I don't think it's against sub rules to tell this story, so here goes.

I've worked retail for the past ~5 years and I have 'resting helpful face', so a lot of people pick up on my vibes and ask for help no matter where I am, working or not. It's usually not a problem, and more often than not they just need a tall person to get something off a high shelf, so I don't mind it that much. Even when I'm doing tasks out of uniform at work, it's very common for people to clock me and ask for help. It's rare for someone to assume I'm just another customer.

Before the pandemic, I was working at a certain hardware store with an orange uniform. I did order fulfillment, so I specifically did not wear the uniform to avoid customers stopping me and asking questions as we had a limited amount of time to fill orders, though I was still carrying the official store work gloves, tape measure, and scanner, I had a small printer hanging from my belt, and in this story I was pushing a particular type of cart that most customers don't use. Anybody who looked close enough could tell I worked there, and plenty of people would ask for my help.

One day, this guy notices me from down the aisle, and I make that sort of polite eye contact that usually says 'I'm not going to approach you, but if you approach me I'm obligated to help.'

He walks over, and I'm expecting him to ask for directions or help unlocking a product, but instead he says something like "Hey man, want some [hardware store] gift cards?"

Folks, he was either trying to sell a fake gift card, offload a gift card he already spent, or he was doing some weird fraud thing.

I took a beat to process this, and said "I work here, sir."

He gave me a bit of a deer-in-headlights look and walked away quickly. He kept looking over his shoulder and almost tripped over some product, and I'm pretty sure he left the building asap. I let our AP guy know about it and carried on.

I still find it funny that, of all the people he could have asked, he tried me. That's one of the few times I was ever actually mistaken for a customer at that store.

This is a story I've told other people, but never thought to post until now.

I'm a Substitute Teacher in the state of Florida. I have been for about 3 years now come November, and this is my 4th School Year I'm starting this August. It's fun work, and it's only on weekdays so it's a hell of a lot better than any of the retail or food service jobs in town.

There's just a few things that mess with the job. The state of Florida doesn't require substitute teachers to have any college degree or any actual training before coming to work. You just need a high school diploma. I took this job when I was only 19 after getting out of Burger King. This leads to some fun interactions.

My favorite is probably the story from my first day. I was at the high school, and I was given a class that had 7th period planning. My school breaks its periods into 7 classes, and 7th period goes from 1:50 to 2:40, which is the end of the school day. If you have 7th period planning as a sub, you really can just leave and not have any problems as long as you turn in the attendance sheets.

I did not know this on my first day, so I called my boss and she told me the information above, so I just. Left.

However, I was still new to the building, and I went out the wrong door. It still led outside, so I figured I'd round the school and walk out that way.

And then I hear it.

"CHILD!"

A teacher or other staff member had seen me from across the parking lot, and thought I was a student. To be fair, I had only graduated high school two years ago at this point.

"YEAH?"

"WHERE ARE YOU GOING?"

"HOME?"

And then she says this.

"DO YOU HAVE PERMISSION FROM YOUR PARENTS?"

I'm confused as all hell at this point, so I just called back "NO, I WORK HERE!"

She laughed, I laughed, and I was able to get home just fine.

It was not the last time, of course (just last year, after 3 years of working at this school, the principal refused to let me use the bathroom in the hallway since she thought I was a student and it was a test day), but each time it's the funniest thing ever, and honestly I would not trade this job for the world.

... Okay I take that back, I would 100% swap to being a librarian if I could get a job as one, but this is fun anyway!

sorry in advance that i talk like a dipshit. don't know if this actually counts as a story.

my place of employment's patron base skews on the wealthier side of things and a lot of visitors tend to have worldviews that i don't really agree with. you can kind of tell from how they talk that many of them have a very clear divide between who's actually a person to them and who's just The Help.

my primary job is in the office, but i help out with maintenance things when needed because we're shortstaffed in most areas and the janitors have plenty to do on an average day.

it isn't our primary purpose, but parts of our building are rented out as event spaces pretty frequently. a lot of the time, outside vendors will have employees that come set up the rooms all fancy. i help out occasionally with this because if our furniture is used, it's useful to have someone familiar with the space/our inventory and knows where everything is on hand.

mostly i move around a lot of tables. chairs as well. and i interface with party planners/event hosts to clarify specific aspects of what they want. and every so often one of them will ask me which caterer i work for, and then look genuinely dismayed upon being informed that i work here, actually. and apologize, like they've somehow slighted me by assuming that i was Just The Hired Help. and it's suddenly a lot easier to get their attention when i need to ask a question.

in actuality, it's kind of affirming when this happens because im not interested in being the type of person my work's patrons find Worthy Of Respect, given the vastly differing ideas on what makes a person worth respecting.

that said, a couple weeks ago i was assisting two people, had already told them where we were bringing the item they were dropping off, and then one of them asked the other where we were bringing it. other one responded "let's ask someone who works in the office" and i was ready to start swinging.

conversely, ive had two vendors ask if i was the manager. i am the lowest paid employee here and also we don't have one of those.

I am now retired, but I used to be a teacher. I am also a wheelchair user. TL-DR at the end. I was very lucky to work in a school with a very understanding head teacher, who treated me like any other employee and did everything she could to accommodate my needs without treating me any differently. I specialised in SEND (special education needs and disabilities) and as part of my job, would attend meetings with other professionals linked to certain students. So think social workers, other in school staff like the SENCO (special educational needs coordinator), therapists, youth workers and council staff linked to education etc along with parents/ carers/ foster parents etc.

Some of these meetings would be at my school and some off site, my head would always offer up a meeting room at our school, because the school was fully accessible and I didn’t have to worry about driving to and finding accessible parking and then worrying about the building being fully accessible etc. The majority of the time everyone not from my school was more than happy as we were centrally located, had a large, free car park and did good catering with a proper coffee machine and nice fruit platters and pastries instead of the usual, a pack of stale digestive biscuits and cheap instant coffee. So win win all round.

One day I had a meeting with a new student (who we will call Fred), who was going to be joining my class. I was liasing between the various people involved in the meeting, which included Fred’s social worker. They were then liasing with the Fred’s foster parents as I didn’t have their contact info. I knew the social worker from other students and she knew that we would have the meeting at my school and why and was more than happy for this (she often joked she wished she could have all her meetings here, even for pupils not at our school, because of the nice coffee and fruit platters) and we arranged it all.

