Sunday, August 2, 2009

Among the things I just don't get...

People insisting that their morality/ethics/standards are the only ones that matter.

Example: Our store received a complaint last week from a sweaty, overly cologned "gentleman" with a huge gold cross necklace around his neck, a cross tie-tack in his American Flags tie, a praying hands pin on his lapel right above an American flag pin, and a worn leather covered Bible in his hand. (Think you can see where this is going? Just wait.)

He asked for a pharmacist. I got one. Then he asked for a "better" one, and pointed to the only male we had behind the counter, who is not actually a pharmacist, or even an intern. The pharmacist explained that to this man, and he launched on his rant, quoting verses about lewdness and immodesty and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The pharmacist cut him off with "I'm familiar with the Bible, sir. I went to a religious school. What was your complaint?"

His complaint: we sell, right out in the open where people can see them, tampons, which he called "internal hygiene devices". In his mind that's disgusting, immoral, unnecessary, and they should be removed from the shelves immediately so as to not offend his delicate moral sensibilities. He "shouldn't have to see that sort of thing" while shopping for his necessities.

Now, I know the aisle in which the tampons are sold pretty well, thanks to a mishap for a local family in which Daughter's first monthly visitor showed up while Mom was out of town, leaving Older Brother to take her to the store. I spent half an hour in that aisle explaining her options and helping her figure out what she thought would work best. The contents of that aisle are exclusively related to "immoral" things like menstruation, incontinence, "family planning", intimate lubrication, UTI tests and treatment, and (thankfully) 12' of shelf space for Midol and Pamprin (or I probably would have killed someone by now). The "internal hygiene devices" are in the middle of the aisle, with incontinence treatments on the end so the elderly don't have to walk so far from the doors to find them.

Now, I don't question this man's obvious faith and dedication to his morals, but why was he even down there in the first place? What "necessities" did he have to go after down that aisle, and where is the necessity in thinking *his* needs are the only ones to which we should cater? The number of times one of the pharmacy employees has needed something from that aisle just to get through the day should be enough reason to keep it, but no, he was willing to take his complaint all the way up to the corporate level until he "received satisfaction".

My pharmacist gave him the number, said thank you when he grudgingly offered her a "blessed day" and then laughed her ass off when he got out of ear shot. What else can you do with those people?

4 comments:

  1. That is so rude! Aren't Christians supposed to love thy neighbour and all that? How is a bodily function unnatural?!

    Great blog, by the way.

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  2. Thanks.

    The only reason I can think that someone would consider a bodily function unnatural (one that, according to some lines of thinking is the *only* reason their God doesn't just make everything female) is that it's associated exclusively with women. Misogyny at it's finest is my guess. :(

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  3. Make that "just make everything MALE". That's what happens when I type late at night. :)

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  4. WTF? He thinks his "delicate moral sensibilities" are being offended now, just wait until someone gets pissed off and throws a used Tampax in his face!

    Love your blog by the way!

    ReplyDelete