My Coworker is NOT a "Monster"

[AnaKhouri]

One of my co-workers had a brain injury when he was in the army. He walked with a cane, his face droops a little, and his speech is slurred. It irritates the hell out of me when customers talk to him in really loud voices, very slowly, like he was about two years old. He's smarter than me, damn it! He reads Dostoyevsky for fun!

Once a customer asked me what was wrong with him and I said, "He's kind of a smart aleck, but otherwise he's OK." And left it at that.

[Soulstealer]

I cannot imagine what kind of stupidity and cruelty it would take to call someone with a disorder or deformity a "monster", but I would think it would border on the subhuman.

Well there is a monster, it just wasn't the coworker.

Once a customer asked me what was wrong with him and I said, "He's kind of a smart aleck, but otherwise he's OK." And left it at that.

That's a good way to handle it. The best part is they can't push it much further without sounding offensive.

[KellyHabersham]

I can totally relate to this, as I had severe excema on my hands when I was younger, and I frequently got nasty comments from other kids at school about how my hands were "gross", and since one of the side-effects I had was itching, people "had" to make rude comments about scratching.

Fortunately, this has mostly cleared up, but I still have trouble remembering that the first thing people notice about me is NOT necessarily my hands.

[LillFilly]

It's just sad that there are such horrible morons in the world. I hope karma sticks it to them where the sun don't shine!

What makes people think it's ok to just open their mouths and spew rubbish like that? At the very least, if you're not sure of the comment, keep it to yourself!

[TelephoneAngel]

and yet it is true that most people don't mind explaining what has happened to them if people ask them nicely.I remember a long time ago a customer came into the store I was working in and at first glance I could see he had a vicious scar right across his face, down to his neck and back along his forehead.

I guessed he had been in a car crash but it was none of my business and i just got on with the transaction.When I had finished the transaction, he said it was unusual for people not to react to his face and ask him questions, I replied that I didn't mind if he wanted to talk about it, but it wasn't for me to make personal comments to him about his looks.

Anyway he told me that he had had a dog bite him in the face then rip the skin off and it was sewn back on.He said he didnt mind telling me but what he did mind was the innappropriate comments he sometimes got "oh my god what happened to your face! "

[firecat88]

It's sad that there are people in this world who are heartless enough to call anyone different from them a monster and other unpleasantness. x.x Having been in a wheelchair since 3rd grade, I've had my fair share of run-ins with those people too. All the way up through from 3rd to 8th grade, I got picked on a lot. Which was why I decided 'no more public school' during high school.

The sad bit is that when stupid people see someone like this, or like your coworker, they often assume that their mind isn't working properly, either. And that they won't see the looks on other people's faces and be hurt by them.

If I had a friggin' dollar for every time...Apparently there's this mindset that, because I'm in a wheelchair, it's unheard of and bizarre that I should be getting ready to graduate college. Or that I'm in college at all. I get so many and looks from people when they hear that...well, first that I'm almost 23, because I don't look like it with how tall I am (4'5" on a good day).

But what really gets 'em confused is that I go to school, am the computer guru of the family, and that I can think, eat, drink, and get dressed all by my onesies. The problem's with my legs, y'all. Not my brain (or, at least, no problems there that I actually want to be rid of. I'm quite proud of my weirdness)

[Jay 2K Winger]

First, firecat, your story reminds me of a friend I had back in middle school. He a physical handicap, something with his legs-- don't remember what, specifically at present-- that made him wear braces on his legs, and sometimes walk with two canes on his arms. I never noticed if he got any guff for it-- I was a little self-absorbed at the time, and often scarcely noticed such things-- and I've honestly never asked. I know recently had had to have his foot amputated and now wears a prosthetic foot, but he seemed to be in very good spirits, regardless.

Now, an update regarding CR. Apparently, the bitch who called him a "monster" complained to management. And today when CR came in, he told me he's being forced to wear gloves while on the job. It so happens that he wears gloves at night when he goes to bed, so his skin doesn't dry out, and just brought a pair from home. Even so, I felt sorry for him, that some heartless bitch had gotten him "reduced" (CR's words) to that.

I know CS.com doesn't condone violence toward SCs, but this woman is one of those few people that really brings out the urge to deliver some upon her.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Psoriasis! My bad, that's what CR has. Not eczema. I dunno how I got the two mixed up. But yes. CR has psoriasis.

And Polenicus, there IS a special hell reserved for these kind of people. Oh, not people like CR, but people like this raging bitch. And we all know what that special hell is.

I've seen it before. My last ex-b/f had it on his elbows and knees. When he was stressed out, it would flare up pretty bad.

I really don't see anything to get grossed out about. But then we're talking about SC's here and as we all know by know, they don't think.

[Midorikawa]

Now, an update regarding CR. Apparently, the bitch who called him a "monster" complained to management. And today when CR came in, he told me he's being forced to wear gloves while on the job.

Isn't there something in the ADA about being discriminated against for this sort of stuff? It's the customer's fault, not his. No one's perfect, and being forced to wear gloves because he has a minor skin disorder? Really?

I have chronic allergies to about everything in the air, which causes some severe coughing on the order of a TB patient. It's not contagious, of course, but if I were forced to wear a mask, I'd be looking into bringing the law down on someone. That's unacceptable. Period.

[HorrorFrogPrincess]

I'm with Midorikawa. Psoriasis isn't contagious, so there is no more reason for him to have to cover it up than someone with a big unsightly birthmark on his face to wear makeup to cover IT up.

[firecat88]

Now, an update regarding CR. Apparently, the bitch who called him a "monster" complained to management. And today when CR came in, he told me he's being forced to wear gloves while on the job.

Massive fail on part of the management. I weep for humanity right now.

[telecom_goddess]

I had a regular customer that had something, I don't know what. Clearly some neuroligical problem. He was a young man. Kind of good looking, actually. He walked like a marionette that was being controlled by someone who was drunk and violent. Like he was fighting against an invisible hand shoving him and pulling him.

I see someone like that ride the Max around town sometimes....I love your description cause it's perfect. But anyway this guy walks exactly the same way...so far I haven't seen anyone give him grief for it but I don't know what he runs into in daily life.

[Soulstealer]

Now, an update regarding CR. Apparently, the bitch who called him a "monster" complained to management. And today when CR came in, he told me he's being forced to wear gloves while on the job. It so happens that he wears gloves at night when he goes to bed, so his skin doesn't dry out, and just brought a pair from home. Even so, I felt sorry for him, that some heartless bitch had gotten him "reduced" (CR's words) to that.

I know CS.com doesn't condone violence toward SCs, but this woman is one of those few people that really brings out the urge to deliver some upon her.

Congratulations. Your coworker now has a valid lawsuit against your employers. I hope they like paying out money.
You should encourage him to find a lawyer, he should not have to put up with that.

[lobo94]

This is all sorts of messed up. I hope karma comes back in a good way for CR, and in a bad way for the SC and the spineless management type who caved in to the SC.

The one for child molesters and people who talk in movie theatres?

I'd have banned her if I was the manager.

Nah...the child molester section of Hell is the lowest level, where the worst scum and villains are. The judgmental SCs and talking theatergoers are a few levels higher.

[shankyknitter]

[QUOTE=J And we all know what that special hell is.[/QUOTE]


Them having to do our jobs with people just as sucky going at them 24/7? I'm all for poetic hell.