Day of the meeting and I’m alerted by reception that my guests were there. I roll off to meet them and before I can approach the foster parents (the other people involved in the meeting hadn’t arrived yet) they were ranting at receptionist on how ridiculous it was that they had to come here and couldn’t have had it at the council office, all because supposedly someone in the meeting had a “disability” (said using air quotes) and it was easier for them to have it here. Ranting about how stupid this was to pander to people like this, how people will make up disabilities to be the centre of attention and how it was getting worse and never like this in the past. (They were in their 60’s) The poor receptionist is trying to get a word in and spots me and looks embarrassed knowing I’ve seen and heard this but I don’t care.

I roll over and introduce myself as Fred’s new teacher and before I can say anything else I’m interrupted by the woman as she says “don’t be stupid, you aren’t his new teacher, you can’t possibly be a teacher if you’re a wheelchair” (not wheelchair user, just “wheelchair” something I sadly get a lot when people for example would say “a wheelchair wants to come in”, like I’m an inanimate object and not actually a human, but I digress) and then turns to the poor receptionist and goes “can you let the teacher know we’re here and turns to her husband and goes “phone the social worker, this is ridiculous”. Poor Fred at this point has his head in his hands and looks so anxious and shy and like he wants to disappear. I lift my lanyard and staff badge to the woman and reply “I can assure you that I am Mrs Complex Case, Fred’s new teacher and that my legs not working had no affect on my ability to be a teacher and that they two aren’t mutually affected by each other.”

At this point, the social worker, the educational psychologist and another worker (speech and language if my memory serves me right) walk in and the foster mother goes “oh thank god you’re here, none of you look disabled so why you insisted on us having the meeting here for that reason is beyond me.” Turning to her husband and the receptionist saying “I told you, people make up all sorts of “disabilities” nowadays and want everyone to pander to them. It’s getting worse and worse” before returning to the social worker and continuing with “Also Fred’s teacher hasn’t arrived yet but she (rudely thrusting her finger in my face) is trying to say that she is his teacher, when she clearly can’t be as, well look at her!” (Giving me a rude glare and up and down ‘if looks could kill’ assessment)

The social worker, shocked, replies “I’ll remind you now that you are both new foster parents and so are subject to frequent reviews to assess your suitability for the job.” Foster mum butts in and goes “what do you mean? We’re here AND agreed to come to the school to accommodate one of you apparently having a disability that I can’t see!” Social worker sighs and goes “well insulting Mrs Complex Case and all disabled people, isn’t really a great first impression. Mrs Complex Case is indeed Fred’s new teacher (who by this point was trying his hardest to merge into the sofa he is sat on so as not exist in the reception area anymore) because wheelchair users can be teachers.”

Foster mum tried to butt in at this point but the social worker holds her hand up to silence her, which makes the foster mum get even more red in the face and carries on talking. “Plus, the school is actually closer to your house than the council offices, has free abundant parking, unlike the council offices and best of all has amazing coffee and refreshments. You’re lucky to get a mug of brown coffee flavoured water and an unbroken stale rich tea at the council offices, unlike here where we will get proper coffee and (turning to me) I assume we have one of the amazing fruit platters and a tray of pastries for the meeting?! So having the meeting here benefits all of us, not just being more accessible for Mrs Complex Case!”

Before the foster mother can utter a reply, the social worker ushers us all to the meeting room (the poor receptionist had signed them all in during this, later saying she felt so much second hand embarrassment and anxiety, she needed something to do and kept apologising for not doing more- which I kept reassuring her she did nothing wrong and you get a thick skin when disabled) to start the meeting.

The meeting went well, we tried to not let the mum say much, the educational psychologist said something like “this meeting is more for us to discuss with Fred directly our plan to help him transition with these new changes and ensure he is happy and safe” and so everything was directed at Fred and seldom at his foster parents.

I got very curt “sorry” from the mum at the end of the meeting, followed by a “but you can see how I was confused, it is very odd to see someone like you actually working and especially in a job like this that requires a degree!” I laugh and go “wow next you’ll be telling me I can’t drive or vote or get married or you know, live a normal everyday life!” The father said a more apologetic “sorry” but I got the feeling that she very much is in control of that relationship and his life wouldn’t be worth living if he’d said anything else. The other professionals in the meeting looked more concerned for the couple being foster parents and exchanged glances at the end with me like “I can’t believe I’ve witnessed all of this” In the meeting at the start, the psychologist said that he had worked with me a number of times and how lucky Fred was for having me as a teacher as I was very good at my job and would soon have him settled and caught up and loving school, which I think had angered her more too.

Fred looked very sorry and also embarrassed at these new foster parents treating me like they were. Luckily for him, a week later he was removed from them and placed with a lovely couple who had fostered another student of mine in the past. He flourished with them and myself at the school and was a delightful student to have. He had been dealt some awful cards in life and despite all of that, was a lovely child. I often wonder what he is up to now and hoped his biological parents hadn’t won custardy back. Which I know sounds weird wishing such a thing, but they caused him so much physiological and emotional trauma that took a long time to overcome.

TL-DR: new foster parents came for a meeting with myself and other professionals and berated my behind my back and to my face for being disabled and couldn’t get over the fact that I could be a wheelchair user AND a teacher.

TLDR: Karen, having bad experience with an insubordinate male employee, called the cops only to be arrested. And he wasn't even an employee! Or so he says..

I was a manager for a high-end wine and liquor shop. We were known for our helpful and knowledgeable staff. Our employees would frequently have in house samples (tiny bit) of wines and top self liquor. Then discuss what was distinct about the sample verses other brands.

Our work attire was white button-up shirt with black slacks. Think fancy restaurant waitstaff.

A week after Thanksgiving we had a Very Karen customer. She had cornered some poor guy, demanding he answer her questions. I heard him state no less than 3 times, "I don't work here." His attire was similar to ours, but he was wearing a tie, and missing our bronze name tag.

Karen knew he DID work there and was not answering her questions because he was 'uneducated and lazy'. She was very upset at his 'rudeness' towards her. Her plan. Talk to the manager. and. have. him. fired! Customers staff, myself overheard her, because, she's loud.

I approached the situation with a cordial smile and asked if there was anything I could do to assist her. Karen was appalled, "No, I'm going to get helped by the EMPLOYEE.", I heard her ask him about the difference between 3 topshelf scotch brands. Once I began to answer Karen's questions, she shut me down hard. "No! I want an employee to help me!!! It's his job!!!"

"Ma'am, he doesn't work here. I'd be happy to help you though."

Karen exhaled and and spoke very forcefully, "...even if you work here, I want a man's opinion on Scotch. It's a gift for a man and women do not drink Scotch. Get-..-your-..-MaNaahhaaGER."

"Ma'am I am the Manager. And I would like to apologize.."

I locked eyes with the male customer. "Sir, I apologize for this woman's inappropriate behavior."

