I cough, so this asshole tries to get me into trouble

[BowserKoopa1]

I had a cold previously, and I don't have one any more. Unfortunately I still have a stupid cough left over, which is slowly going away.
I recently started a new job 3 weeks ago. A very big part of my job is ringing up and bagging customers' groceries and other stuff they may buy in the store. An old man probably in his 50s comes through my line. I had to cough, so I turn away and cough into my hand. He sees this and gets on to me. This customer is obviously a germaphobic.
G: Did you just cough?
Me: Yes, sir. Sorry, its what's left over from a cold.
G: You just coughed and touched my stuff! Take it off! I don't want it!
Me: Sorry about that, sir.
G: You shouldn't be working when you are sick! You're spreading germs!
Me: I can't afford to miss work, sir. I can't control when I get sick.
I take the stuff off, and he asks me to call a sup, which I do. Then he proceeds to talk bad about me, right in front of me! No he can't be like other customers who wait until later, he has to fucking embarass me right then and there! Fucking asshole!
Needless to say, I didn't get into any trouble, and why the fuck should I? For having a cough? Not my fault! I don't want it, but I can't snap my fingers and make it go away!
The thing that pisses me off the most is the fact that he practically threw my apology back in my face and tried to get me into trouble, and all because I have a persistent cough that won't go away. I hate germaphobic people, and as for this asshole, I hope he does get sick and pukes his guts out!
I was this close to telling the motherfucker off but obviously held myself back. What right do customers think they have to tell me when I should work? They're not gonna pay me for the hours I miss, and I certainly don't feel ill enough to miss work.

[evilhomer]

Assholes like this need a reality check. Look asshole, I work for a living. I'm not some over-privileged prick who gets paid sick days; I don't show up, I'm not getting a paycheque. So many people are shocked to find out that there are jobs without sick days.

And of course there's the other side of the coin: the ones who know and don't give a shit. Who cares if you won't be able to pay your rent / pay for food, stay home until you are 100% healthy. Oh, that will make you lose your job? Hmmm, maybe my nephew can apply.

These germaphobes are getting worse and worse. They're fueled by the media and the marketing about the killer disease that will bring the apocolypse upon us. Get a life, it's just a cold.

[ReadyToRetire]

I really don't see how this guy would be considered a germaphobe. The OP said that they coughed into their hand and apparently handled the customer's items. Nowhere did the OP mention that they sanitized their hands before getting back about their business. I'd complain, too. For all intents & purposes, you might have well just coughed on his stuff.

As to the rest of the post, yeh, I think the customer overracted and was just being a cranky old fart.

[BamaBabe]

What evilhomer said. Geez! What? That guy never went to work sick? I'm betting he did.

[Jay 2K Winger]

This is why I try to cough into my elbow. Guy was an asshole for reacting the way he did.

[Racket_Man]

Assholes like this need a reality check. Look asshole, I work for a living. I'm not some over-privileged prick who gets paid sick days; I don't show up, I'm not getting a paycheque. So many people are shocked to find out that there are A LOT OF (and the number is growing) jobs without sick days (or vacation days or flexible schedules or benefits) .

And of course there's the other side of the coin: the ones who know and don't give a shit. Who cares if you won't be able to pay your rent / pay for food, stay home until you are 100% healthy. Oh, that will make you lose your job? Hmmm, maybe my nephew can apply. oh yeah just be good little robots and DO YOUR JOB without complaint. who cares.... you are replaceable

These germaphobes are getting worse and worse. They're fueled by the media and the marketing about the killer disease that will bring the apocolypse upon us. Get a life, it's just a cold.

Quoted and slightly edited for truth

I have worked more days sick than I care to count. I do have a slight leeway in the finacial aspect but not much. one day is OK anything more is not.

but unfortuenately the germs ARE getting worse and harder to "kill" partially because the general public either does not take all of their medication(s) for whatever infection, the partial killing off of the "weaker" entities leaving the stronger ones more powerful ie. MRSA or TB or the public's "habit" of demanding antibiotics for a virial condition, plus the current crop of anitbiotics can only work so long before the bateria mutate and the antibiotic is no longer effective AND stir in the fact that livestock farms generally use a good dose of antibiotics on their animals.

[Kristev]

A recipie for disaster.

[Mystic]

I really don't see how this guy would be considered a germaphobe. The OP said that they coughed into their hand and apparently handled the customer's items. Nowhere did the OP mention that they sanitized their hands before getting back about their business. I'd complain, too. For all intents & purposes, you might have well just coughed on his stuff.

As to the rest of the post, yeh, I think the customer overracted and was just being a cranky old fart.

^This.
There is being a germaphobe, then there is just trying to not get sick. By coughing into your hand and then handling someone else's food products, you're essentially passing what you have on to others and then complaining when they complain that you're contaminating their food without seemingly caring. I certainly would have complained as well.

I thought it was pretty common knowledge that when you have to cough/sneeze, you do so into your arm to avoid as much contact with other objects/people as possible.

[blas]

I cough into my elbow whenever possible, but I wear gloves any time I am on the floor at work.

Despite that, we're always giving each other our sicknesses.

[Legal Eagle]

Yes it sucks that you are sick, but working with his groceries whilst sick means he is a high risk of being ill himself, just like all the other customers.

[CaptainThrifty]

I'd have never admit to any sickness. I'd have talked about a dry throat or something. And you're not really lying, just not going all the way back to the root cause.

[Betweenshades]

I had to cough, so I turn away and cough into my hand.

The level that the customer took it to was craptastically sucky, but coughing into your arm, or even sanitizing after would have been a better solution, even if it's not something you choose to do at home away from the public. Not even because it was food, but because handing something with a hand you just coughed or sneezed into is, and I apologize for the bluntness, rude.

We all get sick, but you don't know what the other person has going on healthwise. My immune system is strong as all getout, but not everyone is as lucky for varying reasons.

I honestly could go on an on about the ills an benefits of things like over sanitizing, but I'll leave that to fratching.

[BowserKoopa1]

I did cough away from his food and turned my head, although I probably shouldn't have used that hand after. My sup did advise me to cough into my elbow, which I did. And I do use hand sanitizer for those interested, but I can't apply some to my hands every single time I cough. Plus I've been told too much of it is bad for your hands.
And to anyone who says he wasn't a germaphobic, yes he was. Everyone at work I talked to about it agreed with me. Also I've had this miserable cough for almost 2 weeks now and this idiot was the only one to make a big fuss about it. And plus I was told he has been in the store before and constantly does things like this, doing everything he can to make our lives more miserable.
And 1 of the things I was trying to make a point at was this.... He did not need to embarass me in front of my boss and deliberately try to get me into trouble. This cough is something that's beyond my control. All I can really do is take medicine and hope it goes away real soon.

[tropicsgoddess]

That guy acted like a raving douchebag about it.

[XCashier]

And plus I was told he has been in the store before and constantly does things like this, doing everything he can to make our lives more miserable.

Which is probably why you didn't get in trouble; a guy cries "wolf" too often, nobody's going to listen to him.