a hard time surviving.

So what I'm ultimately trying to say is, a lot of people get over indulged, to the point of selfishness. And I suppose you can start to consider these people sociopaths in some respects. But over all we have a big time mental health issue in the world today. Our whole perspective on reality is warped in pretty much all categories. And looking at humankind, I honestly don't know if we will ever step out of our reptilian "kill or be killed" part of our brain, or stop "beating our chests" like common apes to assert our "dominance." I'd like to think so, but history has shown that this day will not come for a very long time, maybe not even ever. We may just destroy each other before this day comes.

A few years ago I walked into a gas station to get some beer and some guy was chewing out the pretty little young lady working behind the register. I made my way back to the beer cooler and got my beer. walked to the register and he was still screaming at this poor little thing.

Perhaps I could get into trouble for what I did, but I set my beer on the counter, looked at the man and said "United States Marshall, what seems to be the problem?".... He mumbled something and walked away.

I wish the story ended with the young lady being so impressed at my daring rescue that she showered me with kisses and offered up her young body to me but alas, us superhero types just walk quietly away into the darkness.

I think it all just boils down to the way our 'Capitalism' works. Possessing = happiness, equating to the value of your life.

I recently had to evacuate from the centre where I work due to fire. People were unwilling to leave and once we were given the all-clear to return, they were racing us to the doors, trying to get in.

I just see the whole phenomenon as the same mentality that resulted in people refusing to move to let paramedics remove the body of a trampled patron on Black Friday for fear of losing prime position.

And it's always some luxury item or some kind of entertainment, surely the least justifiable thing to lose your *snip* over!

The whole thing frustrates me immensely

reply to post by 74Templar


When crap like this happens I speak up and defend the employee from the raving lunatics. Like you said, the poor souls cannot stand up for themselves in the name of 'customer service' and have to stand there and get berated.

So when I see someone completely flipping out on a waiter, cashier, or service rep, I get involved.

My absolute favorite was about a year ago at Chili's. A man was being downright brutal to the server and then the manager. So I butted in from my booth, 'Sir, you need to be quiet because you are ruining my family's dining experience.'

Make them feel like jerks. You're right- they're cowards and only talk like that to people below them. They wouldn't dare talk to their boss or best friend like that.

I am not by any means excusing this persons actions or words. BUT...

I spent a good portion of my life in retail. From the bottom to the top. I know the little tricks employees use to piss off the public, and still be able to deny any wrong doing. And they do it because they feel like they can get away with it, knowing the average customer isn't going to grab them by the collar, and dunk them in a cold trough of water in public.
Customer service in our society has turned to crap. It's virtually non-existent. Except for a few people who still remember what it is, and how it's done.

Nevertheless, this woman would have gotten a lot further with me as a manager, if she calmly explained the situation, and why she was upset. I never did like ranting and raving as a means to settle an issue. Even though I've been guilty of it a few times when management was no better than their employees.

It's a false sense of entitlement. People think that since they spend money, they own the place. It's also a distinctly American trait. Sure, sometimes things get messed up. Throwing a tantrum to get your way doesn't help, in fact, you usually get better results if you're nice. I worked retail once, but got fired after telling a customer that we didn't want "his" kind of business.
Needless to say I work with computers now.

This will make you feel better. The last place I worked before becoming disabled, we had a boss who was mean and extremely condescending. Instead of anyone below him getting fired, he got the ax instead! LOL Now there's justice for ya! Too bad it's rare. Usually what the boss says goes no matter what.

reply to post by 74Templar


People have the right to complain, just as you have the right to post this rant...

Kidding aside - What most people seem to forget when they do this is....that the other person you are pissing off (and trying to get fired) will usually have info needed to 'get even' if they really got fired.

Just like going ballistic on a telemarketer - 9 times out of 10, they are staring at your info - Name, Address, Employer, Etc.

This world if jacked up - piss off the wrong guy and you may find out how jacked it is.

reply to post by 74Templar


I hear ya on this man, my roomate is a checker at a high volume grocery store were half the customers are white trash(and any other color trash you want to add in there) junkies thats spend there entire food stamps on soda, cookies, and chips. I know some people need help, I also know that when you got have 5 little fat kids with chocolate all over there face and you can barley fit down the isle yourself maybe you should buy something other than soda, and junk-food.