"Ma'am, you need to exit the store."

She replied incredulously, "Okay, I will just never shop here again."

"I agree. You. Are. Banned."

"what?"

Karen insisted it was illegal to ban her, then tossed a few profane threats as she walked out. She paced back and forth in front of the store, loudly complained about the terrible injustice. Then announced in an annoying shrill, she'd was "calling the police!" Made a big show of the phone call. Shaking her fist and pointing at the shop while shouting into her phone.

I had an employee call the police for trespassing. When she saw the cop car, her face lit up and grinned at me. We saw the officer trying to calm her, asking qwriting notes. A different officer spoke with the 'not an employee' and myself. A few others chimed in.

Karen was ultimately arrested for disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, trespassing, and resisting arrest. Maybe a few others as well.

As the she was hauled away from our plaza, people inside and outside cheered.

The guy, who was the actual victim, called out to our store, "Now that's customer service!"

Turned out he was an amused local comic who had acquired new material for his act. Nice man, very funny. I gave him a discount on his purchase.

I’ve had this story waiting for the right sub. I’m on mobile so bare with me

Back in 2021 I was working as a gas station attendant. I was 20 at the time waiting for my coworker to get back from her lunch then these customers, in a little Kia toaster car, pull up to one of my further pumps. A sketchy looking lady in her late 30s walks up to the window and asks to put $5 on her pump. Simple enough. I worked in a self serving state so I just let her do her thing.

Didn’t realize until they were about done that their car was still running. Darn At my gas station when you bought gas no matter how much, you got complimentary air at the air compressor (buy $1 worth of gas and get $1.50 worth of pressurized air free) Lady came back up and asked if I’d turn the air on for them, of course.

But there’s a button on a remote I had to press as well as a button on the machine itself that they were supposed to press. They didn’t understand when I said to press the little silver button on the bottom of the left side.

Equally looking sketchy guy in like his 40s walks over from the air pump and asks me how to get it started. I leave my little kiosk and walk to the other side of the pumps to the air compressor. Turn it on for them, show them how it works and start to walk back to the kiosk.

Out of no where 4 squad cars pull up on surrounding us, cop tells me to stop and put my hands up

I put my hands up and say “I work here” Cop was skeptical about it. Keep in mind I’m a person of colour, it’s 2021 and I was wearing a black hoodie with reflective designs on the front and back, my hair was covering most of my name tag.

Another cop walks over and starts patting me down, asking if I had any weapons on me

“I do not. I’m at work and don’t carry anything on me at work” (lie… I had a pocket knife because I took public transportation but thought it was in my purse) He gets to my arms and moves my hair slightly and saw my name tag “Oh you do work here… uhh okay… go back inside and do your job” I nodded and started heading back and then another cop stopped me and asked what I was doing “I was told to go back to work because I work here…” showed my name tag “You work at the pumps? Oh okay go back to the pumps” (kiosk. He meant kiosk)

Once I get back in I texted my coworker (63 year old 5’0 old lady) that I just got patted down by cops so she came back still on lunch to ask what happened and if I was okay. I told her everything then she double checked on me before leaving to finish her lunch

Shortly after she left I had a line form and then the cop that patted me down got in that line and waited to apologize to me for the misunderstanding (major respect for that) and explained that the customers had stolen that vehicle from a family member (family friend?) and it got reported stolen and they thought I was with them (I dressed very casually at work so I didn’t blame them, I was just terrified because of the peak of BLM and everything was terrifying)

TL;DR Worked at a gas station. Customers had a stolen car, I didn’t know it was stolen, went to help them put air in it and then multiple cops showed up

I'm fresh out of my master's program, and pretty much walked into a teaching gig at the local community college. One thing to note about me is that I'm pretty baby-faced. One day, I had to come in and sub for another instructor. I was limping at the time, due to a bad sprain in my ankle, and leaning on a crutch. I had my parking permit on my car, and parked in a faculty bay, blessedly close to the door. As I'm getting out, this cop sees me. I see him and give him a small nod, and start to get out of the car. The parking lot next to my car was full of Student cars, riddled with bright pink tickets. As I get my crutch out, the cop yells "you can't park there."

I just look around to see who he's talking to. Realizing it was me... "Uh, yes I can?"

"Look, just because you're on crutches, and need to be close to the door doesn't mean you can park in that spot. It's for faculty."

"I AM faculty." I said, frustrated at having to stand and argue. He snorted. I rolled my eyes, and started to walk into the building. I turned around and saw him start taking down the info for my vehicle. He got to the front window to place the ticket and froze. Inside the window was... a faculty parking pass. Wild, right? He stops for a minute, stares blankly. Rips out the ticket and throws it away. Guy must have felt like a jack ass. Don't judge books by their cover...

I am a judge in Germany. When I was in my second year, I happened to be transferred to a local court („Amtsgericht“) in a rural area and one of my responsibilities was deciding about closed accommodation for mentally ill people. Often, the public order office would take someone who for example had a psychotic breakdown to the local psychiatric hospital and apply to the court to decide about the closed accommodation.

I then would drive to the clinic for the hearing. This would have to happen on the same day or at least within 24 hours. The hearing would also be attended by a psychiatrist to inform me about the mental condition of the persons concerned and by a lawyer („Rechtsanwalt“) to protect their rights (this procedural role is called a „Verfahrenspfleger“). There were three or four lawyers in the area, one of them would attend the hearings on a certain day of the week. The lawyer was informed by the court office about the time and location of the hearing. Sometimes, despite this being a quiet rural area, there would be several hearings on the same day.

When the following story happened, I had just transferred to this local court, so I did not yet know the local lawyers and they did not know me. I had scheduled two or three hearings that day.

It was a cold and rainy day. Therefore I was wearing a warm jacket and a leather hat (a kangaroo leather hat by Barmah). Not a very judge-like appearance, but water proof and these hearings are no formal court sessions, no one wears a suit or judge's robes there.

However I arrived at the clinic a few minutes early. The lawyer was not there yet. So I waited for him at the counter within the closed section of the hospital after I had told them why I was there.

The lawyer arrived on time and proceeded to the counter. I, standing nearby, heard him say „Rechtsanwalt xy, I am here as a Verfahrenspfleger for the hearing with the Amtsgericht“. So i approached him and said „Great you're here, you have the hearing with me.“ He looked at me, still wearing my hat, and he probably thought „Oh, yet another weirdo in the closed ward“ and asked for my name. I told him my last name, assuming he would have read my name in his documents. He checks his list ... „Hm, I do not have your name here, maybe the court has scheduled another hearing, but we will know when the judge arrives.“

Just then I realised he thought I was a patient. At the court we had often joked about getting mistaken for a schizophrenic person believing to be a judge and not to be allowed to leave the clinic after the hearing. For a moment, I thought that was now happening to me. Luckily, when I said „Oh no, sorry, I am the judge!“ he instantly believed me and I did not have to spend the day in the clinic waiting for myself to arrive.

