In my conversations throughout the work day, things seem to have an underlying tension that wasn’t there, or wasn’t as prevalent, before COVID-19. It is as though the frailty of life has been exposed and now that specter lingers before us. And we still have to go about our day.
In my day job, a lady yelled at me for about half an hour yesterday including such statements as ‘I had death on my hands’, and ‘she didn’t know how I slept at night’. I’ve been yelled at and insulted for a large part of my work life so I can simultaneously feel put out about being spoken to that way, empathy for what the person is going through that brings out this response, and a desire to let them know that truly this behaviour must be affecting their own life in a negative way. *Caution* If you want to stay employed, never ever do that last one.
What is striking to me is how many examples we see of yelling and screaming on social media. And the ways in which technology, like video cameras are used to document and witness. Karen is always upset, and she always wants to talk to the manager.
(I have literally had this haircut)
I haven’t had an experience where I was angry and someone shoves a camera in my face. My husband did and he said it really ramps up the tension. At the same time the way these mostly white ladies respond on camera looks from the outside as though they are 100% convinced of their right-ness.
One of my favourite customer service stories about the unreasonableness of humans was from when I worked in a cafe. A lady came in and was looking for a specific section of the paper. You know, the free paper that businesses provide to people who are in their cafe.
I had a line of about five people and told her I would look into it when I could. I honestly thought she would see the line, see me taking orders and making coffee and realise that it would just be faster to look for herself.
But she didn’t. After the line ended and I was wiping the counter she came back, annoyed that I hadn’t done anything. I made the mistake of thinking I was speaking to a reasonable person and said that I can check the papers but a lot of people read them and they may have taken what she was looking for. While I was rifling through the papers, with the demanding lady supervising, my boss came to see why I wasn’t helping people who were lining up again. I was getting stressed with this tug-of-war.
The story ends with my boss yelling at the lady to get her own damn paper and he provides them for free. She stormed out and he felt bad about it later.
I really should have just told her to look for herself the papers are over there, and that whatever is there is there.
Reading:
There’s Drama in the Chocolate World from Jezebel
Glory Holes listed among BC health officials tips for safe sex during COVID.
How ‘Karen’ become a symbol of racism from Vox
America’s Cities are Staggeringly Unequal The Atlantic
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