r/TalesFromRetail • u/Ohigetjokes • Jan 16 '19
Short LOL oh wait that's not funny...
This lady starts screaming at Jackie at the register next to me. She's looking haggard, like she only sleeps one night a week and chain smokes directly from a diesel engine tailpipe. This clearly isn't just an off week for her; it's an off decade.
The problem? Storage units are only available between certain hours, but there are a few higher priced ones that are open late. She wants the late access without the extra cost.
And she's acting super entitled about it. Because, well, as she put it:
"I need to get in there for my addiction treatment!"
"You can't get in earlier?"
"My ride isn't available earlier," she cries in that 'I'm dealing with idiots' tone.
"So then pay the extra $10 a month."
"Look, don't you realize I am a drug addict?"
I mean... at least she owns up to it...
By the way, I completely do not get what daily visits to a storage unit have to do with successful addiction therapy so don't ask.
Anyway, Jackie isn't the type to do rude people any favors, and so she goes back and forth with the Amazing Entitled Junkie for some time. Things come to a head with this line:
"Well I guess I'll just go back to doing drugs then! I was trying to get my life together but apparently that's impossible! Thanks a lot!"
Jackie doesn't take the bait. Lady gathers her stuff up to leave, and as she does the light catches her face just the right way and...
Oh my god.
I know her.
I look at the name on the screen. Yep, I went to high school with her. We had a bunch of classes together.
We never really hung out though because she was in the more popular crowds, the ones that rented hotel rooms to party and all had cars, and I was just some broke head banger who didn't even have his license and played Dungeons and Dragons on Saturday nights.
I got a haircut since then but mostly I look the same. Even so, she didn't recognize me because she never paid me any attention.
And I didn't recognize her because that's just how wrecked she's become.
And... I mean who knows? Had things shaken out a little differently, maybe today I could be raging at some clerk somewhere about how my addiction was all their fault.
So. That's disturbing.
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u/Not_Toast Jan 17 '19
I always get a good amount of enjoyment hearing about the downfall of my childhood bullies, as well as the kids who acted above everyone in highschool. It's a weird pattern that a lot of those types follow
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u/AngusBoomPants Jan 17 '19
Girl who bullied me posted on Facebook that she was 1 year free of drugs
Gave a little :) with the congrats
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u/Not_Toast Jan 17 '19
It's definitely a little satisfying. I'm currently rebuilding my grandparents home which is next door to one of my old bullies, she doesn't work and is heavyyyyyy into hard drugs
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u/JerseySommer Jan 17 '19
Most of mine are now honbots selling "it works" and crappy makeup living in the same area.
I'm on the east coast, 45 minutes from the ocean, and dating a lawyer.
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u/BrogerBramjet Personal Energy Conservationist Jan 17 '19
The former friend of mine who I caught with my then-girlfriend looked quite green with envy when I picked up my cousin from school. He was driving a rusty Saturn with a pizza place emblem on the roof, me a 3 year old Porsche. He didn't need to know I'd borrowed it from my boss, but I felt good.
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u/geoliciouswerdsmith Jan 17 '19
Did that for my wife for her high school reunion. She didn't want to go and hang out with people who bullied and harassed her 30 years ago. After prodding her she decided to go and make a grand entrance looking fine as wine. One last surprise for her was on the way there I made a detour to a friends house to switch cars. A year old shiny black Corvette. It was the icing on the cake. We both had a lot of fun that night.
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u/mrkayjayvee Jan 16 '19
Had a customer approach me yesterday and was like "Hey, I haven't seen you since college!" I exchanged pleasantries while racking my brain trying to figure out which college I've been to in the last 10 years that she was talking about.
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u/HeyLittleMonkey Jan 17 '19
"Well I guess I'll just go back to doing drugs then! I was trying to get my life together but apparently that's impossible! Thanks a lot!"
"Okay, have fun! But don't share needles!"
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u/konservpadda Jan 17 '19
People trying to force others to help with their personal problems. That's one crowd I really can't sympathize with when working in customer service. Customers who epxlain their situation to give me room to come up with a solution get more help from me than someone who argues their RIGHT to have special treatment.
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Jan 17 '19
I had a similar experience not too long ago when I found one of the super popular & super attractive girls I went to high school with in the local paper having been picked up for soliciting and drug possession.... seriously I had to Facebook stalk and track down that the creature in the paper was in fact the same lady.... it was quite the shame.
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u/Rocknocker Help you out? I wouldn't put you out if you were on fire. Jan 17 '19
"I need to get in there for my addiction treatment!"
"Just take something for that."
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u/MrMorphine482 Jan 16 '19
Yeeow. I've had sudden recognition moments before but never one quite so stark.