Why don't people read?

[Fudgethatkay]

And hey, even if we're ditzy enough to miss a banner...and a sign...and sign posts (Guilty, admittedly)

Why the HELL are you giving attitude?

I started training at Frebir, a shortened version of a slightly well known burrito/quesidilla place. We don't open until Wednesday, and our Preview Parties are Sunday/Monday.

We have banner saying, "Open in five days"

We have a sign on our LOCKED automatic door saying, "Trainees only allowed."
Signposts saying OPEN WEDNESDAY NEXT WEEK (12th)

And people STILL come in the side/back exist door, and try to order. When we tell them we're only training, over half these people give us the stink-eye and leave.


One man YELLED. "WHY DON'T YOU TRAIN AT NIGHT SO YOU DON'T CONFUSE AND INCONVENIENCE PEOPLE!?"

Seriously?

Also, since I was what was called the Team of the Street, I was handing out fliers. One lady asked if we're hiring, and I forgot our legal response. ("We're always taking applications") and accidentally told her no. My bad. Well, when I said that, she huffs, puffs, eyerolls, then hand me back the flier as if she was touching something dirty.


Yep. We'd totally want to work with you.

[ADeMartino]

One man YELLED. "WHY DON'T YOU TRAIN AT NIGHT SO YOU DON'T CONFUSE AND INCONVENIENCE PEOPLE!?"

Translation: "I'm a f***ing idiot who is frequently outwitted by inanimate objects, therefore it's YOUR responsibility to bend the laws of time and space to accommodate my inability to do something most people learn by second grade! Because accepting responsibility for my own actions would mean *I* screwed up, and THAT can't be right because I am the center of the universe! So now I'm going to sooth my bruised ego by going off on you!"

Gah. This sort of thing always torques me off. I mean, all it takes is for a person to open his/her eyes and see the clues. And when they fail to do so, it's everyone else's fault they look like an industrial-strength moron.

I'll admit, I've occasionally missed a large sign or two, but it's usually because I wasn't paying attention. And I've never cast the blame on someone else for my frack-up.

[camjuniper]

The inability to read signs is why I maintain (in the face of my SO's cheerful people are inherently good theory) that people are willfully stupid. Yup. Willfully. Could be smarter or nicer or better informed if they would put the damn (small) effort in, but deliberately choose not to.

So sorry you had to deal with Mr. Signs Are For Everyone But Me.

[ADeMartino]

are inherently good theory) that people are willfully stupid. Yup. Willfully.

I'd never heard it put quite that way, but you're absolutely right. They'd rather walk around in a foggy cloud of self-absorbed stupidity than actually make the effort to SEE what's going on around them. And of course it's the fault of anyone conveniently nearby that their fragile, tiny little world gets shattered when reality invades.

[RealUnimportant]

I see the problem here. The sign on the front door only applies to that specific magic portal; the shop behind has no sign within it, and is therefore "open".

[Fudgethatkay]

I got lucky no one came in today while training; We got to eat our own food too.

I'm expecting loads of Sucky Customers while here, despite this being more relaxed than Cptle or other areas.

[MoonCat]

Translation: "I'm a f***ing idiot who is frequently outwitted by inanimate objects, therefore it's YOUR responsibility to bend the laws of time and space to accommodate my inability to do something most people learn by second grade! Because accepting responsibility for my own actions would mean *I* screwed up, and THAT can't be right because I am the center of the universe! So now I'm going to sooth my bruised ego by going off on you!"

Gah. This sort of thing always torques me off. I mean, all it takes is for a person to open his/her eyes and see the clues. And when they fail to do so, it's everyone else's fault they look like an industrial-strength moron.

I'll admit, I've occasionally missed a large sign or two, but it's usually because I wasn't paying attention. And I've never cast the blame on someone else for my frack-up.

Brilliant

[Bandit]

When I was working for Vold-Mort at a new store opening, I'd go out for a smoke with the hard hat on, steel toes, not in "uniform", and no blue vest.

And the front of the store had about a half-dozen signs on it saying "We're not open yet. Come back on the 17th".

I lost track of the number of people who would come by and ask if we were open yet.

If I hadn't already lost all faith in humanity 2 decades ago when I started in IT, I would have lost it then. <wibble>

My sympathies.

B

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I went through the opposite scenario a few years back. It was 2 days AFTER the last WD store I worked at had closed it doors to the public. The day before was for employees to come in and prep for closing Inventory, which was that Friday.