And when there free money doest process right and they cant get there sugar fix, watch out!!! cause it is obviously the checkers fault that has been doing his job right for many years, its defiantly not the error of the food stamp system which is known to have many glitches(end sarcasm).

When I did do customer service my only weapon against this kind of treatment was as I was getting berated i would have this slight grin on my face that would tell the customer"f off i get paid min wage", but all while saying "i apoligise can i get my manager for you?"

I did have one moment of glory. It was a busy summer day in a pizza joint, we ran out of forks, i decided to go do the forks myself cause the the dishwasher was anywere, but the dish pit. By the time they were done and ready to take out to the fork bin I had 6 or 7 people waiting for forks.

I walked out and placed the forks in the proper area and went to get on with the business of making pizzas, as i was walking away. I hear, "you could of at least handed me a fork a$$hole." I turned around with the classic grin on my face and said "sorry ma'm, I was trying to get the forks clean, and available and get my self out of the way since you are not the only person that needs a fork" and then i motioned to line behind her. She then raised her voice and proclaimed to the restaurant "YOUR an A$$HOLe"

With my classic grin I then looked her in the eyes and stated calmly but loud enough that the people in line and my co workers could hear me "I guess that makes you a huge B#TCH"

she talked to my boss. my boss takes me in his office and says "you are 100 percent correct she is a B*tch, but dont do that again", and a week later i was shift manager.

I see the immaturity in the situation now on both sides, but i still consider it a win for all the people in the food service industry. I also won't dwell on the immaturity part as much, since I was only sixteen.

How come that customers are believing that they are entitled to belittle those in retail? I don't get it. I want something from someone -> I ask politely. If the answer is rude, I get rude. If not, I am polite till the end.

I never had to call for a manager.


Maybe because I am not a cheapster, I don't haggle about the prices of the goods..

But it would be very strange to see such behavior here in Germany.
I haven't seen it in my whole life.

I ran pubs for quite a few years and I quite enjoyed telling self entitled, stuck up, southern w***ers to get out of my pub or they would get a slap (They were scared of my northern accent ).
I remember once some city boys came in and started bothering my regulars and my staff (It was a nurses pub and we always got lads coming in trying to chat em up), they were all coked up and one of my staff had her bum pinched while collecting glasses.
She had a little cry in the back and told me what happened, I stormed out and confronted this one guy and he got 20 quid out of his wallet and said "Go away little man" and threw the money at me.
I headbutted him, he fell to his knees and I grabbed his hair looked at the other guys (about 5 of them) and said "Anyone else?"....silence in the whole pub......"right then get out and never come back or I will do you"..
They left and the whole pub cheered
Pity not all retail jobs are like running pubs I have stepped in once or twice when I have seen a retail worker getting abused by customers, there is no need for it, yeah it is ok to complain but do it in a respectful manner and your complaint will be sorted out quicker with less ill feeling.

Having my own business now gives me extra leverage in this regard. And yes, like most, I will stand up and defend the poor souls working in retail, even though I am thankfully no longer a part of that system. I just can't get my head around this arrogance and anger that has come forth of late from customers towards the staff in any shop.

If I hear of someone mouthing off in my shop toward any of my staff, they are less than politely asked to leave. Luckily I haven't come across any worse than one guy who was a bit pissy because one of my staff wouldn't load his trailer while it was pouring rain one afternoon. I handed him the loader keys and suggested if he was in such a hurry he should go out in the rain and load it himself. Needless to say, he waited.

I kinda miss the pub days. The RSA (Responsible Service of Alcohol) in Aust allows you to refuse service even if the person is being an ass, they don't have to be drunk or underage, and I used that rule to effect quite a few times because I didn't like the way people were acting towards the staff or myself. It was a little rule I used to love, because it gave that power back to the staff, even in a small way.

I just think when people are willing to say crap like "I hope he gets the sack," and actually mean it and still think people should respect them, no, not at all... That was the core of my rant.

People like that really need a high five. In the face, with a 2x4....

reply to post by 74Templar


STAR AND MFIN FLAG! I work for the foodstamp department, you can only immagine the chest beaters I get at my job. I have been called every name in the book and thretened with violence.

I just space out, and when they ask a question? I say "Im sorry I stopped hearing you when you started to scream at me." They get even worse, but inside, Im laughing my a$$ off.

Then I tell them to calm down, or nothing will get done, some walk away after making an a$$ out of themseves, some demand a supervisor. Thing is he wont take their s#it either, its too funny.