(I also did not have an official judge ID card at the time as it usually was enough to carry court files and tell people I was a judge. But I made sure to get one after this incident.)

I've worked at my company going on 15 years this August. I've seen countless employees come and go over the years and the "Lifers" knows me quite well. Around the peek of COVID-19, our office all but shutdown and I was sent home to work remotely. I came back for a brief stint in early 2022 but was soon granted the privilege to permanently work from home. We use Teams for inter office communications and we were encouraged early on to use our personal photos as our avatars. At some point this rule became a moot point and we were allowed to use whatever office friendly photo or picture to use. I chose "The Dude" from The Big Lebowski early on and kept it for most of the COVID WFH stint. After I moved a few years back, I was still within driving distance from work. It was a long drive if I had too but the work-from-home was now part of my new contract. After much complaining, IT finally approved my new Laptop but it wouldn't arrive by shipping for 2 weeks. So I decided I would drive down to our new office, chitchat to the few remaining Lifers and say hello on person to the bosses for the first time in 2 years. Most knew I was coming in and I was even invited to Lunch with the CTO.

I open the door to the new office making sure to admire the new building and surroundings. I saw our relatively new receptionist Chel on the phone and didnt want to disturb her. So I checked to see if my old key fob worked and of course it didn't.

Chel looked over at me trying to get into the inner office and asked if I had an appointment. I didnt want to interrupt her phonecall to a client so I remained professional and said yes, with CTO. She looked at her appointments list and came back with "I'm sorry but CTO is out right now. Is there someone else you needed to speak too?"

Confused, as to her answer, I said CFO's name. She said he didnt work in the office that day (hybrid day). I then just asked if I could be buzzed in to go grab my things. Again? Trying to be professional as she had the phone still in her hand muted on her chest.

"... can I ask your name" saying rather annoyed. I told her my name and she does some things on her computer first and finally puts the phone on actual hold and hangs up the receiver. I'm getting slightly impatient at this point as it's been several minutes. "What's your business here?" Even more confused, "I'm here to pick up my things and have Lunch with CTO." She doesnt answer back, just does more typing on her computer. A few moments go by and I'm now attempting to text my boss that I'm outside and to let me in if he can. My boss comes to the door (hadn't seen my texts) and is surprised to see me. He was clearly expecting to see someone else and then starts laughing and immediately shakes my hand in a greeting.

Chel is confused, "whoah, you've really changed." I'm now confused. "Well it has been a few years since I've been into the office. Were you around back then?"

"No, I mean.. you look nothing like your profile picture." To which she shows me my avatar The Dude. Trying to explain to her the movie, the reference and how she and i have talked on the phone a few times did she finally realize who i was and that i did in fact work there.

Edit: I apparently need to clarify some details. She was on the Phone having a conversation she clearly didnt want to put on hold when initially talking to me. I didnt give my name to her because she was busy. I wasnt rude, didnt want to interrupt. She was doing her job and I just assumed she knew me. Who am I to tell her who I am if she is going through the motions. AFTER I told her my name, she didnt believe me. Who am I to give her attitude or lip for doing her job and verifying everything. She was doing her job and I was waiting patiently. I knew nothing was out of order until my boss showed up. Just confused at certain points was all. In hindsight I see if I had just interrupted her or been more of what most of the posters below have implied and been a dick... yeah probably could have resolved this situation earlier. But I would have been rude to a coworker.

Edit: I mean holy shit people. Why are most of you assuming I'm trying to garner sympathy here? It's a funny story about a misunderstanding. I'm not even mad, I'm just wondering where most of you get off on assuming I'm trying to be superior or some shit. I was trying to be polite, the receptionist was doing her job. That was it.

I almost posted this in r/Idontworkherelady but saw this sub and realized it made more sense here.

So many lifetimes ago, worked for a pizza chain that's also an oldschool tabletop group game with blue shirts (at the time anyway). Later, I worked at a rival pizza chain that is named after a small dwelling with red or black shirts. I still had my entire uniform from the first place. Anyway, I was called in to do an opening shift after I'd closed the previous night, so I decided a little malicious compliance was an order but not overly malicious as my GM was also my sister.

What do I do? I'm sure you can guess from the previous paragraph. Yep, I showed up in my old uniform. Whole thing, shirt, hat, even my old name tag. We get through all the opening routine and she -never notices-. We open and I'm working front register for our few carryouts we have that early. I check out a few people, and still -no one notices-. Finally enters our first apparently totally awake customer lol. Coincidentally, my GM is doing a cash count at the front when this happens. The woman looks at me for a few seconds, then looks around, basically confirming what store she walked into. Then she asks the question that has escaped everyone up until this point. We'll call her AC(awake customer), GM obviously for my boss/sister.

AC : Um... Hi.

Op: Hi! Welcome to tiny house pizza store!

AC: Okay.. So I am at tiny house pizza store..

Op: Sure are! (Obviously I'm prepared for this, since I know she's confused by my uniform)

AC: ...so...do you work here..?

GM : looks up Yeah..she does?

AC : okay I wasn't sure.

GM : what? Why--FFS REALLY OP?!

I finally couldn't take it. I lost it. The look on my sister's face was only second to just the sheer confusion on this poor customer's face. She had to finish the transaction because I had to go sit down, at this point I couldn't breathe. Then the absolute "done with your sh*t" look she had when she came back to the manager station has been one of my best memories. It was half done with me, but half disbelief that we spent several hours together that morning and she never noticed. Although I always wonder if that customer ever thinks about the most confusing pizza purchase she's likely ever experienced. If it lives rent free in her head like it does mine.

In case you were wondering, no, I had nothing better to do with my life at the time because I was insanely tired but also needed the overtime. And yes, I still have the first uniform. I even have a car topper but they don't have to know that >.>

I posted this awhile back in I Don't Work Here Lady but was told it would fit better here. Sorry for the weird type format, I copy/pasted from the other forum where I edited it for format

Way back in the halcyon days of flannel and combat boots, more commonly known as the early 90s, I had just gotten a job at a certain blue vest store. I wasn't a model employee.

 One of my best friends had gotten me the job with the plan to work with him. He was an overnight GM stocker. Unfortunately, there were no openings for his half of the store. I instead became an overnight grocery stocker. 

