There’s no telling how big of an impact we could have on a person’s day, week, or whole life, so honestly, it’s best to be kind whenever possible.
But it feels especially important to be kind when someone else is choosing not to be, empathized the “Am I the A**hole?” (AITAH) subReddit.
While waiting in line at the grocery store, Redditor Anno_Pri24 noticed a teen cashier who appeared to be new to her job and still learning the process. Though she was understanding about this, another customer was not and used the opportunity to berate the teen.
Instead of standing by and letting it happen, the Original Poster (OP) encouraged the other customer to be patient and also challenged her by saying she should do the job herself if she thought she could do it better.
She asked the sub:
“AITAH for telling off a lady in a supermarket after she made the teenage cashier cry?”
While doing her weekly grocery purchase, the OP noticed a new teen cashier.
“So, this happened yesterday, and I’m still wondering if I overreacted.”
“I (35 Female) was doing my usual weekly grocery shopping at a local supermarket. It was a busy afternoon, and the line at the checkout was pretty long.”
“I was waiting patiently when I noticed the woman in front of me (probably mid-50s) becoming increasingly agitated as the teenage cashier, who couldn’t have been older than 17 was scanning her items.”
“The cashier seemed a bit flustered. I could tell she was probably new, making a few mistakes here and there, but nothing serious.”
The other woman in line was not so patient.
“The older woman, however, was not having it. She started muttering under her breath, rolling her eyes, and tapping her foot.”
“Finally, when the cashier accidentally scanned an item twice and needed to call for a supervisor to void it, the woman lost it.”
“She started berating the poor girl, saying things like, ‘How hard can it be to do this job? You can’t even do basic tasks, You’re wasting people’s time.'”
“She just kept going on and on, and the more she yelled, the more flustered the cashier got until she started tearing up.”
The OP decided she couldn’t stand by and listen to the cashier be treated that way.
“I stood there for a second, hoping the lady would cool down, but she didn’t. The poor cashier was clearly trying her best to keep it together. That’s when I stepped in.”
“I said to her, “You don’t have the right to treat someone like that. She’s doing her best, and it’s just a mistake. If you’re so unhappy, maybe you should try working like her for a day and see how easy it is.'”
“The woman looked stunned and told me to mind my own business. I replied, ‘It is my business when you’re making a kid cry over something as stupid as groceries.'”
“The cashier’s supervisor had arrived by then and stepped in to handle the situation, and the woman stormed off still muttering and cursing.”
“After she left, the cashier thanked me with teary eyes, but a couple of people behind me in line gave me looks like I was the one who had done something wrong. Now I’m second-guessing myself.”
“So Reddit, AITAH for telling her off?”
Fellow Redditors weighed in:
- NTA: Not the A**hole
- YTA: You’re the A**hole
- ESH: Everybody Sucks Here
- NAH: No A**holes Here
Some were certain that the cashier was grateful for the OP standing up for her.
“If I were that cashier, I’d have been so grateful for you. I worked retail for way too long and the abuse we get is terrible.” – SteampunkHarley
“Thank you for standing up for her!! I’ve done that job and some customers are so miserable. I’m sure she will remember you forever.” – Own_Bonus2482
“She almost definitely will always remember you.”
“I never forgot my coworker who stepped in when I was being given a hard time. She was an elderly woman who was just working there for some extra cash, she did not give af and would talk back to rude customers all the time. Now and then we still go out for lunch or dinner together. This post reminded me to text her and check in!” – SongsForBats
“NTA. You helped the cashier and will make others think twice about remaining quiet when s**tty people need to shut the h**l up, so good for you. And it is your business. It’s called being a good person.” – Admirable_Lecture674
“All of those people who gave you dirty looks were probably thinking nasty things about the cashier too… you secondhand told them off and they didn’t like it, that’s my guess at least. Good on you.” – HolographicMoonCake
Others shared their experiences that were similar to the cashier’s.
“I was in the same boat as the cashier in this story plenty of times. I worked at a grocery store in high school and college, and the outright disrespect I got from some people was unreal. I started when I was 15 and supposed adults were just a**holes because I had no recourse.”
“That was almost 20 years ago and I still clearly remember three or four interactions where I wish I could go back and just slap the s**t out of them (verbally… of course).” – GaseousTriceratops
“10 years ago, I was being yelled at by an evil old woman being told to speak up and how I am so dumb because I didn’t understand that she wanted her items TRIPLE BAGGED (she mumbled a lot and I only double bagged her tinned meats), and I was visibly upset.”
