Unbelievable!

Ok, ok, so having worked so many years with Joe Public really I should have learned not to be surprised by anything but from time to time the audacity and complete stupidity of some people's behaviour still has the power to completely amaze me.

Yesterday, during a particularly difficult day at work, around mid afternoon, the fire alarm sounded, having stood for that inevitable moment we all do, the moment when we wonder 'is this for real', we sprang into the much rehearsed business of evacuating a large and busy shop. Believe me, that in itself isn't as straight forward as one might imagine, it is strangely difficult to convince some people that yes, you really do want them to leave their precious, but as yet unpaid for goods, behind and yes, please leave the store now!

That achieved and having fielded the various and usual 'is there really a fire' questions (hello?.....how the hell do I know? do I look like a firefighter or like I've have time to search a building covering thousands of square feet in two minutes?) all customers and staff are safely removed to the exterior of the building and the fire brigade duly arrive.

But none of that is unbelievable. What is unbelievable is that once outside I was positioned at the entrance door to prevent Joe Public attempting to regain entry until the building was declared safe, and really, I promise you, plenty will try. So here I am 'standing guard' when an irate young woman approaches me asking what she should do about her trolley. Um.....park it and leave maybe, I considered responding but she continued before I had chance to respond at all, telling me and all those who were prepared to listen above the sound of fire alarms and the sirens of two appliances, that she wasn't prepared to wait until it was safe and her £1 coin was stuck in her trolley. I explained I couldn't return to the store to get her a precious replacementt coin or the 'cheat key' to retrieve hers........ but she went on, and on, and on and on.

My patience wearing dangerously thin, I purloined a pound coin from the manager, by now standing nearby, and almost threw it at her, with a curt-ish, 'sorry not for your inconvenience madam.'

This woman was completely unaware it seems, of the hordes of people stood around her laughing or looking on with some degree of incredulity, she left apparently satisfied and her audience stood watching her departure with a look of utter disbelief!

Come on lady, we're talking about one pound here....hardly a kings ransom under the circumstances is it?!