It was a busy, steady night.
4th of July Weekend, and that means a lot of people travel.
This account isn't about one customer in particular, rather a re-occurring theme from the night.
For a Holiday weekend mainly celebrated as an American thing, there were sure a lot of foreign travelers tonight.
Some of them can usually speak English, and in my fumbling and friendliness we can still come to an understanding that leaves us both smiling as we part ways.
However tonight on more than one occasion I had the opportunity to host customers who did not speak any English at all.
Fortunately, given the immediate needs that can be met at my location, spoken language is not the only form of communication.
As they walk in, smiling to be friendly and polite, their hurried steps and frantic pace speak a universal language that you'd have to be pretty blind to miss.
As their eyes dart about, they look to me and I kindly point to the corner of our store.
The corner where our bathrooms reside. The following smile, flashed briefly as they turn their back, is one of pure gratitude. Caring for your neighbor in the simplest way.
Next shift is tomorrow morning.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Friday, January 28, 2011
Maybe it was their Paradise?
I was working like any other night, it was on the slow side.
The night is starting to wind down and the time is starting to the point where 1st shift workers start to come in.
A full sized van hauling a trailer pulled into the station. At first I think nothing of it, you see all kinds of vehicles after all.
About 10-15 young adults come out. They are all dressed formally. The women are in skirts and nice conservative tops. The men are in dress shirts. They are young so my first thought is they must be some traveling conservative Christian college group going somewhere. At GLCC we would go out to Wisconsin for one of our games and at that school you'd see apparel that was similar.
However, as I interact with them it becomes very apparent they are not a Christian group. They aren't swearing or acting rude or anything. They buy doritos, red bulls and two of them even buy cigarettes!
I try to ask a few what their group is and they shy away from the question. Like they don't want to answer or they want to keep it a secret. I deduct that they are going skiing up north, and they are not from a school or commune, but are a group of friends coming from the Fort Wayne area.
I finally crack and as the last one if they are a Mennonite group, based on how familiar they are with our "modern marvels" like red bulls and marlboros. He politely says "No, we're Amish."
I didn't know Indiana Amish smoke Marlboros and drank Red Bulls. I guess you learn something every day!
Just not something you expect to encounter when working. Especially when an Amish person produced a State ID card to buy cigarettes.
Next shift is tonight.
The night is starting to wind down and the time is starting to the point where 1st shift workers start to come in.
A full sized van hauling a trailer pulled into the station. At first I think nothing of it, you see all kinds of vehicles after all.
About 10-15 young adults come out. They are all dressed formally. The women are in skirts and nice conservative tops. The men are in dress shirts. They are young so my first thought is they must be some traveling conservative Christian college group going somewhere. At GLCC we would go out to Wisconsin for one of our games and at that school you'd see apparel that was similar.
However, as I interact with them it becomes very apparent they are not a Christian group. They aren't swearing or acting rude or anything. They buy doritos, red bulls and two of them even buy cigarettes!
I try to ask a few what their group is and they shy away from the question. Like they don't want to answer or they want to keep it a secret. I deduct that they are going skiing up north, and they are not from a school or commune, but are a group of friends coming from the Fort Wayne area.
I finally crack and as the last one if they are a Mennonite group, based on how familiar they are with our "modern marvels" like red bulls and marlboros. He politely says "No, we're Amish."
I didn't know Indiana Amish smoke Marlboros and drank Red Bulls. I guess you learn something every day!
Just not something you expect to encounter when working. Especially when an Amish person produced a State ID card to buy cigarettes.
Next shift is tonight.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Explain this one Mr. Athiest...
Working Friday night, the first in what is sure to be a long weekend of costumed customers this weekend. Fortunately I won't be there for all of it, but I can imagine it being quite hectic at times.
Tonight I was working with my co-worker as we often do. Tuesday and Friday nights are our grocery nights, so we are both there to put it away and do what we usually do every night.
This gentleman comes in and he is talking on a wireless headset to someone on the phone. I am not on a drawer tonight, but my co-worker is. He (The gentleman) ignores the small 2 person line that is at the register and asks "Where I am?"
What follows for about 10 minutes is an attempt at dialogue to help this man figure out where he is and where he is trying to get to. A minute or two into it we are very convinced that he is inebriated to an unsafe degree. He cannot stand in one spot, he drops his wallet 3 times, and his car keys once. His speech is quite slurred, both to us and to whoever he is on the phone with. Catching my eye, my co-worker nudges the phone towards me and nods his head subtlety.
