Sucktomer Random Thoughts Thread

[Racket_Man]

Do not get me started on strollers.

Many many moons ago I worked at the local Zoo in concessions. my first summer I was in a small one person booth right next to the main train station. At the time the so-called "umbrella" strollers had just come onto the market. (thank whatever deity these rolling tank strollers that are prevelant these days were NOT around then)

Now the rule for the train was this: NO strollers were allowed on the train. This meant that if your party boarded the train the stroller had to be left behind AND you had to ride the train all the way around back to your starting station. There was a convenient coral to put your stroller in. YES this was a pain the in the ass BUT the rules were the rules. They park did NOT care that you wanted to ride to the next station and then get off there for the attractions there. The rules were the rules.

Cue much bitchin and complaining.

I do know the park did relax the rules after I left BUT they still do not allow these rolling tank type strollers on the train.

[Totiono]

Theme park needs to issue employees boots/cable locks/other means of immobilizing strollers. When a stroller is left in a "no stroller parking" area and an employee moves it to a stroller parking area, they put on the immobilizing device.

Customer finds that their stroller is immobilized, they need to get an employee to removed the device. Policy is that the employee must scan the pestguest's pass before removing the device (central computer keeps track of offenses). Have a "3 strikes" policy:

- You left your stroller in an area where, for safety reasons, it's prohibited to leave strollers unattended. Park policy is that after 3 offenses, your park pass is revoked.

- You've been warned before about leaving your stroller in areas which must be kept clear for safety reasons. If you do it again, your park pass will be revoked.

- This is the third time you left your stroller in an area which must be kept clear for safety reasons. Your park pass has been revoked. Please leave the premises by the most direct route.

Oh my god. I love this idea.

In my two years of working at a theme park I've learned how to cope with the generally crappy behavior of people. One of the few things that still really gets to me is how terrible some people become when their strollers are involved. It makes me wonder what they must be like in their daily lives if something as simple as a stroller gets them so worked up.

Most people are happy to park theirs when asked. Others might groan and complain but the second you use the term "fire code" they usually shut up and oblige. Then you get the parents who think that their stroller and the child in it is more important than everyone else's and they don't have to follow the rules because of it. I've complained a lot here over the past couple years about strollers so I feel like a bit of a broken record but my coworkers and employees get a lot of grief over it. A lot of it could probably be considered downright verbal abuse.

I'm guessing a lot of these people are also the same ones who leave behind used, dirty diapers for us to pick up despite the fact that there are an excessive amount of trash cans all over the park. Just the other night someone decided to drop their child's diaper right in the middle of the pathway leading to our biggest show stadium and I have a feeling it was someone unhappy with not being able to bring their stroller inside. There were three trash cans within reaching distance of where I found the diaper.

[wolfie]

I'm guessing a lot of these people are also the same ones who leave behind used, dirty diapers for us to pick up despite the fact that there are an excessive amount of trash cans all over the park. Just the other night someone decided to drop their child's diaper right in the middle of the pathway leading to our biggest show stadium

Signs I've seen at highway rest areas in western states said that littering with human waste carried a (forgot the number, but it was HIGH) fine. Maybe the theme park needs to make it an evictable offense?

[WishfulSpirit]

Lets not even get started on the lovely people who put their tank strollers in the wheelchair areas on crowded buses. Fortunately our bus system got sued by an ADA advocacy group and they take that very seriously now. The bus driver can and will tell the parents to fold up their stroller and move if a wheelchair user needs the area and if they don't they are finding another way to get home. Like on a plane, disobeying a lawful command of a bus driver is a serious offence. It is considered hindering the bus. There are signs plastered all over the bus and interfering with the operation of public transit is a felony.

[Aria]

So, one of agents got a chat from a dealer. The customer had come into the store with nothing but their phone number, wanting to get their account number and check the status of things, etc.

My fellow employee could not find a thing under that phone number. Further inquiries got diddly squat because this fellow couldn't give his correct address. So then my coworker had the bright idea of running the phone number through a special tool that spits out the service provider and wouldn't you know it! It's NOT US! It's [big competitor].

