Geez, what is it about the holidays that makes certain people forget their manners, forget that they're talking to another human being, forget that they can't always get what they want when they want it? At least whiny kids have the excuse of being kids, which means they're still maturing and really don't know any better.
And then we have grown men and women who should know better, and yet there's something just plain wrong in that head of theirs this time of year. It happens every single year without fail, and it boggles my mind every single time.
Man, if I had a dollar for every time I've been asked this week alone, "Do you have any more sweet breads? When are you going to get more? Do you have any more cookies in the back? Will there be some tomorrow? Can I buy that gift basket that's already reserved for someone else?"
Which, I suppose, are fair questions. But for goodness' sake, people, this is Christmas we're talking about. What did you expect? Of course, we're going to be clean out of breads, gift baskets, cookies, and all that fun stuff in no time. As a cashier, I can't make any solid guarantees for next time, and besides, if you placed an order ahead of time instead of trying your luck at random, the odds would be a bit more in your favor, wouldn't they?
If you come into the store, you might get some. If you order ahead, it's much more likely that you will get some. You already had at least a month to order all this stuff. Yet, for some people, it's only during the last week that they realize, "Oh, I better hurry and buy some! I gotta get moving!"
One lady had the nerve to ask if we would be open on Christmas Eve so she could buy rolls that very day. And we're closed on Christmas Eve, because we're closed on Sundays. A couple of people even asked me if we'd be open on Christmas Day itself.
I get it: I'm guilty of procrastination, too, and to forget is natural. I understand you want your food as fresh as possible, though I don't think a day or two will do you or your guests any real harm, especially if you store the food properly.
But even so, you don't have to get nasty about it and take it out on us, who are simply doing our jobs and trying to get through this holiday hype in one piece. We've got enough work and stress without an entitled jerk adding to the pile. It's not our fault you put it off so long and we don't owe you any favors.
Furthermore, while I will admit food is important, will a certain cake or bread or cookie or gift basket truly make or break your holiday? Seems to me you entitled few are forgetting what Christmas is really all about, or you just don't care.
What burns me up the most is when people can see darn well how busy we are, they can see with their own eyes how crowded it is, they know for a fact Christmas is less than a week away, and they still have the nerve to complain to our faces about how long they have to wait. At least they only have to wait; they're not the ones scurrying around, putting all the orders together, so it's easy for them to talk.
I may be used to this kind of craziness. It's nothing I really can't handle...but this kind of behavior never ceases to astound me.
As that song goes, "Why you gotta be so rude? Don't you know I'm human, too?"