 I was fresh out of high school and dressed like every other teenager in America. Flannel shirt open over a concert shirt, blue jeans, and black boots. At this point, there was no dress code for overnights other than "decent clothes and no sandals". Didn't even have blue vests.

 One fateful night, I was meeting my dad for my lunch break. Some particularly stupid teenage boys decided to try and rob our store. Want to guess how teenage boys in the 90s were dressed? If you said "just like me" you win first prize.  

 So there I am, in all my pseudo lumberjack glory, walking out of the store to meet with Dad. Suddenly, I am grabbed from behind, arm twisted behind my back, and slammed (and I mean SLAMMED) into the cement wall of the store face first. My face is now bleeding and ridiculously sore. At this point I have no idea what's going on. I actually thought I was being robbed. That's when I noticed 3 other guys; again dressed just like me, against the wall in the same pose. They have police officers behind them. I now can only assume that I do as well and begin to relax.  I mean, i didnt do anything wrong, so they have to let me go when i say i work here, right? Wrong! Somewhere behind me, I can hear my dad asking what's going on, and the cops telling him to go away.

 Then I hear my manager. "Thank God," I think to myself. "He'll straighten this out." I was sorely mistaken! He thought it would be funny to tell them that he didn't know who I was. Later he claimed that he would have told them the truth before they put me in the cruiser, but I'm not sure.

 Enter Carley. God bless Carley. She was the GM manager. She told the police who I was and loudly berated my manager in front of God and everyone! 
 Once they released me from the arm bar and pulled my bleeding face away from the wall, Carley offered me a job on her side of the store. I politely turned her down and quit on the spot. Her response, "I don't blame you at all." 

 Never got an apology from my manager or the cops. So yeah, I no longer work there.

As the title says, I work in a bar, in the Atlanta area, and we obviously have chicken wings. I am a 37 white male, lady is a 24(?)ish black lady. A correctional officer who seems to have a domination kink from what her ex, my newly hired coworker whom is a 28year old Mexican dude in the kitchen whom I am training, has told me. She's a prison guard. I did not know this until shortly before I write this. She's used to dominating men, she's assigned to the yard area.

Apparently she and her mother, who is her superior at said prison, would bribe a now-departed cook to batter their wings for them. We do not have the filters on our friers to properly make breaded wings, I used to work at Hooters, the Kitchen Manager and General Manager are correct. That requires specialized equipment. We are just a hole--in-the-wall type.

So once my trainee asks me how to do this, I put the kibosh on it. I say it's not on the menu, and we don't do off-menu stuff. It becomes an ordeal and I am summoned out to the table within 5 minutes. I explain that both my GM and K(itchen) Managers have forbade me from making breaded wings and you cannot coerce my trainee into doing it, no matter if y'all already know him.

So come to find out my KM "occasionally" made this customer and her mom "grandma" style wings, and so did a guy who just recently quit. However, they straight up gave my KM and the now former-coworker cash on the side for this. Nothing for my trainee and certainly nothing for me, the guy who would get in trouble otherwise.

SO it turns into a whole thing, and gets to the point where I ask my KM to please defuse the situation, as I did not appreciate the hand in my face like it was 1998 I was getting told to talk to one. This lady LIES and tries to put words in my sisters mouth, who is a bartender there AND working and quickly comes and refutes this regular's testimony to my KM, who is a (41yr old) black man. My KM figures out she's not on the level when she changes her story several times, up to and including saying my sister was just covering for me and that just because it wasn't on the menu doesn't mean I don't have to do what she says. At that point she raises her fist to hit me and then drops it and claims shes not "beating my ass because she respects my sister" whatver that means.

Would I be the asshole if I reported her to her job? this isn't an AITA post btw. Just asking that as aside. Threatening random cooks is troublesome though.

A post from the opposite sub (idontworkherelady) popped up on my feed and reminded me of something that happened when I first started working at my job. I work in a kitchen that is next to a banquet hall that is used mostly on the weekends but they were having Wednesday night dinners and stuff like that. They had borrowed my cart to do something and I had to get it back. So here I am decked out in my beautiful 🙄 donated cracker barrel apron and hairnet walking into the banquet hall and this lady chases after me telling me I had to pay the dinner fee to be there. I'm like, I freaking work here lady! Everyone was nicely dressed and then there's me lol used deductive reasoning.

Growing up me and my dad didn’t have much money. My mom left when I was 4 because she decided she didn’t want to have kids? I don’t know her actual reason, anyways I got my ‘first job’ when I was 9, my dad had a family friend who owned a car garage. My dad started working there after he had already lost his job, everyday after school I didn’t want to stay with my grandparents but instead went to the garage.

After 10 years of working in my freshman year of college, at this time the garage was doing well, we had 4 establishments and recently bought a towing company and a scrap yard and combined them. My dad was made assistant manager and help co run the company. So after my father I was the next in charge which had its downside.

It was summer break and I was working with my co workers who were like a family to me because I knew them for so long. It was getting late and we were about to close down, it was only me and 4 others as some people had left when a family in this Toyota van rolled in. My friend who I will call Dave greeted them. That is when all hell broke loose, there were 6 people, Karen, Karen’s Husband, Karen’s Parents, and her 2 kids. Husband got out to go talk to Dave about the problem with their call while I offered to take the rest of the family inside to do some basic paperwork.

After I sat down at my desk and began to pull out the paperwork. That is when I realized didn’t have car insurance so I explained what that meant for the repair price. “Of course I know about insurance! I am older than you! You know what I want someone else for this” the Karen said, “Ma’am it would be easier to stick with me as I am qualified” I said. Boy she did not like that, she started talking about how I was too young and she wanted a more professional person to do the paperwork with.

Me being me I said my education and experience are on par with most of the other staff who age ranges are 30 to 50. “I want your manger, they can get me someone qualified” the Karen yelled, “Ma’am the manger and assistant manger is not here, I can get someone else though if you quiet down” I said.

Karen was actually so loud that her husband had took the kids down the road to the local ice cream shop to distract her kids as the grandparents were at a thrift shop away from their daughter. As I pretended to walk away and sent Dave to pretend to be more qualified personal, I put on my associate manager badge and walked back in and Dave stood up and walked away. “Hello I am ______ J am the associate manager here how can I help you” I said, luckily before she can blow out my ear drums her husband came in apologized for here behavior and took over the rest of the interaction.