“I still think of the sympathetic looks the others in line gave me. So to OP, you will be remembered for a lifetime for speaking out. It’s very possible others in line were just shocked by the entire situation.” – Unusual_Title_2834
“It was bad enough when I worked retail in the 80s. I can’t imagine what it’s like now.” – 2PlasticLobsters
“I’ve been in food service for 22 years (on and off, mostly on) and since the pandemic, people have gotten 100 times worse.”
“I thought people were bad before, but I swear I had more rude customers between 2020 to 2021 than I did from 2002 to 2019. People don’t know how to behave anymore.”
“I’m sure that cashier was super grateful to have your backup, even for just that moment.” – dks64
“I TRY to be that boss who will defend the cashiers every single time. That supervisor should have put that b***h in her place and refused to finish the transaction.”
“Since you can’t treat people with respect, I must see you to the door.”
“We as a civil society have a responsibility to speak up and defend this next generation when they are simply trying to make some money.”
“NO ONE deserves to be treated like that. I guarantee you that lady wouldn’t treat her doctors, lawyers, etc that way.”
“I have a 76-year-old lady who’s retired military that works for me. I pity the customer who decided to challenge her and show her a fraction of disrespect.”
“I am willing to lose my job if someone disrespects anyone under me. F**k these people who ‘look down’ on anyone doing a job they wouldn’t do.”
“OP, you’re a hero! Thank you!” – mischavus618
After receiving feedback, the OP was relieved by the positive responses in a second post.
“Oh my gosh. Wow. I’m honestly overwhelmed by all the support and kind comments! Thank you all so much for reassuring me that I did the right thing.”
“Reading through all the love for the cashier made me realize just how many people care about situations like this, and it has really restored my faith in humanity.”
“So, I’ve decided that tomorrow, I’m going to go back to the store and see if she will be working. I want to let her know that she’s got a whole community of love cheering her on and even show her a few of the comments to lift her spirits.”
“I’ll update you all if I get the chance to chat with her. Once again, Thank you all so much, from the bottom of my heart.”
In the OP’s third and final post, she shared how she’d been able to catch up with the cashier and her supervisor again.
“I went back to the store yesterday and, luckily, I caught the cashier on her break.”
“I was a little nervous at first, approaching her outside the store, but she recognized me right away, smiled, and gestured for me to come over.”
“I told her about all the love and support my post had received and even showed her a few of the comments.”
“She was genuinely touched and even got a little teary-eyed. But in a good way this time.”
“We ended up chatting for a bit, and she told me that she’s a college student working part-time (this is actually her first job). She said she’s been feeling more confident since that day, and hearing that so many people had her back really made her feel supported.”
“While we were chatting, her supervisor happened to walk by and recognized me. She stopped with a warm smile and thanked me for stepping in the other day. She said it’s not often that customers speak up like that, and the team really appreciated it.”
“She mentioned how younger employees can sometimes struggle in those tough moments, and having someone stand up for them meant a lot.”
“It felt so good to hear that what I did didn’t just help the cashier but lifted the spirits of the whole team. It made me realize even more how important kindness can be in moments like these. I thanked her for her kind words, and after a while of the three of us chatting, she eventually left us as she had to go back to work.”
“After our conversation, the cashier asked if she could befriend me on social media. And of course, I said yes! Now, the two of us are connected, and it feels like we both got something positive out of the whole experience.”
The OP was relieved that she had stepped up to help.
“And there you have it. This is most likely going to be my final update on this whole situation, and I’m so glad that everyone ended up happy in the end (well, everyone except that rude lady, but let’s focus on the positive).”
“Before I go (even though I sound like I’m just repeating myself), I just want to say a huge thank you to everyone who took the time to comment, share kind words, and give encouragement. Your support honestly gave me the push to go back and talk to her. And it really did brighten her day. I couldn’t have imagined the impact this post would have had, but I’m so grateful for it.”
“With that, I say my goodbye. And once again, thank you!”
Not only did the subReddit applaud the OP for stepping in and showing support for the new cashier, but they were grateful that others were grateful for her good deeds, as well.
While we shouldn’t do nice things just for applause, it’s nice to see good deeds be rewarded from time to time, too.