Chickenhawks and rolls and rolls of coins (1310 hits)
Category: GeneralRating: 1.27 on 16 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by joedaddy <zippadeedoodaa.at.aol.com> (View user info) at 2005-04-12 05:11:41 EDT
Sunday, while visiting my 92 year old mother, she decided to go to Walgreens to shop for
some knick-knacks. Now I normally don't shop at Walgreens/K-Mart or any stores of the like.
Not because of what products they have to offer, but because of the surly, inept employees
that are usually inhabit such venues.
But my mother does, and I guess that's one of the reasons she has accumulated a gazillon
dollars in many different bank accounts.
Plus she has me to run interference for her in the stores. It seems that I am the only
one in the family that takes her out into the world.
Besides loving my mother dearly, momma didn't raise no fool.(see gazillon dollars above)
Anyway, we're standing in the only checkout lane open, with 11 additional happy shoppers.
A man, two customers in front of me, pays his hefty bill with: 4 rolls of quarters, 5 rolls
of dimes, 3 rolls of nickels, 8 rolls of pennies and assorted change for the uneven
remainder.
All the "rolls" had been machine rolled by a bank or some institution. You could tell by
the curled ends of the see-through plastic. No chance for slugs. As a matter of fact, the
young clerk handed back one of the penny rolls because one end was semi-opened.
I thought the young kid had completed the transaction quite fast, even in my "stand-in-
line/hurry up attitude.
While helping the person just ahead of me, he calls the manager, who's in the back office,
to come to the front.
While he's helping my(mom's) purchases, the manager arrives behind the counter.
He ask's the manager to take the "rolls" back to the ofice, as they will not all fit in
the register, and, are covering a good portion of the counter. He even states he will
bag them for him.
The manager then informed him, so everyone in the line could hear,"No, I'm not going to
carry all those coins back to My Office" "And never, ever, take something like that for
payment again.
To add to this, the little nazi,prick manager "yard-walked" past the now, 14 customers
waiting in line, back to his office, and slammed the door.
(There was plenty of "workers" walking around the floor but no order came from him to any
one of them, to open a new register)
Now, those of you who don't know what a "yard-walk" is, well.....that's a good "thing".
I noticed the kid was quite pissed, from the lecture he had received, but to his credit,
he continued with my(mom's) purchases.
But I could tell from the look in his face, that acceptance of the situation came, not
from fear of losing his job, but from thinking he had actually done something wrong. He
was also either "lost", or afraid, of asking for additional help in the front. No matter
which, he continued his job. And like I said before, he "held it together",...until I
questioned him on a price.
Walgreens uses those; price/item monitors that always seem to be facing the cashier, and
not the customer.
So, of course, you can't tell how much you have been charged for each item, until you get
the receipt in your hand.
My mother had found about 20 or 25 of those little Easter egg candies that had been deep-
discounted to a quarter each.
Since I couldn't see the screen on the monitor, and didn't want to suffer "The Wrath Of
Mommy" after she scrutinized the receipt back in the car, as was her little game to find
mistakes, I asked the kid a question.
I said: "Are those little candy eggs scanning at 25 cents each?"
To this he replied: "No, they are 14 cents each...but I can charge you a quarter if you
want, you decide."
In response to this "slight", several avenues were open to me.
But I decided to take a different road.
I told him not to be pissed at me, because his "boss" was an ignorant asshole. I told him
he was correct in taking the money as presented to him. That empires (maybe not his,right
now)are first made, by the collection of lots of quarters,dimes,nickels and pennies.
About asking for counter help, when needed, and so on and so on.
From the smile that now appeared on his face, I realized that this information was "new"
to him,for the lack of a better word, rather than confirming information already stored
somewhere within. Put my arrogance aside, and it was probably some combination of both.
I also learned that the "manager" had been hassling him both on the job, and off, in the
parking lot after work. He said it was no big deal and I didn't ask for specifics.
Now I'm sorry that this was a long tedius read.
The other people in line were also pissed off at me, for taking another 3 minutes out of
their important lives.
Doesn't bother me. Why?
Its because I've delt with bullies like this manager all my life.
Its because my business is two blocks away from this store.
Its because I've seen this kid grow up in the surrounding bad neighborhood.
