The Value of Objects

Morning all. I come to you from the second of the UoC's two gyms: The Henry Crown Athletic Center. It was built some time before WWII, and is understandable the less-patronized of the two gyms. Seriously, its like Willy Wonka's factory: Nobody ever goes in, and nobody ever comes out. I might not see another person for the entirety of my 3.5 hours here.

What I really wanted to talk about was the latest patron to blow up at me. This has happened before, usually when I don't let non-members in, or when I tell people the gym has closed. They get mad, sometimes swear, and occasionally threaten to report me to my boss. But yesterday's patron blowup took the cake.

I get a call on the desk phone, and am told to go look for a white IPod on one of the machines. As there needs to be someone manning the desks at all times, I ask my supervisor to go take a look. He goes upstairs, and reports back that he didn't find anything. I had to leave the desk for a second to go open the ice machine in the back for a patron, and while I was gone, somebody dropped her IPod off with my co-worker at the checkout desk. He came over and dropped it off on the far side of my desk, where it was hidden by the computer wires.

So this woman comes in, and asks for the IPod, which, to the best of my knowledge, was still lost. I told her we couldn't find it, at which point Alex pops his head up and tells me it's on the far side of the desk. She has her IPod now, she should be happy, but instead she goes into a screaming tirade (all done in a British accent):

"I'M REPORTING YOU TO YOUR MANAGER FOR YOUR CAVALIER ATTITUDE! YOU'RE TOO FOCUSED ON THE INTERNET TO CARE ABOUT ANYTHING!!! YOU'RE IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY; YOU ARE HERE TO SERVE ME! I HOPE THAT ONE DAY YOU LOSE SOMETHING THAT MEANS A LOT TO YOU!"

At this point, my face goes blank, and I very calmly tell her "Actually, I've lost a parent." While not entirely true, its also not entirely false, and I figured this would chagrin her enough to go away and leave me in peace. Unfortunately that was not to be.

"I MEAN AN OBJECT! THIS IS WHAT I MEAN ABOUT YOUR ATTITUDE! I'M REPORTING YOU TO YOUR MANAGER!!!!"

At which point she turned on her heel and left, without taking my name, which patrons who plan on reporting me usually do. I have very little fear that this is going to happen, and I'm leaving to go home in a week, never to do this job again. But you just can't understand some people...

May all your hits be crits,
B