"Those People"-'ed
Jan. 9th, 2007 03:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nfotxnWhile working in customer service directly with the public there are times when you are inspired by the human spirit, without a doubt. As somebody who does, despite frequent kvetching, aspire to being the best person I can be I do notice a lot of good.
And sometimes people are total twat-tards.
As things start to slow down after 9PM or so generally the store starts to get it's desolate night time vibe. Mostly outside because the homeless shelters are closed down town. The destitute of the city set up camp to prey on patrons of late-night pizzas, fast food and prescriptions. Some money or cigarettes is really all they want.
But a gentleman had the audacity to complain to us about "them". Verbatim, the thesis of his comment was:
But like the common person I would never consider complaining. Human society has it's transients and down-trodden. We have but forever been in the company of prostitutes and beggars. It is, to borrow a cliché, but part of life's great tapestry.
The man used our Franchisee's real name, he is a big cheese in this part of town. And for a good reason, he's a good man. I can say this with all honesty. But as his employees the standard "give us your money still" responses were given. You gotta be a cock sucking robot in those situations, it's what people expect. It's fucked up and wrong but it's what's expected in our culture... and that's a separate issue entirely.
I didn't tell bourgeois twat-tard about how I packed thousands of dollars of food into the Franchisees van to deliver to shelters the on X-Mas eve. All of us off the clock and burning the midnight oil before going to our families. This is in addition to the regular food drive already completed. We just wanted him out and really the fear of anything superlative being said far out-weighed it's righteous implications. Perhaps the holiday implications are too heavy handed an example for the agnostic reader. But it was real and it was there and happening, part of the picture.
I left the situation wishing I had said something. To take him to town, it was really in context of the time of year and situation, just totally unacceptable. Only a complete asshole would wish the homeless away so you can shop for fancy organic coffee and important Italian sweets in peace. I mean shit, what an archaic attitude. I even like the hippie trippy Fruitarian bobos better than him. At least when they get righteous and indignant it's about shit that doesn't matter.
And sometimes people are total twat-tards.
As things start to slow down after 9PM or so generally the store starts to get it's desolate night time vibe. Mostly outside because the homeless shelters are closed down town. The destitute of the city set up camp to prey on patrons of late-night pizzas, fast food and prescriptions. Some money or cigarettes is really all they want.
But a gentleman had the audacity to complain to us about "them". Verbatim, the thesis of his comment was:
I will NOT shop here unless you do SOMETHING about THOSE PEOPLE. Why doesn't your boss do something about THEM. [his emphasis]Of course this man, obviously into his mid-life crisis and clearly well enough to do, had but not a shred of compassion or even irony in his voice. Like anyone raised in a North American city I feel a bit put-off by the homeless, sure. Sometimes you just don't want to deal. Suburban attitudes are but the result of a weird desensitization to the people around us. Fall-out from World War II still tweaking the culture with it's historical shock-waves.
But like the common person I would never consider complaining. Human society has it's transients and down-trodden. We have but forever been in the company of prostitutes and beggars. It is, to borrow a cliché, but part of life's great tapestry.
The man used our Franchisee's real name, he is a big cheese in this part of town. And for a good reason, he's a good man. I can say this with all honesty. But as his employees the standard "give us your money still" responses were given. You gotta be a cock sucking robot in those situations, it's what people expect. It's fucked up and wrong but it's what's expected in our culture... and that's a separate issue entirely.
I didn't tell bourgeois twat-tard about how I packed thousands of dollars of food into the Franchisees van to deliver to shelters the on X-Mas eve. All of us off the clock and burning the midnight oil before going to our families. This is in addition to the regular food drive already completed. We just wanted him out and really the fear of anything superlative being said far out-weighed it's righteous implications. Perhaps the holiday implications are too heavy handed an example for the agnostic reader. But it was real and it was there and happening, part of the picture.
I left the situation wishing I had said something. To take him to town, it was really in context of the time of year and situation, just totally unacceptable. Only a complete asshole would wish the homeless away so you can shop for fancy organic coffee and important Italian sweets in peace. I mean shit, what an archaic attitude. I even like the hippie trippy Fruitarian bobos better than him. At least when they get righteous and indignant it's about shit that doesn't matter.
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no subject
Date: 2007-01-09 10:07 am (UTC)There is something to be said for people that can survive off what we throw away. It is so common to point a finger and accuse them of not 'producing', but conversely, the only thing they consume is what would have gone to waste. Is there not something to be said for that?
I look forward to the day when I'm loony enough to live on the street.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-09 10:56 am (UTC)I will steal this.
In the meantime, it is always useful to have a few canonical references to bring down assholes like this. One is an oblique reference to Dickens novels, especially to Scrooge: "The poor houses are full, Sir. The wretched just have to wander the streets these days."
You could also say something that gets the dickweed pissed off at someone else: "He prays for them, Sir. He prays to Jesus." Making him pissed off at Jesus is, well, sport.
You could also go out with a bang and say something like "Call your municipal representative. I understand there is a measure before the City Council to have them all poisoned."
no subject
Date: 2007-01-09 11:10 am (UTC)Our premier started a program to give them bus tickets to another province. As far as a Premier goes, he's never been plagued by ideas, but as an alcoholic-wife-beating-high-school-drop-out, fairly innovative!
Please go be a burden in Vancouver where it is less likely you'll die of exposure.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-09 03:09 pm (UTC)"Well, sir... we tried feeding them but that only made them come back. The only other thing we could think of was to dress them up and let them shop here, but they wouldn't do that because there were too many of YOUR kind here to suit them."
Stock responses
Date: 2007-01-09 06:14 pm (UTC)Living in a city presents a complicated brew of agendas. I like to think that most people feel for the homeless but also don't know what they can do to truly help. I imagine that most city dwellers have have experiences with being accosted by mentally disturbed homeles persons (I've had at least 3 such unsolicited incidents and I live in the 'burbs). Such experiences certainly give one pause and hang on uncomfortably in the back of one's mind.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-09 06:57 pm (UTC)The Commuter
Date: 2007-01-09 08:07 pm (UTC)As for the usual stack of meth-heads that harass me, screw 'em.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-09 11:53 pm (UTC)