I wouldn’t say it was one of the best days but to me it kinda was because after they left my significant other came in with a busted tire. That day I met them and they after I graduated college and got a job we were married :)

(Hello, sorry for no paragraphs but I have struggled with grammar for a long time and still do, sorry if no paragraphs upset you but they are paragraphs god damn paragraphs)

Fun Fact: Her husband is bisexual and was my boyfriend for a few years, we were friends after we broke up and texted each other. We didn’t get together but he got me and my husband together

On mobile, so during the 2020 our neighbor across the street passed away. Afterwards the house was bought and renovated, then lock down happened and I was laid off. Luckily it didn't affect me or my wife financially and we continued to be well off and all was fine. One day while doing some much needed yard work, a man had stopped by (names changed for privacy reasons). He introduced himself and his girlfriend as Juan and Michelle, and ended up having a nice conversation and learned he was the one that bought the house. After that conversation they invited us both to pizza down at our areas most popular pizza place (all hand made brick oven pizza, it's really good). We accepted the invitation and was to meet up there on Sunday. The week went on and soon Sunday had rolled around and we walked up to the front of the restaurant and sat and waited for our hosts to arrive. While we waited I had ran inside and grabbed us both a drink, 15 minutes later a manager had stepped outside and ask if we had ordered yet. Me "No we haven't ordered yet, but we are waiting for someone to arrive" manager "ok, well when you are ready step inside." A few minutes later my wife and I are starting to get agitated and thinking about leaving when the manager stepped back out side, manager "you two are Juan's guest's correct? " Me "yes? We are sitting here waiting on him." Manager "oh, well he's inside, do you not remember me?" We sat there looking confused about who she was "I'm Michelle, Juans girlfriend." It then clicked with us who she was and followed her in. I don't remember the conversation that took place after, but it turned out Juan owned both the pizza place and the burger place next to it. We were later told that he grew up poor and hated the way his home country was, so he made it his mission to give back as much as possible no matter who it was. We ended up with too much pizza and had to call a friend to come eat it with us. Over the next two years of us living there, there would be the occasion of me and my wife going to these places to eat and a few of these visits ending up with free food. Now you probably thinking we took advantage of his generosity, well no. Any time we didn't pay the staff got what we would have paid as a tip, and would offen have to avoid him and his girlfriend so we could pay, and that I didn't feel that I was taking an opportunity away from someone else that needed that free food more than me.

I was clearing glasses from tables. I approached this group of men at a table and collected their empty pint glasses. They had a empty chair which I swerved past to get access to the table. They must’ve not seen my uniform of me holding glasses. The group gave me weird looks and one of them said in a snarky tone “you can’t sit here”. A truly humbling experience

This story takes place in 2002, when I was senior in high school. It was Homecoming weekend at my high school, when this story takes place.

For context, the date was October 2, 2002, the day before my school's Homecoming dance. It was, also, payday and the night of the rally before the Homecoming football game. The key characters are:

OP (Me) Hot date (My date to the Homecoming dance) Hero manager (My manager) Mom (My mother) Karen (Entitled woman)

For some more context, my mother is present, because she was driving me and my date to the rally, because my car was being worked on (dead starter and solenoid switch), and wanted to eat at Burger King.

The Story:

It is seven in the evening, on a Friday. Dinner rush is over, so there are only five people in line. I walk over to my manager, who is between the drive-through window amd the order counter. Manager sees me. Unfortunately, so does Karen. The following conversation ensues (to the best of my memory).

Karen (to OP): Why are you cutting in line? And, why are you pestering the manager. You can't possibly, work here. You look... 15 and dressed for a... school dance.

Manager (hands OP his paycheck): Ma'am, he DOES work here. Just because he is dressed for a school dance, doesn't mean he is to young to work Herr.

Karen (to Manager): Was I talking to YOU? I DON'T think I was. Why are YOU handing him an envelope (my paycheck)?

OP: THIS, ma'am, is my PAYcheck. You know... what I earned feeding people, like you.

Mom (to Karen): QUIT talking about MY son (my mother, when pissed, is a true mama bear.) Quit TALking to my son. WHAT my son is DOing is NONE of your business.

Karen (to Mom): Listen here bitch, it is NOT your place to talk to me. Furthermore, you look nothing like "my son" (she used air quotes as she said the end of it).

Hot date (to Karen): Excuse me, but I can assure you this woman is MY man's mother. So turn right around, pay attention to your own affairs, and quit talking to and about MY man. (to OP): Come here, handsome. Let's order supper and eat. ForGET this wench.

Me, mom and I ordered our meal, leaving Karen to seethe that she got put in her place.

Manager (to OP while looking at Karen): And because of this bitch, you can have the order for free. Enjoy your weekend. We will see you on Tuesday evening. (to Karen): As for you, once you get your order, you are banned from this location. If I see your car or you, again, you will be trespassed, at this location.

I manage a pumpkin patch. We have the pumpkins, of course, but also a few rides, slides, bounce houses and petting zoos. Designed to appeal to younger kids. Think the 3-15 year age. But most rides are for 5 to 15.

This happened right after opening, She was the first guest there. I was not wearing my manager apron because I had to chase an escaped baby pig, and baby pigs do what baby pigs do...

Our rides have ratings for what AGE they are appropriate for. There are weight restrictions too, but the big one is the age. 5 to 15 years old on this big, 30' in the air slide.

A woman decided that it would be fine, and safe, to strap her one year old to her, climb this slide and go down.

I told her absolutely not. That she was absolutely not allowed to do that.

She informed me she HAD to because the baby could not climb up there by himself.

Ma'am! Your ONE YEAR OLD INFANT is NOT allowed on that slide!!

She told me the manager had given her permission... and that she had been allowed down with same baby last year (with a NEWBORN?! She was absolutely NOT allowed to do that).

She demanded to speak to the manager who told her she could. I told her the only manager on site was ME and I had never seen her in my life.

She and her partner and baby went to the parking lot where they ambushed the co-manager. The very Mexican co-manager. They told him I was rude and racist against Mexicans.

"Let me get this straight," he laughed. "My WIFE is racist against... Mexicans?"

They left in a huff. They called the owners who told them if they couldn't follow the rules to stay the hell off of their lot.

​

Cross posted because I didn't know about this sub until a lovely commenter directed me here.

I was at Target one night, around 20 years old. Sweatpants, university t-shirt, carrying my purse, just browsing with my roommate. Two girls are shopping down the aisle and one of them looks directly at me and asks, "Ma'am, could you see if you have anymore of these?" I couldn't even respond, just stared at her with my mouth open, confused as hell, because actually I did work there. At Target, at that exact store. I was just in shopping on a night off. The girl's friend hit her and said, "She doesn't work here you idiot!" and dragged her friend away, who was now staring at me awkwardly too. I was still just standing there, gawking, wondering how in the world she could tell, or if she just got lucky.

