Why is it always ME?

[SecurityWench]

I've been closing the store the last few days. I hate doing it, but I don't really have a choice.

It's 1 AM. I've had a long day, my feet ache, I just want to go home and relax. A woman comes up and approaches me outside. "Why are the lights off inside?"

Biting my tongue to withhold snark, I say, "We're closed, ma'am."

"But you CAN'T be closed! I have to get my groceries!"

"Ma'am, we've been open since 6 AM. Can't you come back tomorrow?"

"No! You go in there and I'll be no more than 15 minutes."

"Ma'am, my till is locked away, I'm clocked out, we're CLOSED."

The lady gets right in my face. "I need to get the fixings for the church potluck tomorrow. If I don't have them, they will be very angry at me. What are you going to do about that?"

I go silent for a moment. "Okay, I know what I'm going to do."

The lady grins smugly. "What?"

"I'm going to go home and go to sleep. Good night."

And with that, I walk into the parking lot and drive off. The lady is still standing there with a look on her face.

[mikoyan29]

Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine....

[Red_Dazes]

I'm shocked you even talked to her. beyond "We are closed" I won't talk to potential customers off the clock. I would have just kept walking. *bows* you have much more patience than I.

[raw456]

Am I the only one who is baffled by people who wait till 1am to decide "Blimey - I better nip down to supermarket right this instant and the yell at the staff for being closed, because the 19hrs of shopping time today that I could have purchased my required items isn't enough"

I would have loved to find out if she was there at 6am when you opened to buy her food

Cookies for your calm manner and your comeback

[Lingering Grin]

Am I the only one who is baffled by people who wait till 1am to decide "Blimey - I better nip down to supermarket right this instant and the yell at the staff for being closed, because the 19hrs of shopping time today that I could have purchased my required items isn't enough"

I would have loved to find out if she was there at 6am when you opened to buy her food

Cookies for your calm manner and your comeback

You have to realize, these are the people who are so use to shopping at Wal-Mart that they don't realize that EVERYONE ELSE, actually closes at some point.

[mikoyan29]

I think I've posted it here before but anyways the grocery store I worked at during college and a couple years after college was open 24 hours every night except Sunday. One Sunday night I had the pleasure of closing and I was waiting for one of my coworkers who was a Customer Service Manager. I don't know how many people I saw hit themselves on the door as it didn't open.

[LillFilly]

Hee, I worked Xmas day, the ONLY day when one of our stores was NOT open. I sat in the parking lot for a while counting the number of people who actually parked and tried to walk through the doors, only to mash their faces. I reveled in their looks of confusion.

I counted approx. 200 cars.

[Sheldonrs]

Well if God's house is always open, why not the grocery store?

[EricKei]

So, she had this potluck to work on...she obviously knew about it in advance because it was a major event...and the food has to be ready early tomorrow morning...And yet, she did not plan to start *preparing* said food or even laying it out until the morning of...

...Huh.

Remind me to never attend any of this lady's potluck meals >_>

[TWOLF]

I bow to you for doing this. Maybe if she joined the cult of Foamy she wouldn't have to worry about pot lucks. Unless they were ones with bagles and cream cheese.

[gremcint]

http://www.unshelved.com/archive.aspx?strip=20090717

[Fungus]

You have to realize, these are the people who are so use to shopping at Wal-Mart that they don't realize that EVERYONE ELSE, actually closes at some point.

I think you are right. Folks assume that other grocery type stores are always open. It is also amazing what some people try to pass off as an emergency. Well, maybe not amazing, more like disgusting.