The fact that he even made it into the parking lot without damaging anything or anyone is a pure miracle and evidence of a God, evidence that even an atheist would have a hard time disproving.
He heads back towards his car, and we watch to see which side of the car he is going to. Unfortunately he gets in the driver's side. We are concerned for his safety and for the safety of other motorists on the road, especially as this is a time when many 1st shift weekend workers will begin morning commutes.
I make the call, my co-worker keeping an eye locked on his car the entire time. He moves his car to a parking spot on the far side of our lot, nearly hitting my co-workers car 3 different times in a 20 second period. Mind you my co-worker has just has a car accident and bought a new car in the last month. He's a little worried.
Fortunately, five minutes later, the quick responding officers of the Clinton County Sheriff's Department pull in.
We are not sure whether he was waiting for someone to pick him up (which is apparently what happened) or if it was a convenient alibi that worked out while he was talking to the officers, but the bottom line for us is we don't care. We kept a very drunk and dangerous person off the road tonight, and we don't want to even think about what may have happened had we not done anything.
Still, we wish the police officer would have come into the store and said something to us. I think we deserve some type of communication in regards to the situation we called them to in the first place, but what do I know? Sure will make the paperwork easier, but they have their system and I trust them, I suppose.
That was the most interesting occurrence of a crazy night. You can tell it's Halloween, as the costume parties have started. You think about all the issues that come out of women who want to be respected, women who want men to see them as more then a piece of meat to be mauled. Then you see the costumes we saw last night, and you wonder why they are shooting their cause in the foot.
Next shift is Sunday night. Halloween. No plans to dress up.
Tonight I was working with my co-worker as we often do. Tuesday and Friday nights are our grocery nights, so we are both there to put it away and do what we usually do every night.
This gentleman comes in and he is talking on a wireless headset to someone on the phone. I am not on a drawer tonight, but my co-worker is. He (The gentleman) ignores the small 2 person line that is at the register and asks "Where I am?"
What follows for about 10 minutes is an attempt at dialogue to help this man figure out where he is and where he is trying to get to. A minute or two into it we are very convinced that he is inebriated to an unsafe degree. He cannot stand in one spot, he drops his wallet 3 times, and his car keys once. His speech is quite slurred, both to us and to whoever he is on the phone with. Catching my eye, my co-worker nudges the phone towards me and nods his head subtlety.
The fact that he even made it into the parking lot without damaging anything or anyone is a pure miracle and evidence of a God, evidence that even an atheist would have a hard time disproving.
He heads back towards his car, and we watch to see which side of the car he is going to. Unfortunately he gets in the driver's side. We are concerned for his safety and for the safety of other motorists on the road, especially as this is a time when many 1st shift weekend workers will begin morning commutes.
I make the call, my co-worker keeping an eye locked on his car the entire time. He moves his car to a parking spot on the far side of our lot, nearly hitting my co-workers car 3 different times in a 20 second period. Mind you my co-worker has just has a car accident and bought a new car in the last month. He's a little worried.
Fortunately, five minutes later, the quick responding officers of the Clinton County Sheriff's Department pull in.
We are not sure whether he was waiting for someone to pick him up (which is apparently what happened) or if it was a convenient alibi that worked out while he was talking to the officers, but the bottom line for us is we don't care. We kept a very drunk and dangerous person off the road tonight, and we don't want to even think about what may have happened had we not done anything.
Still, we wish the police officer would have come into the store and said something to us. I think we deserve some type of communication in regards to the situation we called them to in the first place, but what do I know? Sure will make the paperwork easier, but they have their system and I trust them, I suppose.
That was the most interesting occurrence of a crazy night. You can tell it's Halloween, as the costume parties have started. You think about all the issues that come out of women who want to be respected, women who want men to see them as more then a piece of meat to be mauled. Then you see the costumes we saw last night, and you wonder why they are shooting their cause in the foot.
Next shift is Sunday night. Halloween. No plans to dress up.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Well call me impressed
It was somewhat early in my shift.
An older gentleman with a distinct southern twang in his speech came into the store. I began my usual friendly greeting and he returned it.