I spent over 20 years working as a flight attendant for an international airline back in 70-90's, when most people dressed better tan todays passengers and also behaved better too. We were on a daylight flight of about 7-8 hours and had just finished collecting the meal trays, to put away, before we did a bar service, This was on B747 jumbo, every seat occupied, so it took a little while to complete each service. I was with a female attendant in one aisle, and in the other aisle two males operating the cart.

In an aisle seat a few rows behind one of the guys, a 20ish girl, looking more like a Barbie doll, inn her pink track suit & blonde hair & large sunglasses, started snapping her finger in the air, singing out "hey, I want a drink, now". They guy, a gay attendant who had previously been a cabaret performer, started snapping the fingers on both hands, did a little dance step down to the woman, singing the George & Ira Gershwin song from Girl Crazy, "I've Got Rhythm". until he got to the girl. He sad to her "you know this song is from Crazy Girl, and if you wait a few more minutes, we will be down to you for your order. As he walked back to the bar cart, still snapping his fingers & singing, there was a big applause from passengers in the area. When he reached her again, she refused to order a drink, but a couple of people asked for another song, and to rub salt into the girls "wounds" he sang and tap danced "Barbie Girl" for them, to a lot of applause, before continuing to serve drinks.

His response when we were back in the bar storage area was "stupid bitch, I have more rhythm in my big toe than she has brains in her head". We got a laugh out of it and the girl didn't say another thing to anyone for the rest of the flight.

So I posted this to another thread of "I don't work here" because my baked behind didn't pay attention 🤣 but I have one for off the clock.

I am a flamboyant queer, bright punk style hair, I stand out. I also live nearby and there is no where else to shop so I have to shop at my work...

Customers who know me and see me going on break I'll make jokes to about "I put on my incognito jacket and no one will recognize me"

I have customers who have a hard time with English and know I will help them and am pretty good at figuring out what they need and working through the lack of words they have.

I have customers who know I know my way around the store or know who to ask.

One lady who needs a motorized cart knows I'll always find her one and even if I'm in street clothes with my bag headed out the door she will stop me and ask if I know where any are and go half way across the huge parking lot to get her the scooter her kids or husband could have gotten for her (I'm too nice)

Unfortunately, this means if they know me they know I'm helpful and will stop whatever I'm doing to help them.... 😅

Well I rarely pull the "I'm not on the clock" card but the other day, I did.

I had just clocked out, coming out of the employee bathroom from changing into my street clothes I see a guy looking lost.

Now I'm in a grocery store, behind those double doors that clearly say "employees only" and no grocery store anywhere let's anyone past those doors... this man is about to walk into the cooler and I thought "maybe he's a delivery guy who's a bit lost" so I ask him the worst thing I could have "can I help you?"

He goes on to say there's no more watermelon. I tell him he has to go to produce and find an employee who's on the clock and they can help him. He proceeds to yell at me that he was just over there. I cut him off and repeat he needs to go find an employee over in produce, they can help him, I cannot. He then tells me to go find an employee for him and I go back and forth with him repeating that he needs to leave the employee only area and go find an employee on the clock and out on the floor (he had to pass deli as well as bulk food to get to where I was so he had people he could have asked) he finally left in a huff but bro, you don't get to come into the employee area and yell at people off the clock to do things for you. That's not how shit works. Had he not immediately started yelling at me I would have walked him over there to show him how stupid he is as he probably just didn't see they were moved to a different table (found that out later)

But also happy I didn't get in trouble for treating an old man like the toddler he was behaving like.

edit If anyone here wants to come after me to helping even off the clock, f off and take it elsewhere. No one is suffering because I give up 30 seconds of my time to help people. They know me, recognize me as me, and often don't look down to see if I'm in uniform.

Clearly I hold my ground when they break rules, it's not the end of the world for me to point them in the direction of an isle or send them to an employee who can help them, or grab a stupid cart.

I'm not "making things harder" for my coworkers.

So for Context I work at an arts and crafts store and as someone who is majoring in arts and has a hobby in arts I tend to shop there as well.

So I was already clocked off and me and my mom were shopping and I decided I wanted some new Copic Markers, my bosses don’t mind that I take the keys to unlock the cabinet they’re in, so I do so. Now our uniform is typically a red shirt or a vest

However the thing is when I go to put them back near the registers a lady Asks if I can help her and I just kinda freeze up on not knowing how to respond, I wasn’t wearing my vest, just khakis and a jacket with an anime T-shirt.

Thankfully my Coworker behind the register offered to help her when I was just about to respond.

I probably would’ve said “I uhh…do work here but I’m off the clock, what can I help you with?” but I was just so stunned

On this particular day I was assisting with pull by going around to check lanes, gust services, security, etc and collecting spider wrap and keepers to put on this new release that was selling as fast as we could get it off the truck. It was hectic and I was doing my not quite a jog speed walk, carrying a hand basket filled with security. Guest services had a long line and all 4 registers open so I just slipped past them knowing where they kept the spider wrap. I was loading up my basket when someone grabs my shoulder and spins me around. A manager who I have worked with before and should know me is berating me for cutting in line and going into an employees only area. I show her my ID and say I am an employee and try to explain what I’m doing. She continually talks over me and insists on calling security. So now she’s standing with me next to the registers, she’s closed her register to focus on me so now only 3 are open and the line is getting longer. After several minutes security shows up, looks at me and the spider wrap for less than a second and without acknowledging her just tells me to hurry back to tech because they have been calling that they need security and have been calling on the radio asking what’s keeping me. Security didn’t even speak to her. Sadly this wasn’t the last time this happened.

Disclaimers: on mobile, English is a second language, not in the US.

I just received the forms for this year's food festival and I was reminded of what happened last year.

After the first quarantine, the mayor in my city decided to organize a food festival in August; because it was a success, it has become an annual event. I've taken part on both of them and planning to take part this year also. While most participants go with tried and true hand held (to a degree) recipes, I use it to try new things (that maybe update my menu). Anyway, to the story.

As a crew, we had the experience of the previous year of what about to expect. I had gone with one tweak of a standing recipe I had (pulled pork sandwiches) and one new one. The new one was a sandwich with smoked sausage, grilled onions, peppers and eggplant and a feta cheese sauce. Since the opening hours for the festival were 11:00 to 23:00, we planned on having a three man crew (two cooks, one apprentice) on site with enough food to cover the rush hour of lunch and restoke when the crew changed (at 17:00). If they needed anything, they would give us a call and we would bring it from the shop (we were about 500 yards away).