It's by this time Friday afternoon - May 28, 2004. Maintenance supervisor was in the building, changing the locks and boarding up the windows. All of the remaining stock had been counted that morning, boxed up and loaded up on a trailer to be sent out to the (then) remaining stores in the area. A work crew was outside taking down the cart corrals and bringing them inside and laying them down in the produce area floor.

A sign crew was also outside, removing the outside signage from above the store. The store manager was still inside, finalizing his paperwork. A couple of coworkers and I were lingering about (I had already handed in my paperwork to receive my severance package and was waiting for my ride to show up.)

I wandered outside for a smoke when a car rolled up to the front doors and some dingbat from inside the car asked "Are ya'll hiring?"

Coworker and I looked at this moron and I just said "Nope. We're closed."

Moron drove off and my former coworker and I just looked at each other in disbelief.

So yep, if some idiot is stupid enough to show up at a CLOSED grocery store and ask for a job, they'll do pretty much anything.

Even scarier is how in the Hell did these folks even graduate school, let along pass a driving test?

[Raveni]

she huffs, puffs, eyerolls, then hand me back the flier as if she was touching something dirty.

Yep. We'd totally want to work with you.

Yeah, it's amazing in this day and age that people will show off their worst side while looking for a job.

So yep, if some idiot is stupid enough to show up at a CLOSED grocery store and ask for a job, they'll do pretty much anything.

The KB toys that was going out of business in a mall I worked in years ago was hiring up to their last day. Their staff was jumping ship so fast that they didn't have enough people to do their closing inventory without hiring temps.

[XCashier]

When I was working for Vold-Mort at a new store opening, I'd go out for a smoke with the hard hat on, steel toes, not in "uniform", and no blue vest.

And the front of the store had about a half-dozen signs on it saying "We're not open yet. Come back on the 17th".

I lost track of the number of people who would come by and ask if we were open yet.

Oh, yes. Our store is closing because we're getting a new store. All over our store, large signs are posted reading, "Visit us at our NEW STORE, 123 Newstore Street, Opening November 31" (address and date obviously changed).

Every day, dozens of people ask me, "Where is your new store? When is it opening?"

I point out the blatantly obvious sign while giving them the information. They still don't get it.

[EricKei]

people are willfully stupid. Yup. Willfully. Could be smarter or nicer or better informed if they would put the damn (small) effort in, but deliberately choose not to.

I have subscribed to this theory for some time, myself. Had a wonderful discussion with an IRL friend about it a few weeks ago -- we were struggling to come up with a proper definition for the term "stupid", and came to the conclusion that true stupidity has nothing to do with one's general experience, physical or mental issues, etc -- in order to be truly "stupid", one must be willfully ignorant. If you are willing to work to correct a lack of knowledge, you are, by our definition, not stupid.

I wandered outside for a smoke when a car rolled up to the front doors and some dingbat from inside the car asked "Are ya'll hiring?"

Coworker and I looked at this moron and I just said "Nope. We're closed."

The only thing I can think of is that they weren't paying attention *gasp* and that they thought the dudes in the trucks were putting UP the lettering for a new store...

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I have subscribed to this theory for some time, myself. Had a wonderful discussion with an IRL friend about it a few weeks ago -- we were struggling to come up with a proper definition for the term "stupid", and came to the conclusion that true stupidity has nothing to do with one's general experience, physical or mental issues, etc -- in order to be truly "stupid", one must be willfully ignorant. If you are willing to work to correct a lack of knowledge, you are, by our definition, not stupid.


The only thing I can think of is that they weren't paying attention *gasp* and that they thought the dudes in the trucks were putting UP the lettering for a new store...

It should have been painfully obvious IMO. No cart corrals in the parking lot, no customer vehicles crowding in the lot and the front windows were already boarded up.

We had had signs posted outside at either entrance for almost a month prior informing customers that the store would shut down on May 26, 2004. The signs were still outside IIRC.

So I can't see any logical reason why they couldn't tell that the store was NOT OPEN?

[EricKei]

So I can't see any logical reason why they couldn't tell that the store was NOT OPEN?

Now, now, there's no need to use the "L" word Consider what site we're on, after all ^_^

[sms001]

As this has sidetracked a tad into 'willfully' stupid, I'd like to split hairs a tad.
I FIRMLY believe that there are discrete levels of awareness for different human beings. Some notice nothing of their surroundings, some notice everything, and can extrapolate or link what they observe to prior experience. Most fall in the middle.
THE discrepancy to make is, having failed to observe something, does someone incorporate that into their worldview, or decide that their observational skills aren't to blame, something else is.
If you can absorb this nuance, SCs start falling into two categories; 'the tolerable' and the 'can't be placated by any means' and it makes dealing with them a LOT less stressful.