Sometimes you just have to educate people..

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So we got a new young security guard at work and thought I didn't have any real problems with him I didn't like the comments he made about the contents of my backpack...

Now this is a kid, like not even 21 yet so I was more educate than be pissed of.

Going on break the second time..

He was like oh you didn't use any of that stuff yet.. (In my head.. WTH.. Like no and I wouldn't tell you if I did.) Before I could answer he was like well I guess that's a good thing . Yea really..

When I was going back to work from break he was like dude my bad. I have never seen stuff like that here at this job and just didn't know what to say.

I was like well I have a medical need for this stuff right now and "yea you have to do your job a check my bag" but trust me I would much rather not need this stuff and because I do I would rather be at home but I have to work..

I explained that I had surgery and I have some damage nerves and muscles that I have to get physical therapy for to hopefully make this go away. The older guard was like Tom is a good dude that is going through some stuff so we just check his bag quick and make sure he goes through the metal detector and that is it. So all in all not a big deal but I did have to leave early and my bag was messed up a bit so I can't think of what he is thinking now...

 

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I am so blessed to be working from home now because I don’t know if I could keep my cool if someone made a comment like that. I had a coworker back before we stopped working in our office ask why I was taking a backpack to the bathroom. I like this person so I bit my tongue.

The thing I have had on my mind recently is there are medical professionals who are clueless and almost judgmental about incontinence when anyone outside of the typical demographic of seniors and women are dealing with it. I have even recently still been thinking about making a complaint about an ER doctor that saw me when I broke my ankle in 2018. He saw I was wearing a diaper and was very rude and demeaning about it although it was nothing that he would have to deal with. I think it has maybe been too long to complain about him, but his attitude was unprofessional. In just case, I am not sure who to lodge a complaint with.

My gripe here is that a man my age can have issues and require diapers(I will use the D word) and shouldn’t have people rush to judgment like I have failed to find another alternative to being incontinent. I have been diagnosed with autonomic neuropathy and now going through more testing since my symptoms are in line with MS.

 

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Hi guys,

Do you also think it teaches us not to fly off the handle when someone passes what we consider to be a rude or insensitive comment. Like Tom says, sometimes it is better to educate people who don't understand or don't know and be the better man.

 

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@ThatFLGuy Interesting encounter.

People can say a lot of stuff about the younger generation but I find them to be more accepting of things and other people. Guy might have been genuinely concerned or made the comments to let you know it was no big deal.

Of the few comments I've ever gotten when buying my products most have come from younger cashiers and comments were like matter of fact or put out like common talk during check out. Kinda like, good weather we are having kinda talk. Least that was the feeling I got.

Like for example when buying some Mens Depend RealFits the guy at the register (prob like 19 or 20) was like, "These must really work, we sale a lot of them." Another time the cashier asked if I had seen their store brand of the same product and remarked they were a few dollars cheaper.

I didn't feel like they were judging me or looking down at me for the type of product I was buying. Felt like it was just a normal convo light exchange during check out. I only felt awkward about it cause I made it so in my mind. The cashiers were probably totally genuine and sincere.

 

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Sounds like the youngster corrected himself and learned from it. Not many under 21 year olds do that so I think you got a good kid there. None of us ever thing we were out of line/naive at that age...think again

 

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I agree with everyone here. As someone who is still in my 20s, there is so much that I don't know and would appreciate education over anger. Honestly if incontinence wasn't something that affected me personally, I wouldn't know anything about it especially the amount of people that have to deal with it and I'm still learning all I can about it. Now if you did educate a person and they continue to be rude, that's a different story of someone truly ignorant.

 

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Hi @ThatFLGuy, You did great! That was an opportunity to educate someone about the realities of people having different needs. And you took on that role of teacher to someone who really had to learn. As young as that guy was, he's going to find out that it literally takes all kinds and it was good that he had someone with your patience to teach him. Sometimes you have to take the extra time to explain that you wish you didn't have to use those things that are in your bag and that you had surgeries and nerve and muscle damage and that you are doing PT. That gave the guard a good dose of reality. I think he's going to remember that for a long time and he will probably know how to act accordingly the next time he runs into a similar situation.

 

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Jaytee, I just read over your post again and I can't really say I've had the same type of interactions with cashiers when buying my products. Usually it's just "howyadoin'?" and that's about it. And no one has ever told me, "We sell a lot of those here," or even asked if I would care to try their store brand since they are a couple of bucks cheaper.
Maybe you have more talkative cashiers up where you are. Where I am they can't wait to get you out so they could ring up the next person and go on break.
But I never felt they were judging me as all they said was "Here ya go," as they handed me the receipt.