When I see a young kid, who could be easily "slinging" dope on the corner,causing
trouble or warehoused in some jail or prison.But instead, is trying to work for a
living(even a a bottom-feeder like Walgreens), well, I'm not going to participate
with the many others, who try and make him feel like a piece of shit.
Especially when he is performing well on multiple levels.
The bully? Well that type usually acts the same, in or out of their little "fiefdoms"
I have old ties, to the only offical,licenced,"out-thug-the-thugs" unit in the city.
Their resourses run from very crude methods, to moves that would make a chess master
flick his king over, in 5 moves. They can make a life miserable for anyone on, or off
the street.
They remember this kid from the street, too. And they won't be happy with what I'm
going to tell them.
Its a minor issue to some,yes.A tough call to "ramp-up" the situation, maybe.
Screwing with part of the tax base of a city is not good business.
But the machinations of most corporate structures do not favor the lowly employee.
At least at the tort level.
But in this case, I think the quality of life issues for the kid, trump any subtle
approach.
As a remedy, I think "Old-School" is a good fit here.
This story isn't finished yet.
User Reviews
Submitted by crownofsuns (user info) at 2005-11-05 20:36:46 EST (#)
Ranking: -1
No Comment
Submitted by Bubba2341 (user info) at 2005-11-05 20:21:30 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Great story.
Submitted by c1ndy (user info) at 2005-07-18 08:52:38 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I missed this- very good.
Submitted by Rads_wife (user info) at 2005-06-14 00:43:48 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
http://www.ubersite.com/m/68315
WINNER!!!
Submitted by XII (user info) at 2005-05-10 00:25:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
you i like.
Submitted by jumpinjellyfish (user info) at 2005-05-03 14:52:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Your ideas and thought processes are very well presented...this is a good read. Thanks.
Submitted by rad1101 (user info) at 2005-04-29 04:16:06 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2005-04-12 11:43:46 (#)
Ranking: 2
As for the other side of the coin maybe the manager goes home every
night to a wife and kids who treat him like shit and a house that they
are about to lose. Maybe that cashier kid egged his house last halloween
but the manager can't prove that it was him.
Before you go beating up anyone try to see both sides.
At least have a sit down with the manager.
================================================================
Munkey would have a sit down with a crazy guy trying to kill her with a spoon.
OMG What?!
Submitted by Wazza (user info) at 2005-04-29 03:55:11 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
HEY! i reckon that was a good read.And well done for "helping out" the arsehole manager.
Submitted by joedaddy (user info) at 2005-04-21 04:11:39 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
For the few people who enjoyed this, the conclusion should be this weekend.
Monday, at the latest.
Submitted by Hairsphincter (user info) at 2005-04-18 19:41:01 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
"This story isn't finished yet."
Fuck it.
Submitted by DerivableZero (user info) at 2005-04-14 02:00:19 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Good to see people looking out for the little guy.
Are you saying that I look like a football player? :|
Submitted by NoahsArk (user info) at 2005-04-12 21:07:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: -1
Chock full of grammar/spelling mistakes, and a pretty random and stupid story
Submitted by munkeypants (user info) at 2005-04-12 11:43:46 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
As for the other side of the coin maybe the manager goes home every
night to a wife and kids who treat him like shit and a house that they
are about to lose. Maybe that cashier kid egged his house last halloween
but the manager can't prove that it was him.
Before you go beating up anyone try to see both sides.
At least have a sit down with the manager.
Submitted by badassmofo (user info) at 2005-04-12 08:59:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
This is very good.
Fucking prick managers, Manager does not mean Leader.
That is what this kid needs a Leader to show him the way.
So many people don't "get it".
Submitted by DonovanMD (user info) at 2005-04-12 05:40:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You've got to stop copying it over from word. Fix the spacing!! GAH!! Pet Peeve!!!
Submitted by Berty (user info) at 2005-04-12 05:30:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Noble as your intentions are, I'm sure, beating the crap out of one arsehole isn't going to help that kid or anyone else. Afterall there are plenty more arseholes out there. Much better would be to befreind the kid, help him through that way.
Personally I'm far to lazy to do such a noble deed, but maybe it could be, I dunno, you "project" for the spring.