What Grinds Our Gears: Giving attitude to workers is a non-essential service

Pandemic stress does not warrant trivial complaints against essential workers

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I need six feet of distance from your attitude, Karen. Illustration: Tiffany Chan/The Peak

By: Juztin Bello, Copy Editor

I’m standing in line outside of a restaurant waiting to pick up some food my family ordered — making sure to be six feet apart from those around me, of course. Suddenly, a woman — a typical Karen — comes stomping to the makeshift front counter (cutting in front of everyone who has been waiting, mind you), and decides to complain to the clearly stressed attendant trying to organize customers and workers alike. The woman begins yammering about the food in her bag being “disorganized” and “sloppy,” and demands compensation in the form of a new burger. She follows this, of course, by critiquing the work ethic of the establishment.

Now, I just have one question, specifically to this woman but also to the world broadly: where do you get off? Where do you get off yelling about a trivial thing like your food being a bit messy when these workers are doing their part in the midst of a pandemic? Where do you get off thinking that you’re so entitled to tell someone that their service is poor when, frankly, their service has been anything but? Where do you get off implying to a worker they’re not doing their best, when all they can afford to do right now is just that? 

Don’t get me wrong, there’s really no appropriate time to yell at a customer service representative, but to think now of all times it is acceptable to do so is absolutely absurd to me. These people are risking their own safety by continuing to work and providing you with your trivial items that you don’t need. 

Those working to get food to people who could really just cook something at home don’t deserve any sort of resentment right now. They’re doing their part, and if you’re someone who feels entitled enough to complain about your food, or your late package, or anything similar, you can do your part by easing off of these essential workers. There’s a reason we’re referring to them as essential — and frankly, that attitude of yours is the least essential thing right now. 

 

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