That fateful August day, we received a call from the crew around 13:00 that they were running low on vegetables and cheese sauce. Apparently, a cruise ship had anchored outside of the city's port and had debarked most of their passengers for 12 hours in the city and most of them hit the food festival. So I grab a portable fridge, load it with vegs and sauce and head to stand. Having a pass, I move fast through the entrance (one entrance and one "official" exit for both staff and visitors), but I catch some glares. As I stepped inside the "food court", I noticed that almost every stand had a big line in front of them.

As I move past our line to reach the stand's door, I hear people shouting "Hey!" "Where are going?" and "Get back in line". I'm almost at the door, when someone grabs my shoulder (which for various reasons connected to my past, is not a good move). I turn around to see a gray headed older man, dressed in classic tourist attire (light yellow shirt, khaki shorts, white socks and sandals and a hat).

Tourist, still holding my shoulder: "You can't cut the line like this! People are waiting!"

Me: "First, remove your hand. Second, I need to cut the li-"

Tourist: "No! You need to go back in line!"

At that point, one of my cooks is almost hanging over the counter, waiting for the ingredients and I'm starting to loose my temper; but I give another try.

Me: "I need to go in there to g-"

Tourist, now red in the face and shouting: "NO! YOU NEED TO GET BACK IN LINE AND WAIT FOR YOUR FOOD! Young people this days... (mumbling)"

Well, that was it for trying; time for my inner Neanderthal.

Me, forcibly removing his hand from my shoulder: "ME NOT CUT LINE, YOU NO EAT! GEGE?"

He looks at me shocked, when finally my cook shouted: "Hey boss! Can I have the stuff now?"

I handed him the fridge and told him not to sell to that guy. My cook's reply: "I know better that to feed wild animals"

The other day I was outside my work (office block in the city centre) on my smoke break talking with my work mates.

It’s quite a nice day so we’re all enjoying the weather, no coats or jackets on and out work passes on lanyards around our necks quite obviously.

Now bearing in mind that this is the city centre there’s not too much through traffic pedestrian or otherwise. There is a large park by our office where a fair amount of homeless people gather to drink ect but not much else around. It’s pretty obvious where we are standing that we work for the office building. It’s also not a public building, you have to have a pass to get past the door and there’s no real need why anyone who doesn’t work in this building would be standing outside it, although where we stand is technically public land.

A homeless seeming guy comes over and asks for any spare change. We didn’t have any cash and told him that, he then asked if we could spare a smoke. All my friends do the obligatory pat down and excuses of last cigarette ect. I feel kinda bad for the guy as he was polite upon asking and there really isn’t anything worse than not having a smoke when your craving one so offered him mine.

I passed the guy the whole pack to take a cigarette from but kept a keen eye on him as he did look a bit flighty and I didn’t really want him running off with basically a fresh pack of smokes.

The guy looked at the package pulled a disgusted face and started bitching and moaning about the brand of tobacco to me. “Could you not afford anything better?” He asks. (It’s not a cheap brand) My friend and I exchanged a look of “is this guy serious?” And I shrugged and told him “I like what I like I guess”

He then asked me if I had any other cigarettes he could have instead. I was baffled - I’m not some sort of cigarette vending machine?! I laughed and said “no sorry, that’s all I have, if you don’t want then I’m sure you can ask someone else.” He mumbled something I didn’t really hear and took 2 cigarettes out the box. Cheeky but whatever. He lit one of the cigarettes and then jumped up from where he was sitting on the wall and spluttering and screamed “what the fuck?! They’re menthol!” And threw the box at me yelling “what the fuck? Menthol! Why don’t you just get a job!?”

I pointed to my lanyard and said “erm …. What?! I literally work right here”

And with that he walked off still smoking my cigarettes shouting “whatever! Just get a job, you freak, get a job!” Leaving me to pick up the box and stare after him in complete shock.

Later my friend said “he obviously want aware, beggars literally can’t be choosers.”

Anyway, apologies it wasn’t a juicy Karen story, just a bizzare one instead.

Tldr - guy begging for money and cigarettes takes issue with the brand of cigarettes I gave him and then told me to get a job so I could earn better money to give him better freebies all whilst standing outside my workplace.

I just discovered this sub, and I have to share one of the dumbest experiences I had working as a security guard during Covid. I was assigned to Sam's Club right at the peak of everything, and it was as bad as you'd expect. I lived in a very Conservative area at the time and everyone was acting like a baby over mask enforcement, but that wasn't the issue in this case.

Basically, I had stepped off my post to use the restroom, and as I was leaving this dude came in with a ton of clothes, walking right by me (in an obvious security uniform) and a huge sign that says "no merchandise beyond this point." So, with this being my job, I naturally said "sir, you cannot bring merchandise in the restroom." This dude seriously turns back to me and says, "y'know why don't you go get a job and stop harassing me?" I then point to my badge and the security logo on my jacket, and reply "this literally is my job." He continues arguing, claiming he needs a dressing room and all that (the store never had them to begin with, but especially during Covid would not allow you to try things on). The entitlement was unreal.

Anyway, simple story, but it has always stuck with me how absurdly stupid it is to tell a security guard to "get a job" in response to being called out for trying to take merchandise into a bathroom stall. What do you think security is for, bro?

This happened about 2 months ago, but I just thought to post this here.

I (27 enby) am a freshman English teacher. For whatever reason, I look young for my age (though I’d argue not high school age), and between that and my style of dress, I’m often confused for a student by adults who don’t know me and student aides. Since I’m at a new school this year, it happens a significant amount.

The funniest instance of this confusion, though, was when we were testing a few months ago. I was assigned to proctor, which is just doing nothing but watching the kids take a test to make sure they aren’t cheating. One of our admin (Ms. A), who I had emailed numerous times for a variety of reasons, comes in, looks around, and leaves.

I shrug it off, thinking she was just checking to see how many students were still testing, and go back to the most boring task ever.

A few minutes later, the door opens and another admin (Ms. B) pops her head in. She looks around, makes eye contact with me, and signals for me to step into the hall.

I do so and see Ms. A standing there.

Ms. B looks at me and asks, “Have you ever met Ms. A before?”

Confused, I respond, “Not officially, though I have emailed her a few times.”

Ms. B nods and turns to Ms. A and motions to me like she’s Vanna White. “Ms. A, this is Ms. Azarath. She is, in fact, a teacher.” Ms. A looks so embarrassed.

Come to find out, when Ms. A first stopped in, she thought I was a student and ran to Ms. B freaking out about how there was no teacher in the room proctoring the test (a huge no-no). Ms. B, who had confused me for a student at the beginning of the year, knew immediately what happened.

We all laughed about it, and I told Ms. A that it was okay since it happens all the time, and we went back to our testing duties.

No drama, I know, but still a good chuckle.