Going postal at Christmas...

This is the kind of crap that makes me not like Christmas...OY! People are SO rude! I am so glad that our customers are mostly very kind and giving people... I could never work regular retail because I would lose my job the first day! lol I think at the post office, I would have said, ma'am, you need to step to the rear and point or escort her there and leave her butt there (in a very cordial manner you understand! ;) :D )

As far as compassion for not knowing the language...if you live in a country then you should know the language...I don't care if it's the U.S. or Germany or Iraq...if you live there you should know the language.

If you are not familiar with the customs or protocol then you should ask, don't just assume. I am just so incredibly tired of excuses....

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Originally Posted by mugsy

As far as compassion for not knowing the language...if you live in a country then you should know the language...I don't care if it's the U.S. or Germany or Iraq...if you live there you should know the language.

If you are not familiar with the customs or protocol then you should ask, don't just assume. I am just so incredibly tired of excuses....

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Agreed!! My husband and I took a conversational Spanish class before we went to Mexico ... for a nine day vacation! And if someone doesn't have the opportunity to learn English before arriving here, then they ought to start learning it the day they cross our borders. Our tiny little town in the middle of nowhere has free E.S.L classes.

And, honestly, I have trouble believing that there are cultures where no one stands in line, ever, and it is never taught or learned. That sounds like complete and utter chaos to me. How would a society function is no one lined up or waited their turn? Sorry, I don't buy it. I've watched my finches line up to take a bath. My dogs line up to get a drink. I don't think it's that tough to comprehend. Just look and see what everyone else is doing and copy it.

Look I'm 14 years old and this reminds me of kids fighting about who was in the lunch line first! The women couldn't speak english so she's not going to know what it means when you say go to the back of the line! :) so maybe she should have known english, but she didn't so whats the problem its over with now?

I had a vastly different experience the other day at the Post Office. It was Saturday, and about ten past noon when I went in and got in the long line. In front of me was a little old lady, who turned and said "I'm so glad they were open! What time do they close on Saturday?" "One o'clock," I told her, and we're 'safe' now - if they let us in the door, we're sure to get our items mailed.

Behind me, a guy came in with two big boxes, and quickly another woman was in line behind him. She said to him, "You know, you could put those down, so your arms don't get tired!" He then put them on the floor saying, "Yeah, they're not heavy, just awkward, and we all adjusted the line to allow his boxes room, no problem.

A few moments later, the woman in front of me half turned and said "I just wish I could get the forms and stuff I need nefore I got to the head of line, I hate taking peoples' time there."

"You can," I said, and pointed to the spot a couple feet away from us where there were bins of forms. She said "Oh, thank you," got out of line by a few inches and picked up a form.

"Is this the Customs form?" she asked me, continuing "I've got to get my glasses on. I've got to mail these to my nephews in England."

"No," I said, and got completely out of line, asked how many she needed, and got them for her. After all, I know the customs form well - I have participated in Pet Talk gift swaps to foreign lands!

When I went to get back to my spot in line, she had swapped places, so I would be in front of her. I tried to demur, but she insisted. Then she asked if they'd have Tyvek envelopes up front, and I pointed to where they were, and helped her choose the right (International) ones.

We were still going to let her back into her place, but she moved to the side to fill out all her paperwork.

Everyone was friendly, we ha nice conversation, and the line moved pretty quickly, considering the volume. At one point, I mentioned to the guy behind me "I am only here because I cannot count - I didn't buy enough "International" stamps, I just need ONE more."

He misunderstood, and said "All this time in line for one stamp? And pulled a book of 39-cent stamps out and said "Here, take one!" I explained I needed a higher denomination, but thanked him anyway.

And the postal workers were friendly and efficient. And I even got to explain to the woman two behind me that no, she didn't see "that old man" behind the counter, because Nathan - Mr. Butner ("Oh, yes, that's his name!" she exclaimed) had retired this summer.

It was, in all, an unexpectedly pleasant experience.

(No postal workers paid me to write this.)