Allow me to begin my first stating that I am a terrible storyteller and now, with that out of the way allow me to share with you a couple of anecdotes from working as a Sales Associate at Dollar General:
On Monday evening, I was working at the primary checkout lane at the store when an utterly white trash couple came barreling into the store engaged in what was sure to be an intellectually-stimulating conversation about the wife's preference for using hot dog buns for sandwiches (as oppose to you know, sandwich bread). Regardless, the husband (or boyfriend or baby's daddy or whatever) headed in the direction of the restrooms while the female portion of the duo sought out her hot dog buns. Personally, I tried not to pay them any mind since I actually had customers to tend to. Anyways, at some point, the male approached the counter while I was checking another customer out and asked (what I am sure he felt was a topical and surely humorous) question about whether or not he would be permitted to use the women's restroom because he was going to "cut off his dick and call himself a woman". To which, I responded: "I don't care." Clearly thrown off-guard by my lack of laughter at his "witty" comment, the man went into defense mode state that he was merely joking. My reply: "That's fine though I'm sure there are some that may your comments offensive." It was at this point that the female half of this duo (who had made her way into the line) interjected by saying I should learn to take a joke and that she knows "transvestites" that would have laughed at the joke. At this point, I (1) thought her transgender "friends" would have loved to have been called "transvestites" and (2) proceeded to enter full on ignore mode since I was in the process of checking out another customer. I suppose the woman carried on and finally became so flustered by my unwillingness to laugh at a "joke" I did not find humorous in the slightest that she forced her male companion to leave the store (by the way, the man was still in the process of trying to explain himself and his joke to me) without having purchased her hot dog buns; stating that they would never shop at a store with rude individual unwilling to laugh at their unfunny and offensive jokes. Oh well, good riddance!
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The following evening, I found myself once again working the primary register when a Latino family attempted to pay for a portion of their bill with an EBT (or food stamp) card and the remainder of the bill in cash. Anyways, their first attempt failed because (and I am only speculating) they accidentally pressed the "EBT Cash" option as opposed to the "EBT Food" option. Apparently, this minor delay in the processing of their payment was enough to upset the elderly white woman behind the family because upon her approach to the counter (and without any prompting from me) she made a comment about how she was paying for her items with "her own" money. In this instance, I held my tongue and proceeded to complete the transaction but her comment remained at the forefront of my thoughts as the next few customers following her (all white) also used EBT cards. Would she have made this comment had the family been white? My guess is most likely not but I can clearly guess who she will be voting for in November.
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I know that neither of these stories was humorous to anyone other than me but given my political leanings I find it funny that I am forced into a position in which I must be courteous and mindful of their ignorant positions and that either instance could have easily led to me getting reprimanded for merely disagreeing with their viewpoints. I understand that individuals have differing viewpoints but I also know when and where to express those viewpoints. Anyways, have a good day!
