What Would You Do?
Have you ever seen that show "What Would You Do?" Basically, they have actors do some really horrible things and hidden cameras to watch what the people who witness these things do.
Just to clarify, the horrible things they do are things like verbally abuse their kids, break up with their pregnant girlfriends, make fun of other people, etc. Horrible things, but not illegal things.
Anyway, do you ever wonder if you're on that show?
Example #1
M and I went to Dollar Tree on Sunday. The man in line ahead of us was probably about 19 or 20 years old, and slightly above average looking. The cashier was probably my age. This man turned in a job application to her and before he was ten steps away, the cashier made comments like "Mm-mm! Eye candy!" and "They need to hire him! I could look at that all day!" and "I'm old enough to adopt him, not date him, but that don't stop me from looking."
These comments continued as the man left, all during the time the cashier cashed M out (who frowned at her the whole time and then promptly left the store, leaving me to listen to this on my own) and then throughout the time she cashed me out. The comments continued to the people in line behind me and the cashier at the next checkout line.
I'm a little ashamed that I didn't say anything, because I feel like I should have said "Hey. Nobody likes to be treated like that." or "Hey, I have a son and I would never want to hear an old lady talk about him like that." I feel very bad that I just left the store as quickly as possible.
Example #2
I overheard some guys (ranging in age from 12-25) in my store talking about some event they were at in another city. They were talking about one of the other participants there in an offensive way. They talked about her weight and her race, in particular.
I said, "Hey, guys. You're being really offensive. I don't want to hear that." So they moved about 10 feet away and continued. I said, "Guys, nobody wants to hear it. And you shouldn't want people to hear how ignorant you're being."
Example #3
M was at Goodwill the other day and dropped a purse. It was immediately picked up by the woman walking behind her, who put it in her own cart. M said, "Hey, I just dropped that. Do you think I could get it back, please?" The woman said no and then started talking to her sister in another language about the "crazy white bitch", not realizing (or not caring) that M understood what she was saying.
M didn't say anything to them, but was very offended that this woman not only was rude, but chose to make racial slurs against her.
Example #4
A woman came into our store with a gun strapped to her belt. (I don't want to get into a gun argument here. That's not what this is about.) It is posted on a sign on the front door that no weapons of any kind are allowed on premises. But I didn't see the gun immediately.
That's because her baby was sitting on it.
She was carrying a toddler on her hip and the kid was resting right on top of the gun. I asked her to remove the weapon from the premises.
All these examples (and more. Sadly, lots more.) make me wonder sometimes if people are really this bad, or if I am just have the severe bad luck to encounter so many of them.
Or--and this is unfortunately the best-case scenario--I am on What Would You Do?
Just to clarify, the horrible things they do are things like verbally abuse their kids, break up with their pregnant girlfriends, make fun of other people, etc. Horrible things, but not illegal things.
Anyway, do you ever wonder if you're on that show?
Example #1
M and I went to Dollar Tree on Sunday. The man in line ahead of us was probably about 19 or 20 years old, and slightly above average looking. The cashier was probably my age. This man turned in a job application to her and before he was ten steps away, the cashier made comments like "Mm-mm! Eye candy!" and "They need to hire him! I could look at that all day!" and "I'm old enough to adopt him, not date him, but that don't stop me from looking."
These comments continued as the man left, all during the time the cashier cashed M out (who frowned at her the whole time and then promptly left the store, leaving me to listen to this on my own) and then throughout the time she cashed me out. The comments continued to the people in line behind me and the cashier at the next checkout line.
I'm a little ashamed that I didn't say anything, because I feel like I should have said "Hey. Nobody likes to be treated like that." or "Hey, I have a son and I would never want to hear an old lady talk about him like that." I feel very bad that I just left the store as quickly as possible.
Example #2
I overheard some guys (ranging in age from 12-25) in my store talking about some event they were at in another city. They were talking about one of the other participants there in an offensive way. They talked about her weight and her race, in particular.
I said, "Hey, guys. You're being really offensive. I don't want to hear that." So they moved about 10 feet away and continued. I said, "Guys, nobody wants to hear it. And you shouldn't want people to hear how ignorant you're being."
Example #3
M was at Goodwill the other day and dropped a purse. It was immediately picked up by the woman walking behind her, who put it in her own cart. M said, "Hey, I just dropped that. Do you think I could get it back, please?" The woman said no and then started talking to her sister in another language about the "crazy white bitch", not realizing (or not caring) that M understood what she was saying.
M didn't say anything to them, but was very offended that this woman not only was rude, but chose to make racial slurs against her.
Example #4
A woman came into our store with a gun strapped to her belt. (I don't want to get into a gun argument here. That's not what this is about.) It is posted on a sign on the front door that no weapons of any kind are allowed on premises. But I didn't see the gun immediately.
That's because her baby was sitting on it.
She was carrying a toddler on her hip and the kid was resting right on top of the gun. I asked her to remove the weapon from the premises.
All these examples (and more. Sadly, lots more.) make me wonder sometimes if people are really this bad, or if I am just have the severe bad luck to encounter so many of them.
Or--and this is unfortunately the best-case scenario--I am on What Would You Do?
posted by Patwoman | 10:30 PM
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