I had the same thing as this story at a clothing store some time ago; I couldn’t find an employee to check out with. Eventually, there were a few of us wandering around with arms full of items and exchanging shrugs as we passed each other.

Then, one guy grabbed a handful of coats with tags attached, walked to the front, and threw them through the security scanners, setting off the alarms, before taking a couple of steps back.

Sure enough, someone turned up almost immediately to check, at which point the employee was descended upon like a lamb amid wolves until he got someone to come check us out — and someone else to retrieve the tossed merchandise.

I don’t necessarily approve, but I kind of wish I’d thought of it!

Related:
Customers Cruising For Cashiers Encounter Only Crickets

CONTENT WARNING: Sexual Harassment (Graphic harassment by former boss)

I was interviewing for a job. The interviewer was a man in his fifties, and I was a twenty-five-year-old woman interviewing for my first job that would use my college degree. The application asked me to list every job I’d had in the last ten years. The job in this conversation is one I had over the summer after I turned eighteen.

Interviewer: “So, I see you worked at [Construction Company] for just three weeks. What happened there?”

Me: “I would rather not discuss that.”

Interviewer: “I’m guessing you were fired, so I’ll give you some free advice. Working somewhere for such a short time does not look good for you. It tells me — your potential future boss — that you might be trouble for my company. So, unless it was something incredibly traumatizing or you legally can’t discuss it, I’d like to know why you only worked there for three weeks.”

Me: “It wasn’t my fault, but—”

Interviewer: *Scoffs* “It never is.”

Me: “Well, my supervisor called me one night and told me he wanted to fill all my holes until I oozed with his… fluid. I told Human Resources. They investigated and determined that it was better to let me go than fire him.”

Interviewer: “Oh.”

Me: “So. Yeah.”

He paused for a second, clearly not expecting what I’d said.

Interviewer: “Well, things like that don’t just come out of nowhere. What did you—”

Me: “I didn’t do anything. I didn’t flirt with him. I didn’t get drunk or start something I couldn’t finish. I didn’t wear skimpy clothing or make any innuendos. I existed, and that was enough.”

Interviewer: “Well. Thank you for your time. Unfortunately, I do not think this is the job for you.”

Me: “I see that.”

I got up and walked away before he could continue. I had two more interviews before finding a job, and neither one asked why I had only worked for [Construction Company] for three weeks.

I got a call from a young bloke on our team.

Young Bloke: “I’m going to be in late today. My wife is conceiving a baby!”

Me: “Yes, I really think that you should be there for that.”

We went to a chain restaurant once after church — just my husband and me. Another group of five came in behind us. We knew them, and I can’t remember if they or we requested that we sit near each other because we knew them, but we weren’t with them. My husband and I were at a table by ourselves, and the other five were at their own table.

The food was cold, and our silverware and cups were dirty (lipstick and dried food). I had to ask for clean cups and utensils. We had to get our food remade or heated. The waitress had an attitude throughout.

At the end of our meal, this rude waitress dropped off our check with a 25% tip added. I went up to the register to pay and asked the manager who was cashing me out:

Me: “Why is there a 25% tip added to our check?”

The rude waitress spoke up.

Waitress: “Because you’re with them.”

She waved in the general direction of the other group.

Me: “No, we’re not. We just know them from church.” *To the manager* “I want the tip removed. I’m not paying that. The food was cold, the utensils and cups were dirty, and her—” *pointing to the waitress* “—attitude was horrible. I’m not tipping — and that much — for bad service.”

The manager took off the tip, and we paid the rest of the bill. He didn’t even take off anything for the bad service. We never went back.

My dad likes to tell me this story of how he took part in Swedish history. Before 1979, Sweden considered homosexuality as a mental disorder. My dad was aware of this but didn’t think too much about it until his boss came into the office angry one day and started shouting at all of them.

Boss: “All of you! If any of you are f****** [gay slurs] or friends with [gay slurs], you’re f****** fired!”

Office Worker: “Are you okay, [Boss]? Where is all this coming from?”

After some cajoling, it was discovered that the boss had just caught his son kissing his boyfriend, and he’d then kicked him out.

Dad: “So… wait, where is he now?”

Boss: “F****** on the streets for all I care! No [gay slur] is a son of mine!”

My dad was very disheartened to see this, and for the first time, he realised what homophobia was and how ugly it could be. My dad is also quite petty and inventive, and he inadvertently got involved with a movement he didn’t realise until later that other Swedes were doing at the time.

In protest to the boss’s behaviour, (he was taking his anger out abusively on all the staff) my dad decided he’d had enough and called in sick, but what he said was:

Dad: “I’m calling in gay.”

Boss: “You’re what?!”

Dad: “I’m calling in gay. You said if anyone was gay, they’re fired.”

Boss: “That’s not funny, [Dad]. I know you just got married.”

Dad: “Yes, but I’m feeling a little gay today. I might be coming down with something.”

The boss played it off as a prank and thought my dad was just hungover and gave him the day off. When my dad didn’t go in the next day:

Boss: “Where are you?”

Dad: “Oh, I’m even gayer than I was yesterday. I don’t think it’s going away any time soon.”

Boss: “Are you trying to get fired?”

Dad: “Of course not, but since you said—”

Boss: “I know what I said, but you’re obviously just trying to make a point, and I don’t appreciate you doing it at my expense! Come in today or you’re fired!”

Dad: “So, just to be clear, you’re firing me because I have what the law calls a mental disorder?”

His boss tried to backpedal but it was laid out clearly that my dad was effectively calling in sick, and the boss was firing him for it, which was illegal. The boss actually tried to apologise, but my dad said it was his son he needed to apologise to.

My dad eventually found a new job after claiming a few months of benefits from social services who had to fork out money because, under their laws, he had a “mental disorder”. Sweden saw the light in 1979 and changed the law so that no one had to “call in gay” anymore.

It wasn’t until decades later that my dad realised he was doing the same thing the Swedish gay movement was doing at the time. He was just trying to prove that his boss was an a**hole and get paid while he looked for another job!