(I’m the room leader and am talking to a coworker. This happens during shift when we are in the room with the children.)

Me: “Did you have a good weekend, [coworker]?”

Coworker: “Yeah, I went out drinking with some friends last night. I was wasted!”

Me: “You were drinking last night?”

Coworker: “Yeah. I also didn’t feel like I was buzzing enough, so I mixed my alcohol with some [strong painkillers] and THEN I had a good time!”

Me: *stunned* “…And now you’re in work, responsible for other peoples’ children when there’s a chance you’re not only still drunk but high, too?!”

Coworker: “I feel fine! You worry too much.”

(I reported her that day and she was put on report. However, she handed her notice in the next week stating we were “too strict.”)

(I’m going early in the morning to my usual grocery store. Despite the fact that Halloween hasn’t passed yet, there are two Salvation Army people in the parking lot.)

Salvation Army Lady: “Spare some change?”

Me: “Sorry, I don’t have any.”

Salvation Army Man: “Sweetie, you’re going into a STORE.”

Me: “…With a credit card. Bye, maybe I’ll have some next time!”

(I go about my shopping and get what I need. I’m talking to the cashier and a nice bagger who has Down Syndrome.)

Cashier: “Will that be all?”

Me: “Yeah, I’m good. Wow, the Christmas donation-takers get earlier every year.”

Bagger: “…What do you mean?”

Me: “The Salvation Army guys in the parking lot.”

(The bagger and cashier both frown.)

Bagger: “[Manager]! It’s… it’s urgent! She said!” *points at me*

Cashier: *to me* “Stay put. We don’t have the Salvation Army come around until after the first weekend of November!”

(The two in the parking lot ended up being scammers. A couple of employees and customers managed to get to them and stop them from leaving before the police showed up. I got a ten dollar off card for reporting it!)

(I’m a grocery store cashier. In recent shifts, I’ve been having issues with cash shortages in my till. The assistant customer service manager (ACSM) has just told me that he needs to talk to me.)

ACSM: “So, [my name], your till was $20 short.”

Me: “Seriously? I double-counted. Came up accurate both times.”

ACSM: “Yeah, you’re short again. I need you to sign the cash shortage form.”

(As I sign the form, I realize something unusual.)

Me: “You know how these are signed twice?”

ACSM: “Yeah.”

Me: “Every cash shortage form I’ve had has been signed by [brand new supervisor] and you.”

ACSM: “Oh, really?”

Me: “Yeah! I think that’s a weird coincidence. This only happens when you and [brand new supervisor] are on duty.”

ACSM: “Hmm. That’s interesting. Well, you’re done here. You can go back to your register…”

(I never had another cash shortage issue after that. However, a few weeks later on a busy Friday afternoon, the ACSM was escorted out of the door in handcuffs. Turns out, he’d been taking varying amounts ($5-$100) of money out of several registers including mine. He was caught when he pilfered $2,000 from the Lottery register the night before. Unfortunately for him, TWO supervisors were counting the money that night! A few months later, we learned that he’d been re-arrested for pulling similar thefts at his previous location!)

(My mom and I are in line to pay our cellphone bill at a mall kiosk. It’s not actually owned by our cellphone provider, but is a company licensed to sell their services and accept bill payments. There are three men in their early 20s working. We’re standing in line when we see this exchange.)

Female Customer: “I was here last week to pay my bill, but the phone company keeps sending me texts that say they haven’t received my payment.”

Employee #1: “Did you get a receipt after you paid?”

Female Customer: “I don’t think so, but I know I paid it here. I even think he was working…” *points to Employee 2*

Employee #2: *smirks and rolls his eyes* “You don’t look familiar. Are you sure you paid here?”

Female Customer: “Of course I paid here! I work at [store at the mall] and came on my break to pay my bill.”

Employee #3: *smirking* “We can’t help you. Sorry.”

(The female customer is visibly upset and decides to just walk away. My mom and I walk up. Note that I’m in my 20s but look much younger than my age.)

Employee #1: *to my mom* “Hey ma’am! Can I interest you in one of our new Android phones?”

Me: “Actually, I just wanted to pay my phone bill.”

Employee #1: *still to my mom* “Oh, you need to pay your bill?”

My Mom: “No, my daughter needs to pay her bill.”

Employee #1: *condescending* “You know, we REALLY aren’t supposed to pay bills for people who got their phones from the company proper and not through us. I see you’re due for an upgrade. How about asking mommy to buy you one of our new Android phones so you can pay here without an issue?”

Me: “Look, dude. I’m happy with the phone I have now. I don’t want a new one. I know I can pay my bill through any of your company’s kiosks without any trouble so if you wouldn’t mind dropping the attitude and doing your job I’d greatly appreciate it.”

Employee #2: “Wow, attitude!”

Employee #1: “Your bill is $95.50.”

Me: *hand him my card*

Employee #1: “Oopsie! It seems we’ve accidentally charged you $950.00! Don’t worry, it’s just an error.”

Me: “I know you’re joking, but just give me my receipt so I can sign and get out of here, please?”

Employee #2: “Well, excuse us for trying to make jokes! Are you always this rude with people?”

(I sign and take my receipt which, thankfully, shows I was charged the correct amount. As we’re walking away my mom speaks up.)

My Mom: “Don’t think I won’t be calling your corporate offices about how you treated my daughter and that woman before us today. You’re lucky my daughter has arthritis, otherwise she’d kick your a**es!”

Me: “Mom!”

(My mom did end up calling corporate to complain, which is a good thing: a week later, I ran into the same female customer at a grocery store. It turns out the employees had stolen a number of payments from customers and that their store manager was even in on it. The company ended up firing everyone who worked at that branch.)

(My dad and I are at an electronics store asking an employee for a USB DVD drive.)

Employee: “So, what do you need this for anyway?”

Me: “Just to to have one that works to read things.”

Employee: “Well, instead of using your CDs, you can just download stuff. It’s not illegal. Just pirate it; I do it all the time!”