As he poured himself a cup of coffee (so lucky I had just made a fresh pot) he looked up and asked me specifically what my first name was. He was too far away from the counter to see my "Batman" name tag and wasn't trying to read it. He asked me directly.
I told him of course, and he replied by sharing his. He then bought his coffee and I gave him my usual farewell sendoff, "Have a good night sir." He stopped in his tracks, turned around and said "Call me (his name here). We have first names, I say we use them."
This made me smile and I said, "Absolutely, have a good night (his name here)."
I know nothing else about this guy. I know his name, and I know there is southern twang in his speech. And the lasting impact he made on me just with that little hospitality impressed me very much.
It's the kind of interaction I strive to have with customers on a daily basis. It's the kind of person I work to be.
It was inspiring, it was encouraging. And it was the most interesting encounter of the night.
Next shift is tonight.
An older gentleman with a distinct southern twang in his speech came into the store. I began my usual friendly greeting and he returned it.
As he poured himself a cup of coffee (so lucky I had just made a fresh pot) he looked up and asked me specifically what my first name was. He was too far away from the counter to see my "Batman" name tag and wasn't trying to read it. He asked me directly.
I told him of course, and he replied by sharing his. He then bought his coffee and I gave him my usual farewell sendoff, "Have a good night sir." He stopped in his tracks, turned around and said "Call me (his name here). We have first names, I say we use them."
This made me smile and I said, "Absolutely, have a good night (his name here)."
I know nothing else about this guy. I know his name, and I know there is southern twang in his speech. And the lasting impact he made on me just with that little hospitality impressed me very much.
It's the kind of interaction I strive to have with customers on a daily basis. It's the kind of person I work to be.
It was inspiring, it was encouraging. And it was the most interesting encounter of the night.
Next shift is tonight.
Sunday, September 26, 2010
45 minutes in favor of sobriety.
Working last night was pretty slow. There were steady customers throughout the night as per usual.
It was about 2:45 a.m. when the first pair of drunks wandered in. What followed felt like at least a half hour continual stream of drunk customers. Where did they all come from? How many were there? Why did they all come to my store? What are you trying to say?
I had the whole gambit of scenarios tonight. I had immature guys talking loudly in all corners of the store. I had a lady crying because she found out her ex was with another woman and it was their anniversary...even though they're broken up. I had to listen to 10 minutes of two drunk women, one older, complaining about men.
I had guys who griped about the price of cigarettes. I had ladies who wanted me to mark down the krispy kreme donuts because they were almost 24 hours old. They taste fine at that time by the way.
It just seemed like a never-ending stream and I didn't know what to expect. The hour that it happened in was more then enough to reaffirm and demonstrate why you shouldn't get drunk. It would make a great practical example.
I kept the phone close and wondered how much police officers could help their budget if they had stopped by my store during that time frame. I never felt unsafe, but it was still nuts.
Next shift is tonight, then I get some time off. Hopefully...
It was about 2:45 a.m. when the first pair of drunks wandered in. What followed felt like at least a half hour continual stream of drunk customers. Where did they all come from? How many were there? Why did they all come to my store? What are you trying to say?
I had the whole gambit of scenarios tonight. I had immature guys talking loudly in all corners of the store. I had a lady crying because she found out her ex was with another woman and it was their anniversary...even though they're broken up. I had to listen to 10 minutes of two drunk women, one older, complaining about men.
I had guys who griped about the price of cigarettes. I had ladies who wanted me to mark down the krispy kreme donuts because they were almost 24 hours old. They taste fine at that time by the way.
It just seemed like a never-ending stream and I didn't know what to expect. The hour that it happened in was more then enough to reaffirm and demonstrate why you shouldn't get drunk. It would make a great practical example.
I kept the phone close and wondered how much police officers could help their budget if they had stopped by my store during that time frame. I never felt unsafe, but it was still nuts.
Next shift is tonight, then I get some time off. Hopefully...
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Should have turned left at Alberquerque
Last night was pretty crazy.
The other night guy was there because it was a grocery delivery night. We work every Tuesday and Friday night together putting the delivery away. If I'm the "Speedway Batman" then he is the "Speedway Wolverine." Halfway through the shift we got a phone call from the other store that is just down the road. After some quick collaboration we found out that we had their delivery, and they had ours.
