In highschool I worked at a pharmacy. 30-something man looks lost so I ask him if I can help him find something. He says diapers and I assume he's a father so I stupidly say "the adult ones are right down there but you don't need those ha ha, the baby diapers are down aisle 1"
You can guess the rest of the story...
There is a funny columnist named Dave Barry who has a list of the things I took him 50 years to learn.
One is that, unless you see the baby crowning, never mention that a woman may be pregnant.
I think this falls into a similar category.
I 100% agree so it makes this story even better.
A friend and his wife were at a social event and his wife was very early in pregnancy, they had only told their parents at this point. A 70-something year old man in a suit walks up to them out of the blue and says congratulations. They are taken aback because they didn't even consider him referring to the pregnancy. He goes on to say he is a retired obstetrician and because of years of experience can just tell.
Ballsy move by the doc but he sure did know his stuff.
I love me some Dave Barry. Don't follow the Herald but his books were great.
Could have simply been looking after an elderly parent.
That or recovering from a surgery.
There’s plenty of reasons someone might need adult diapers without being old. Not that it’s any less embarrassing for some people either way.
He was very embarrassed but it very well could have not been for him personally. Either way it was a dumbass thing to say!
Actually I can't figure it out. Would you please finish your story?
The customer needed the adult diapers.
Not the OP, but I've been that person before. I'll leave it up to your imagination what position I was in.
I'll admit I am somewhat curious how it all played out though.
The fetal position?
You're not wrong
He was very embarrassed and went for the adult diapers. My 17 year old gangly, awkward self didn't help the situation at all either.
I imagine you, still not getting it, yelling "Sir, sir! I said those were the adult diapers! Sir!"
Thank god I wasn't that dumb, I would have died from embarrassment
Once I had food poisoning so bad that my spouse got adult diapers for me, so I could try to sleep. In sickness and in health!
The way out is easy: "oh god, sorry to hear it, I'd rather have the person too". I don't think I'm a social genius.
I also choose this lady's dead husband.
Yea for real. They know you didn't know that. Just be empathetic.
And then a very charismatic person behind her asks "How much do you want the person", while twirling their mustache.
Are there not standard questions the teller is supposed to ask when they're handed a check this large?
In OP’s case, that would be even worse.
Where do you live?
(assuming the bank teller don't have access to that information already)
My dumb ass thought you were actually asking me for a second
No really, where do you live?
How you doin?
Sometimes you trip into other people's bad days. OP didn't say anything wrong.
IIRC bank tellers are supposed to talk about stuff like this to help catch fraud and extortion. If she sees a huge sum of money, it's her job to strike up conversation about it.
"Oh wow, the crime must be going really well, eh?"
Me, had I been the teller...
Do it a different way or there won't be a cheque dude
"For what it's worth, they probably weren't all that great."
Problem fixed.
Better than saying, "I'd kill for one of these."
"I'll kill again for one of these"
A while back I broke up after a long term committed relationship, and part of the process involved splitting our finances. I went to the bank to close our account, and it being around November, the teller innocently asked, "Do you have any plans for the holidays?"
I deadpan replied, "Well, I'm closing out a joint checking account, so what do you think?"
The teller: O___O "I am so sorry!"
Fortunately I was able to laugh about it and tell them it was okay.
Joke's on them, though, because I wound up getting blackout drunk on Johnny Walker Black with a real beard mall Santa that Christmas and saying things about my ex that I should not have said.
Black Label is the best thing to blackout from.
I want to know more about your time with Santa. That night sounds epic tbh
Summed up very briefly:
This is why when you work in customer-facing positions in any capacity, you NEVER comment on their purchases, their choices, their business, what they are buying, if you've seen them before, etc. Just mouth-shut, smile and get them through.
"Well, I'll take the money if it's not important to you..."
I also choose your dead person.
Classic
"I'm a person. Wanna trade?"
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