I’m an investigator who works the entire state, and I work with a dog (German shepherd). This was seven or eight years ago.

When I have to stay out overnight, I usually stay at a [Hotel]. They’re all dog-friendly, so the dog is never an issue. Add to that the fact that my dog is 100% trained. He understands both verbal commands and hand signals.

I was about five hours from home, and I called around until I found a hotel to crash at. I confirmed that they had availability and pet-friendly rooms available.

I parked about fifty yards from the front entrance. I slid my laptop into my overnight bag and wheeled it to the side of my SUV. I opened the door and let the dog out. He used the grass to potty, and I clipped a leash on him and walked into the building. When I got inside, I went directly to the front desk. The front desk agent was in the back, but he came out within a minute or so.

The counter to the front desk extended about twelve inches over the base.

I recognized the clerk’s voice and thanked him for helping me on the phone earlier. He took my ID and card, and I reminded him that I had a dog. This hotel had a fee of $25.00 per pet. As he was printing off the documents for me to sign and initial, a couple came in behind me with two older teen kids, two Yorkies, and two dachshunds.

The little snack-sized dogs were yapping very loudly, and they had high-pitched barks and whines. We heard them yapping out in the lot, and it continued all the way into the lobby and up the desk. [Agent] came back to the counter, and I couldn’t hear him over the Fuzz Ball Quartet.

Agent: *To the couple* “Could you quiet your dogs, please?”

The couple got indignant.

Man: “All dogs will bark when they go into a strange place!”

Woman: “They’re warning people not to come near because they’re guarding their owners and staking their claim on the new turf!”

[Agent] was annoyed, partly at the noise but mostly at the attitude.

Agent: “You must control your pets. The dogs need to behave to get service.”

Man: “All dogs bark, especially at other dogs. Our dogs are barking at his dog!”

Agent: *To me, looking perplexed* “Where is your dog?”

He was under the overhang of the counter, sitting down and leaning against me. I stepped back and called the dog to me, and the clerk smiled.

Agent: *To the couple* “If all dogs bark at other dogs, why isn’t his dog barking?”

When he said that, I told my dog to bark. He let out a very deep bark and stopped. The clerk held up my keys, which I took, and I headed to my room.

The couple glared at me until I was out of sight. I was petting my dog and saying, “Good boy,” all the way to the hallway.

And that’s how I was a bad example for a couple of ignorant puppy parents.

I am a customer in a copy shop, working a large order at the self-serve machine. As a result, I am present for the entirety of this interaction.

Customer: “My prints are upside down!”

Their order is on regular, non-bordered paper.

Employee: “Oh, well, if you just turn—”

Customer: “This is what you get for asking for something done right from… a… well… wherever you’re from.”

The employee is Hispanic, but they’re speaking without a hint of an accent.

Employee: “…Apologies. I will fix it. Please return in about thirty minutes.”

The a**hole customer leaves, and I see the employee take the original order and turn it around — yes, just physically rotating it 180 degrees — and put it back in the envelope.

The customer comes back, looks at the fixed order, and huffs.

Customer: “If you knew what you were doing, you wouldn’t have twice as much work!”

Our new manager is from the UK (the brother-in-law of the owner), and he’s the chillest and most straight-to-the-point individual I have ever met. He seems to have brought his management style over from “across the pond” because where previous managers would bend over backward to appease every whiny customer, this one just… gets it.

A customer has called over the manager because she ordered an expensive truffle pasta dish that actually contains truffle shavings, but then, she decided she didn’t like the truffle flavor. She is complaining that it hasn’t been taken off the bill.

Manager: “You’re being charged for an item that you ordered that contained ingredients that were both listed on the menu and explained to you when you ordered.”

Customer: “But I didn’t like it.”

Manager: “I’m sorry about that. Would you like to order something else?”

Customer: “No.”

Manager: “Okay, is there anything else I can do for you?”

Customer: “I don’t want to pay for this.”

Manager: “I’m sorry that you feel that way.”

My manager walks away to deal with something else but is summoned back to the customer two minutes later.

Customer: “Why is this still on my bill?”

Manager: “Haven’t we been over this?”

I’m sure he is being deliberately obtuse, and maybe some could view his stance as a little antagonistic, but after years of having a manager kowtowing to every customer for every trivial thing, I’m not going to deny the satisfaction we all get from getting a manager who does the exact opposite.

When the owner complains to the manager that this attitude means these customers won’t come back, his only response is:

Manager: “You’re welcome.”

Me: “Sir, please do not vape in this store.”

Customer: “Calm down, it was just a puff. It’s not like I’m smoking.”

Me: “No smoking means no vaping. Please put it away.”

The customer grumbles but obliges… until about two minutes later when I see him sneak in a puff again.

Me: “Sir, I have told you already, no vaping!”

Smoke releases from his nostrils like a cartoon dragon.

Customer: “I wasn’t!”

Me: “Sir, please step outside to vape.”

Customer: “Seriously, what’s your problem?!”

Me: “Sir, you’re the one who can’t go without vaping for the few seconds it takes to step outside. You’re the one with a problem.”

My husband injured his back and can’t lift heavy things. When we go grocery shopping, I do the loading and unloading. We just came from our local bulk retailer, so everything is big and often heavier than he is comfortable lifting. He climbs in the car, and I start unloading the cart.

A man is passing by and speaks up. 

Man: “What’s wrong? Don’t you have a man to do that for you?”

Me: “I’m fine, thank you.”

Man: “I see him in the car. Why doesn’t he help?”

Me: “I said I’m fine.”

Man: “I just think women shouldn’t do heavy lifting like that. Your body isn’t—”

Me: *Sigh* “Fine, load my car.”

Man: “What?”

Me: “Are you not a man?”

Man: “I’m not your husband!”

Me: “Then maybe f*** off.”

He walks off, but I can hear him muttering to himself. When I get in the car, my husband is sitting in his seat grinning. 

Husband: *Joking* “You poor, useless woman.”

Me: “I know, I know.”