Bad Days - yours and other people's
Discussion
The bloke in Timpsons was having a bad day yesterday. I went in to collect my shoes that I had dropped off for repair on Wednesday. In his defence, Timpsons don't just repair shoes, they cut keys, order house signs, and replace watch batteries. Employees have to multitask.
Him: "Can I help?"
It was the same chap I'd dealt with 24 hours earlier.
Me: "Yes, please, I've come to collect my shoes. You said they'd be ready today."
I put my half of the repair ticket on the counter. He picked it up and walked over to the Shoes-To-Be-Collected area.
Him: "Er, what do they look like?"
Me: "Gents brown lace-ups."
He quickly gave up and walked back to where I was.
Him: "You got a ticket?"
Me: "I gave it to you."
He scrutinised the counter closely.
Him: "Where is it?"
Me: "In your hand."
He looked at the ticket he was holding.
Him: "Oh, yeah, I got it."
He walked back to the shoes.
Him: "What do they look like?"
Me: "Gents brown lace-ups."
Him: "Is this them?"
He showed me the bottom of a pair of repaired shoes that I didn't recognise. I might have recognised the undersides of my shoes in their unrepaired state, but not now they'd been altered.
Me: "Could be. Why don't you check your half of the ticket?"
Him: "Where is it?"
Me: "Probably tucked into one of the shoes."
He fished about, found the other half of the ticket and compared them.
Him: "Yeah, this is them."
Me: "If they don't fit, I'm bringing them back."
Him: "Huh?"
I dunno, he seemed really switched on when I took the shoes in.
I reckon he was having a bad day. Or high as a kite.
Him: "Can I help?"
It was the same chap I'd dealt with 24 hours earlier.
Me: "Yes, please, I've come to collect my shoes. You said they'd be ready today."
I put my half of the repair ticket on the counter. He picked it up and walked over to the Shoes-To-Be-Collected area.
Him: "Er, what do they look like?"
Me: "Gents brown lace-ups."
He quickly gave up and walked back to where I was.
Him: "You got a ticket?"
Me: "I gave it to you."
He scrutinised the counter closely.
Him: "Where is it?"
Me: "In your hand."
He looked at the ticket he was holding.
Him: "Oh, yeah, I got it."
He walked back to the shoes.
Him: "What do they look like?"
Me: "Gents brown lace-ups."
Him: "Is this them?"
He showed me the bottom of a pair of repaired shoes that I didn't recognise. I might have recognised the undersides of my shoes in their unrepaired state, but not now they'd been altered.
Me: "Could be. Why don't you check your half of the ticket?"
Him: "Where is it?"
Me: "Probably tucked into one of the shoes."
He fished about, found the other half of the ticket and compared them.
Him: "Yeah, this is them."
Me: "If they don't fit, I'm bringing them back."
Him: "Huh?"
I dunno, he seemed really switched on when I took the shoes in.
I reckon he was having a bad day. Or high as a kite.
DickyC said:
The bloke in Timpsons was having a bad day yesterday. I went in to collect my shoes that I had dropped off for repair on Wednesday. In his defence, Timpsons don't just repair shoes, they cut keys, order house signs, and replace watch batteries. Employees have to multitask.
Him: "Can I help?"
It was the same chap I'd dealt with 24 hours earlier.
Me: "Yes, please, I've come to collect my shoes. You said they'd be ready today."
I put my half of the repair ticket on the counter. He picked it up and walked over to the Shoes-To-Be-Collected area.
Him: "Er, what do they look like?"
Me: "Gents brown lace-ups."
He quickly gave up and walked back to where I was.
Him: "You got a ticket?"
Me: "I gave it to you."
He scrutinised the counter closely.
Him: "Where is it?"
Me: "In your hand."
He looked at the ticket he was holding.
Him: "Oh, yeah, I got it."
He walked back to the shoes.
Him: "What do they look like?"
Me: "Gents brown lace-ups."
Him: "Is this them?"
He showed me the bottom of a pair of repaired shoes that I didn't recognise. I might have recognised the undersides of my shoes in their unrepaired state, but not now they'd been altered.
Me: "Could be. Why don't you check your half of the ticket?"
Him: "Where is it?"
Me: "Probably tucked into one of the shoes."