For his next trick, we suggest this 'customer' go to CostCo and try to pay with his Starbucks card.

[NecessaryCatharsis]

The bus driver can and will tell the parents to fold up their stroller and move if a wheelchair user needs the area and if they don't they are finding another way to get home.

Leading to another good way to get sued. I used to work with lots of kids that were recommended to use a stroller rather than a wheelchair for their disability, particularly muscular dystrophy. The wheelchair was too supportive, the sling fabric type of stroller was better because it required the user to use some torso muscles while sitting in it to remain comfortable, so the condition wouldn't worsen prematurely. But when the kid using it is 90 pounds there is no way the parent can take them out and safely ensure they remain upright on a bus seat during a long drive.

[WishfulSpirit]

There's a provision for that. If the child is themselves disabled and needs to be in the stroller for that reason, the stroller is considered an ADA mobility aid and has the same rights as a wheelchair. Which I knew because I was on the same route as a mother of a disabled child and was on the bus with my wheelchair-using hubby. Fortunately there was enough room (each bus has two wheelchair areas), but if there hadn't been, Hubby and I would have got off and got an Uber.

It wouldn't surprise me if someone would claim disability just to avoid folding a stroller, but I (and the bus company) know better than to push it. You can't see a lot of disabilities and it's better to error on the side of caution. I've even told off a bus driver for asking for paperwork; that's a No-No under ADA too (if you're paying full fare, if you're using the discount "disabled" fare they do have the right to ask for your "approved for disability fare" card).

[WishfulSpirit]

Back on topic: WHY does NOBODY in this city know how to read the line on a confirmation that says when checkin is? Stop showing up at 11am and whining about how your room isn't ready. Mary Poppins doesn't work here, we can't make rooms clean themselves.

[April]

UGh Stop making my job so much harder than it has to be! You're big kids now. I'm not going to hold your hand and do everything for you. Any attempt to approach me with out the information will be met with instructions on how to do it yourself. After 4 months, why do you still not get this???

[chimera]

Not necessarily an SC thing, but I'm always puzzled when customers mention either they or a family member have/had cancer. I'm always at a loss as how to reply because expressing sympathy in this instance seems fake to me - we don't even know each other.

[Food Lady]

Why are you handing me a stack of cards with the barcodes covered up? How am I supposed to charge you? I don't have a button on my register for "stack of cards." So many of you handing me stuff on the wrong side of the scanner. I promise the counter doesn't have a film of bubonic plague....

[Food Lady]

Not necessarily an SC thing, but I'm always puzzled when customers mention either they or a family member have/had cancer. I'm always at a loss as how to reply because expressing sympathy in this instance seems fake to me - we don't even know each other.

These are probably the same people who randomly ask me if I have X* condition, when I've never set eyes on them before.

*Including my natal condition.

[BrenDAnn]

Oh, goody, the Powerball is up high again. That means I've gotten an influx of people trying the old, dried out joke abut me giving them a winning ticket. Look, people, I've heard that line a million times. It's not getting any funnier. Just pay for your (probably losing) tickets, and gtfo.

[WishfulSpirit]

Just say you're sorry they're going through that. Cancer Sucks. You can have compassion for someone you don't know. And if not, that's the standard response and it works. Don't try to be too original originality usually leads to unintentionally saying something stupid.

[Mr Hero]

Lets not even get started on the lovely people who put their tank strollers in the wheelchair areas on crowded buses. Fortunately our bus system got sued by an ADA advocacy group and they take that very seriously now. The bus driver can and will tell the parents to fold up their stroller and move if a wheelchair user needs the area and if they don't they are finding another way to get home. Like on a plane, disobeying a lawful command of a bus driver is a serious offence. It is considered hindering the bus. There are signs plastered all over the bus and interfering with the operation of public transit is a felony.

I don't take the bus that often, but they have the automated announcement at each stop telling riders to collapse strollers prior to boarding.