That is not what tonight's update is about though. Shortly after "Wolverine" arrived a lady walked in the store. She proceeded immediately over to "Wolverine's" register and started to ask him about directions.
The short version is that as we understood it, she was trying to get from Chicago to Bad Axe. She got lost because country highways were not lighted like they were in Chicago. She couldn't get back on the highway because it was closed off due to an accident, the 2nd one of the day.
She was confused, thought she was lost, was sleepy, and could not comprehend the concept that Mapquest did not give her good directions.
This is something I don't get. I understand that I've grown up around Lansing my whole life, so the 96/69/94 highway confusion is non-existent to me. I understand that it messes up tons of people who aren't from the area. What I don't get is that they refuse to believe Mapquest might be inaccurate.
"Wolverine" continued to discuss and borderline argue with this lady for the better part of 45 minutes, maybe even an hour. He was trying to explain where she was in her mapquest steps and how to get back "on course." He had to explain to her that she was in DeWitt and not Grand Rapids, and she didn't believe him. When he took her over to our map of Michigan and showed her where Bad Axe was, she said that the map was wrong and said she wanted to go to Bad Axe, pointing to Saginaw. When "Wolverine" would explain that she was pointing to Saginaw, she'd argue that she didn't want to go there and she wanted to go to Bad Axe. So he'd point and tell her where Bad Axe was, to which she'd point again at Saginaw while saying she wanted to go to Bad Axe.
She then went out to her car and took a nap. Every other hour she'd come back in to use the restroom. Then when she was finally ready to leave again, she bought some Red Bull then called "Wolverine" back up to the counter, "discussed" directions with him for 10 more minutes before finally leaving.
All the while we are working through a fairly busy night customer wise and trying to put away the wrong delivery order because we did not know it was the wrong one.
Drill this into your head. MAPQUEST ISN'T ALWAYS RIGHT. USE COMMON SENSE.
Next shift is tonight. Should be interesting with the late MSU game.
The other night guy was there because it was a grocery delivery night. We work every Tuesday and Friday night together putting the delivery away. If I'm the "Speedway Batman" then he is the "Speedway Wolverine." Halfway through the shift we got a phone call from the other store that is just down the road. After some quick collaboration we found out that we had their delivery, and they had ours.
That is not what tonight's update is about though. Shortly after "Wolverine" arrived a lady walked in the store. She proceeded immediately over to "Wolverine's" register and started to ask him about directions.
The short version is that as we understood it, she was trying to get from Chicago to Bad Axe. She got lost because country highways were not lighted like they were in Chicago. She couldn't get back on the highway because it was closed off due to an accident, the 2nd one of the day.
She was confused, thought she was lost, was sleepy, and could not comprehend the concept that Mapquest did not give her good directions.
This is something I don't get. I understand that I've grown up around Lansing my whole life, so the 96/69/94 highway confusion is non-existent to me. I understand that it messes up tons of people who aren't from the area. What I don't get is that they refuse to believe Mapquest might be inaccurate.
"Wolverine" continued to discuss and borderline argue with this lady for the better part of 45 minutes, maybe even an hour. He was trying to explain where she was in her mapquest steps and how to get back "on course." He had to explain to her that she was in DeWitt and not Grand Rapids, and she didn't believe him. When he took her over to our map of Michigan and showed her where Bad Axe was, she said that the map was wrong and said she wanted to go to Bad Axe, pointing to Saginaw. When "Wolverine" would explain that she was pointing to Saginaw, she'd argue that she didn't want to go there and she wanted to go to Bad Axe. So he'd point and tell her where Bad Axe was, to which she'd point again at Saginaw while saying she wanted to go to Bad Axe.
She then went out to her car and took a nap. Every other hour she'd come back in to use the restroom. Then when she was finally ready to leave again, she bought some Red Bull then called "Wolverine" back up to the counter, "discussed" directions with him for 10 more minutes before finally leaving.
All the while we are working through a fairly busy night customer wise and trying to put away the wrong delivery order because we did not know it was the wrong one.
Drill this into your head. MAPQUEST ISN'T ALWAYS RIGHT. USE COMMON SENSE.
Next shift is tonight. Should be interesting with the late MSU game.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Women Have Priorities
I'm working last night, and it is a little after midnight.