He fished about, found the other half of the ticket and compared them.
Him: "Yeah, this is them."
Me: "If they don't fit, I'm bringing them back."
Him: "Huh?"
I dunno, he seemed really switched on when I took the shoes in.
I reckon he was having a bad day. Or high as a kite.
Look up the history of Timpsons and all will be revealed.Him: "Can I help?"
It was the same chap I'd dealt with 24 hours earlier.
Me: "Yes, please, I've come to collect my shoes. You said they'd be ready today."
I put my half of the repair ticket on the counter. He picked it up and walked over to the Shoes-To-Be-Collected area.
Him: "Er, what do they look like?"
Me: "Gents brown lace-ups."
He quickly gave up and walked back to where I was.
Him: "You got a ticket?"
Me: "I gave it to you."
He scrutinised the counter closely.
Him: "Where is it?"
Me: "In your hand."
He looked at the ticket he was holding.
Him: "Oh, yeah, I got it."
He walked back to the shoes.
Him: "What do they look like?"
Me: "Gents brown lace-ups."
Him: "Is this them?"
He showed me the bottom of a pair of repaired shoes that I didn't recognise. I might have recognised the undersides of my shoes in their unrepaired state, but not now they'd been altered.
Me: "Could be. Why don't you check your half of the ticket?"
Him: "Where is it?"
Me: "Probably tucked into one of the shoes."
He fished about, found the other half of the ticket and compared them.
Him: "Yeah, this is them."
Me: "If they don't fit, I'm bringing them back."
Him: "Huh?"
I dunno, he seemed really switched on when I took the shoes in.
I reckon he was having a bad day. Or high as a kite.
President Merkin said:
I'm 54 son. At some point it's going to dawn on you that every thread you appear in, you worsen. You create bad days for anyone who chances across your based dribble.
I think most people have just learned to ignore him.You're right that a lot of people are the architects of their own misery. I've always tried to take the view that bad things can happen and not to let it destroy you.
I used to get upset that the universe wasn't fair, then I thought it would be so much worse if it was fair because then all the horrible and unfortunate things that happen come to us because we actually deserved them.
So now I take great comfort in the unfairness and general hostility of the universe.
dudleybloke said:
Spare tyre said:
DickyC said:
Radec said:
moanthebairns said:
Heel no last long with that attitude.
Might have been hard to keep track of stuff since he was the sole person working there.CivicDuties said:
Today I am involved in a rigmarole of phantom appointments at my GP surgery. I don't think my GP and his admin team are ex-cons or alcoholics, but they still manage to f
k everything up on a regular basis. So their bad day always becomes my bad day. And today's the day.
Earlier this year I received a text reminder to go to mine for a blood test. My inner pedant railed at how they could possibly be reminding be about an appointment I knew nothing about, but figured it might be some two-yearly test or something as I get ancient. I went along, and booked in on their computer. As I was doing that, the nurse popped her head out, asked if I was <my name>, when I confirmed it she told me to come straight in. In I went, she asked for my form - which I didn't have - then sent me to the desk to get a copy. I asked at the desk - blank looks all round. So I went to sit down while they figured it out. k everything up on a regular basis. So their bad day always becomes my bad day. And today's the day.A man came into the surgery and booked himself in, and I happened to overhear that he had the same name as me.
They called me back to the desk a few minutes later, and asked me why I'd come to the surgery. I showed them the text message "reminding" me, and then I mentioned that there's another chap sitting in the waiting room who I think has the same name. "Oh, that must be it, sorry about that", they said. Good job I overheard him, really, but a bit disappointing that none of the people on reception thought "hang on, two people with the same name at the same time, one of them with no idea why he's here, I bet I know what's happened."
So it seems that there's some anomaly on their computer system that allowed them to send me a reminder for someone else's appointment, and allow me to book in for it (and allow him to book in, too), all because I have the same (not particularly uncommon) name as someone else. Luckily it wasn't something significant and they didn't start cutting anything off.
I was going to write in and complain, but I couldn't find an email address and didn't fancy either going in face to face, or wasting a quid on a stamp.
A bad day - when I thought I might have to have a blood test and was a bit suspicious as to what made them request one - turned into a good day when I realised that I didn't need one.
Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff