“Apologies for the cynicism, but we humans have become so spoiled and entitled, we can hardly suffer a slow Uber driver, a long line at the grocery or bank, a shortage of nearly anything, or the slightest disruptions in our cherished routines.”
There’s an old expression that I believe originated in the military.
“Shit flows downhill.”
There hasn’t been a time in the 54 years since I had my first job as a busboy in a steak house that waiting on customers was a pleasant job. The entire philosophy of the customer always being right became so distorted as to allow abusive behavior from people who were being abused in other parts of their own lives.
Yes, shit flows downhill.
And in the days of the pandemic, coming up on two years now, it has gotten much worse.
People told they have to wear masks if they want to be served have literally exploded about it, including several cases of angry consumers actually pulling guns and shooting people. Donald Trump’s America.
Nothing is going to change the way things are in a hierarchy. The folks at the top are always going to lord it over the ones on the bottom.
But that shouldn’t mean folks who wait on people should always suffer. Back in the early ’70s, I was working as a night manager in a fast food restaurant. We had one rule. We were required to be polite and serve people, but there was one exception.
If anyone used foul language, we could refuse to serve them.
Seems reasonable to me.
You may be entitled to service, but not in spite of horrible behavior.
That might be a place to draw the line.
Unless they’ve got a gun.
Then, shit flows downhill.