A car pulls up and a young lady gets out. She has to be around my age, and I'm not going to lie, she's somewhat attractive. She's dressed up, but not "club" dressed up, more of a formal outfit that you'd wear to a wedding or something.
She comes in and she is talkative, friendly and giddy with excitement. She pre-pays her gasoline and when I ask her if she has a Speedy card the source of the excitement comes out. She has just been at some seminar that she seems to have really enjoyed, and one of the speakers went on a 30+ minute rant about his Speedy Card, so now she has to have one.
I get that set up for her and she spends lots of time talking to someone else who was apparently from the same seminar.
He goes to the bathroom and she actually waits for him for about 2-3 minutes, before she realizes she needs to go pump her gas that she pre-paid.
Next thing I hear is the buzzer for the door, indicating it has opened again. I make my way back to the counter and find the young lady standing at the counter again. This is exactly what she says:
"I hope I'm not a bother, but I really want to give you more information from this seminar I was just at. Do you have an e-mail you can write down or a phone number? This stuff will change your life!"
Now we all know that I enjoy my life of bachelorhood, but that doesn't mean I can't detect a clever line when it's given. I politely reply sure and write down for her a junk e-mail account that I have, just in case she's only intending to sign me up for a newsletter e-mail. She says thanks and walks back out to her car.
At this point I notice something on my register. I look down and realize she didn't pump all of her gas, which usually means she pre-paid too much and filled up her gas tank. What this means is that I owe her the $7.10 that she didn't pump; that's how a pre-pay works when you don't use all of it.
She's at her car (talking to the old man from the seminar again) and before she can get into her car I get on our pump intercom and say "Excuse me miss, did you want your fuel refund?"
She simply replies "No Thanks." She then got in her car and drove off, leaving me with $7.00 that I can't keep in my register.
I'm not sure on exact store procedures when people leave behind money. In fact the only thing I'm certain of is that I don't get to keep it. So I process the pre-pay refund, print up a receipt, paper-clip it all together and put in on our store manager's desk. Along with it I leave a note that says "She wanted my number, not her money. I'm not joking." I sign my initials to it and carry on with my night.
Yes, this really happened.
Next shift is Tuesday night.
A car pulls up and a young lady gets out. She has to be around my age, and I'm not going to lie, she's somewhat attractive. She's dressed up, but not "club" dressed up, more of a formal outfit that you'd wear to a wedding or something.
She comes in and she is talkative, friendly and giddy with excitement. She pre-pays her gasoline and when I ask her if she has a Speedy card the source of the excitement comes out. She has just been at some seminar that she seems to have really enjoyed, and one of the speakers went on a 30+ minute rant about his Speedy Card, so now she has to have one.
I get that set up for her and she spends lots of time talking to someone else who was apparently from the same seminar.
He goes to the bathroom and she actually waits for him for about 2-3 minutes, before she realizes she needs to go pump her gas that she pre-paid.
Next thing I hear is the buzzer for the door, indicating it has opened again. I make my way back to the counter and find the young lady standing at the counter again. This is exactly what she says:
"I hope I'm not a bother, but I really want to give you more information from this seminar I was just at. Do you have an e-mail you can write down or a phone number? This stuff will change your life!"
Now we all know that I enjoy my life of bachelorhood, but that doesn't mean I can't detect a clever line when it's given. I politely reply sure and write down for her a junk e-mail account that I have, just in case she's only intending to sign me up for a newsletter e-mail. She says thanks and walks back out to her car.
At this point I notice something on my register. I look down and realize she didn't pump all of her gas, which usually means she pre-paid too much and filled up her gas tank. What this means is that I owe her the $7.10 that she didn't pump; that's how a pre-pay works when you don't use all of it.
She's at her car (talking to the old man from the seminar again) and before she can get into her car I get on our pump intercom and say "Excuse me miss, did you want your fuel refund?"
She simply replies "No Thanks." She then got in her car and drove off, leaving me with $7.00 that I can't keep in my register.
I'm not sure on exact store procedures when people leave behind money. In fact the only thing I'm certain of is that I don't get to keep it. So I process the pre-pay refund, print up a receipt, paper-clip it all together and put in on our store manager's desk. Along with it I leave a note that says "She wanted my number, not her money. I'm not joking." I sign my initials to it and carry on with my night.
Yes, this really happened.
Next shift is Tuesday night.
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