Sunday, October 05, 2003
People are strange... and stupid
The new Starbucks hours aren't quite as bad as I anticipated -- though tonight we got out a bit later than we would have thanks to the floor cleaners. (Although their presence did mean that we got to skip vacuuming.)
So, it's almost 10:30, and I'm doing some last minute cleaning at the bar. The floor guys are dousing our tile with citrus cleaner and water, and using very loud machinery to scrape away the layers of dirt. A huge blue hose runs from one side of the store to the other, and out the front door, connecting to the cleaners' van. The chairs and tables are all jumbled aside; most of the lights are off.
Over the whines and rumbles of the tile cleaning machine, I hear an unfamiliar voice say, "Excuse me..."
I turn around and am greeted by the sight of a strange blonde woman leaning over the translucent partition that separates the lobby from the bar. I give her a look that says what are you doing here, lady? and ask, "Can I help you?"
"Are you open?" she says hopefully.
My jaw drops. She isn't serious, is she? "No," I answer pointedly, and turn away, expecting her to go.
"Are all of the Starbucks closed?" she persists.
My shift supervisor appears and fields this question. "Yes -- all of them close at ten on Sundays."
"Can I just get one thing?" the woman continues. I shake my head at her. My supervisor, being the more tactful one, says, "Well, I really can't -- we've already washed and sanitized everything...."
"No," the woman says obliviously, "I need something like a mug. I need a gift for someone who's leaving tomorrow."
"We've already closed the registers," I say, clearly irritated. I am about ready to tell this moron simply to get out. My supervisor just nods and says, "Yes, I've already closed the registers and the store -- really you shouldn't be here...."
The idiot woman, however, is not to be put out. "Can I write you a check and you can put it in tomorrow?"
My supervisor and I exchange baffled looks. What, does she expect us to know right off the top of our heads how much her stupid mug is going to cost? Why can't she wake up at 5:30 in the freaking morning and come shopping then? And how thick can you be to walk into a store 30 minutes after the posted closing time when the lights are off and CLEANING MEN are scrubbing a soaking wet floor?!?
My shift supervisor tells the woman nicely that she cannot help her -- and advises her to return in the morning. Reluctant and obviously disappointed, the woman leaves. And then my supervisor goes off.
"Who does she think she is?! She obviously has no idea about business... how stupid."
I agree wholeheartedly.
| 11:39 PM |
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Who am I? I'm a twenty-two-
