The Invasion Of The Elderly

[Lace Neil Singer]

Not sucky customers, but just loads at any one time. O_o At the garden centre, everyone used to dread pension day cuz we'd just get a huge horde of old people in at the same time, going thru each section like an invading army and then hogging the cafe for the whole of lunch. Anyone else experience this?

[wagegoth]

I used to work in a Nordstrom near a high income retirement community. Many of the customers were nice, unfortunately, they were balanced by the ones who had nothing better to do than shop and annoy staff with endless demands. This being twenty years ago, they often did not have answering machines because they considered them evil machines, but would complain they had not received a call regarding a special order (even though you had called a dozen times, they just were never home). Cell phones were unheard of then. They had all day to spend deciding on a small $20 item. Sorry, $20 does not make my sales goal for the day.

Also, the big retirement car phenomenon came into play whenever I drove to work, putting my life at risk five days a week. An explanation of this phenomenon: A couple would buy the biggest, fanciest automobile they could afford just as they retired. Depending on their income, usually it would be the top of the line Buick, Cadillac or Mercedes. Now, at the time, often the wives had done little driving for themselves beyond short, local trips to market or the beauty salon or such. Commonly, men often die within a year of retiring. It's a well-studied fact. That left these women with little driving history with huge tuna boats of cars to drive. With nothing better to do, they regularly drove into town for lunch, shopping, etc., putting the rest of us sharing the road at risk. These women often had poor driving skills to start; additionally, they now had failing eyesight and hand-eye coordination, while in charge of vehicles with the equivalent destruction capacity of a Spanish bull placed in a Limoges shop.

These women did not use turn signals. They did not check before changing lanes. They made left turns from the right lane, They made right turns from the left lane. They ran red lights. They stopped at green lights. They could not parallel park. They often could not properly park in a parking lot. I came close to being in an accident every time I drove to work.

While I had a couple of regular customers I missed when I left, the others made me quite happy to leave the retail life.

[Boozy]

The cafe used to get tour buses full of elderly folks. They would pull up completely unannounced and fill up the entire cafe. We'd be forced to turn away our regulars; people who ate lunch with us every single day.

And they all had walkers! The lobby of the restaurant would be jammed with these things. I'm sure there was some fire code issue.

The elderly were often more labour intensive than the average diner, too. They all drank tea instead of coffee, for one thing. And no matter how many were at a table, they always wanted individual cheques.

With all that said, they were mostly sweet old dears. Just too goddamn many of them all at once.

[rvdammit]

In London they get free travel after 9:30 in the morning. The first buses after 9:30 are informally referred to as Granny Farm Expresses. Or so I've been told.

[marasbaras]

Ugh ... I can't stand it when hordes of any group just drop in. Old, young, whatever. In groups, people seem to let their Inner Entitlement Jerks come out.

[blas]

I dislike large groups as well. Especially when I worked at the restaurants.

Large groups of highschoolers = brats. The local public school's show choir came to the truck stop every Wednesday night and would only order milkshakes. So we had to make 10-25 milkshakes. They table hopped, were loud and rude, and left penny tips underneath upside down glasses of water. But no, we couldn't kick them out because we can't lose customers oh how I shuddered when I got stuck with them..

And on Sunday mornings, the Church Crowds came after services. Most of them were groups of elderly folk, who were rude, demanding, and didn't tip more than a couple of dollars per table.

[monolayth]

think about this Blas.... your sunday is my every day.

[blas]

Comforting hugs and pats, my dear. I feel for you so.

[Dark-Star]

*winces* my apologies on behalf of the church crowd. That is NOT how us churchgoers are supposed to behave!

[ShinyGreenApple]

It's especially wonderful when the before and/or after church crowds flood up the store and then tell you either "Oh, I'm sorry you're working on Sunday!" or "Why do you let them make you work Sundays? You should be able to go to church!"

Well, no shit! As a matter of fact, I used to be at church every Sunday unless I was sick and would very much like to be able to go more often. Maybe if you CHURCH PEOPLE weren't in here making a reason for me to have to work, I would be.

[/rant]

[Becks]

I think Tuesdays are the chosen days for the old folks from the various homes to go grocery shopping. Let me just say that I'm glad I work second shift.

They could not parallel park. They often could not properly park in a parking lot.

That sounds like me!!! (To be fair, though, I don't park in places where I'd have to parallel park, and I park far from others in a parking lot. How did I ever get my license? {I know what you're thinking and it wasn't THAT.})

[Lace Neil Singer]

For me it was Thursday; pension day. XD I also was told by a non elderly customer that apparently bus drivers also dreaded pension day.

[wolfie]

Also, the big retirement car phenomenon came into play whenever I drove to work, putting my life at risk five days a week.

These women did not use turn signals. They did not check before changing lanes. They made left turns from the right lane, They made right turns from the left lane. They ran red lights. They stopped at green lights. They could not parallel park. They often could not properly park in a parking lot. I came close to being in an accident every time I drove to work.

I've had a number of close calls with that type. The only consolation is that if one of them were to hit me, they wouldn't endanger anybody else again. Hint: unlike hydraulic brakes, where the pressure is in the wheel cylinders as soon as you get your foot on the pedal, air brakes take about half a second from pedal application to usable pressure at the wheel.

[MadonnaC]

In London they get free travel after 9:30 in the morning. The first buses after 9:30 are informally referred to as Granny Farm Expresses. Or so I've been told.

In Birmingham, we have the same thing - They got to be called twirlys.....

As in "Sorry, you're too early to use your pass"

[Linda]

Twirlys in these parts too lol! Athough they get free fares all day every day throughout the whole of Wales.
I have to leave half hour earlier on pension days just to be able to get on a bus that's not packed!