The Man Will Get You

[EvilEmpryss]

This mother was in line ahead of me and Panacea at We Be Toys (yeah, one store, one purchase, multiple SCs). Mommy-loo Who had a very cute little Cindy-loo Who looking little girl standing next to her. Little Cindy-loo, who couldn't be much more than two, decided to start arranging the display of batteries that were right at hand-level for her. She was doing a pretty good job at it, too, matching up brands and sizes, and I was getting a kick out of watching her. Mommy wasn't paying any attention to Cindy-loo short of smiling at me when I cooed at little Cindy-loo Who.

Then little Cindy-loo decided that chaos was more fun than organization.

As soon as she started undoing her work, I made a little ah-hem to get Mommy-loo's attention. Mommy-loo looks up at the cashier, who hasn't even noticed what's going on yet, and quickly takes the batteries out of Cindy-loo's hands and shoves them back on the shelf. Then, watching the cashier with a worried expression, she says:

"Don't do that honey, or the Man will get you!"

Uhm, "the man will get you"? What ever happened to "Don't do that, it's not nice to make messes"? Or even, "Don't touch things that don't belong to you"? Why does there have to be a threat of Impending Doom from The Man? She looked at me for support, but I just gave this WTF? look and she completed her purchase and left.

Maybe this is a good thing, though. Maybe raising children to fear CSRs will help cut down on the shoplifting and suckiness?

[Project_Mars]

Perhaps madam mommy-loo was a flower child in her youth, and retains a fear of authority?

[AnaKhouri]

My brother has had lots of trouble with the police in the past, so he started telling his kids that if they were bad, the cops would come get them. To the point where my niece would scream and duck down if we passed a police car on the road.

I told him and told him this was a terrible idea. What if one of them got lost and was too afraid to go to a cop- or anyone in a similar uniform- for help? When you're a kid, you're supposed to trust the police. As far as I know, he never changed his ways.

[Kitten in the box]

The man will get you??? While that may seem cute and funny it at first it can cause problems. I remember my dad telling me "the man will get you" if I make a mess in the store. Well the guy looked at me and smiled and I freaked out grabbed my pink panter doll (yes I was obsessed with the pink panter and still am) and smacked him with all my might shocking both my dad and the employee. That was the last time my dad said "the man will get you" lol

[Misanthropical]

When I worked security, it was always behave or that lady will get you, which always made me get eye level with said child and say "I won't get you, so there is no reason to be afraid of me." Cue parents giving me the cat butt look and huffing away with child in tow, while I stood there and did to them.

I was not there to scare people's children into behaving so I refused to be the bad guy for them. The only ones I will get if they are misbehaving are my own children.

[EvilEmpryss]

"I won't get you. You're a minor, and therefore not responsible for your own actions. If you misbehave, I'll get your parents."

I know, Misanthropical, it doesn't help. But that was the first thing that popped into my head when you said you got down on eye level with the kids.

Funny, but I never needed any other incentive than "You do not want me to take you outside" spoken in a perfectly calm voice by either of my parents. My parents were the only ones I had to answer to, and as comedians have noted, "outside" there are no witnesses.

[bainsidhe]

I hate that! Way to make an enemy of the folks who are supposed to help you. I remember a Dear Abby article many years back, where a writer told a story of a woman at an airport telling her son that the "evil man" a few seats over would take him away if he didn't start behaving. When it was time to board the plane and the letter-writer stood up, the kid had a total meltdown, terrified that the bad man was going to take him away. Security and police were called and the guy had to wait for a completely different flight because the kid was terrified. Such tactics are not helping kids.

[Sandman]

I hate that! Way to make an enemy of the folks who are supposed to help you. I remember a Dear Abby article many years back, where a writer told a story of a woman at an airport telling her son that the "evil man" a few seats over would take him away if he didn't start behaving. When it was time to board the plane and the letter-writer stood up, the kid had a total meltdown, terrified that the bad man was going to take him away. Security and police were called and the guy had to wait for a completely different flight because the kid was terrified. Such tactics are not helping kids.

I hope they found the parent and taught them a lesson (basically made them pay for any damages that they caused)

[Sapphire Silk]

This mother was in line ahead of me and Panacea at We Be Toys (yeah, one store, one purchase, multiple SCs). :

Hey, I had to leave one for you. Didn't want to be greedy

I hate that! Way to make an enemy of the folks who are supposed to help you. I remember a Dear Abby article many years back, where a writer told a story of a woman at an airport telling her son that the "evil man" a few seats over would take him away if he didn't start behaving. When it was time to board the plane and the letter-writer stood up, the kid had a total meltdown, terrified that the bad man was going to take him away. Security and police were called and the guy had to wait for a completely different flight because the kid was terrified. Such tactics are not helping kids.

They should have made the MOM and her kid wait.

[blas]

Some of my older coworkers still gripe about "The Man" and I really want to know who he is.

[Mytical]

Apparently I am 'The Man'. Or at least one of 'The Man'. I keep everybody down..apparently. Following procedures, wearing a 'uniform', and 'busting people' makes me 'The Man'.

[Amanita]

I hate that! Way to make an enemy of the folks who are supposed to help you. I remember a Dear Abby article many years back, where a writer told a story of a woman at an airport telling her son that the "evil man" a few seats over would take him away if he didn't start behaving. When it was time to board the plane and the letter-writer stood up, the kid had a total meltdown, terrified that the bad man was going to take him away. Security and police were called and the guy had to wait for a completely different flight because the kid was terrified. Such tactics are not helping kids.

Normally at airports, I'm a very polite person. But I would have raised several different sorts of hell if that were me. NO WAY am I going to miss my flight, because some lying witch of a mother told her kid that I was going to get them or some such rot. If I heard the mom say it, I would have no qualms telling the child that I would never do any such thing, and that his mom is being very mean by lying. Sometimes I worry about being the target of such asinine behavior, an easy target because of my looks. On the job, I wear a guard's uniform, as I work in security. Off the job I can look somewhat gothy, witchy, or just plain unorthadox.

[wagegoth]

Perhaps madam mommy-loo was a flower child in her youth, and retains a fear of authority?

I wasn't a flower child, nor were my parents, but I have what I consider a healthy fear of authority.

[C. Cecil Ivanish]

Uhm, "the man will get you"? What ever happened to "Don't do that, it's not nice to make messes"? Or even, "Don't touch things that don't belong to you"? Why does there have to be a threat of Impending Doom from The Man?

The worst my mom would say is "If you don't behave Santa won't get you anything but coal". Especially in the Christmas period, of course, but not only.
It worked fine with me and my sister.

[Captain Trips]

I can't help but think of a religious analogy: "You'd better be good, or The Devil will get you." What's wrong with teaching people to be good because it's the right thing to do? Do we have to create an artificial punisher to instill the desire to do right?

I know, if this line is pursued further it will have to go to fratching. But I couldn't help but notice the analogy.