Amac Productions

Doors Are Locked, Stop Yanking

Welcome to Listen To This!

If you’re new here, welcome! Every month, I’ll drop a new wild story from all my years working in retail! Names and other identifiers have been changed so everyone may remain anonymous. All terrible customers will be referred to as Karen.

On with the show!

Why is this a thing?

No, seriously. I’m asking.

Have you ever pulled a door and it’s locked, so you pull it again, have you ever had it magically open?

Have you ever had a stuck door or something that just took a stronger yank to open? I haven’t.

At least, not that I can recall.

And often times, I won’t even make it to a door that’s locked on a place where you can shop because I check the hours before I leave my damn house. Because I will not be that asshole walking in two minutes to close to just ‘browse.’

But that’s a separate story.

Today we’re talking about all the people who have yanked on the locked doors of the General Nonsense. Trying to get in before we open or after we’ve closed for the night.

What is going through your mind when you pull the second time?

Like, maybe by sheer willpower or magic it’ll be open for you.

And then everyone searches for the hours like someone the store is the one in the wrong for having a locked door and they’ll have leg to stand on. They couldn’t possibly be closed.

I’m here.

Should have come during our business hours then.

Just saying.

There was notable woman one year. I’m filling a display at the front of the store, nearly an hour before we open. We’re trying to get stuff done without customers in the way.

Because if there’s anything that slows us down in filling is being asked questions. It’s not a bad thing, just a fact. If we’re helping people, we’re not filling a damn thing.

Unlike when we’re closed, and we can focus on getting product onto the floor.

Part of life working retail.

So I’m filling the display when I hear the door make a loud creaking sound.

And, of course, when you hear something you look at it. Despite everything in my being telling me I shouldn’t.

Because I shouldn’t.

There’s nothing more terrifying than making eye contact with someone when you didn’t want to. No matter the circumstances, it’s just awkward. You know you saw each other. Now what? Unless you both mutually agree through silence to ignore what just happened.

But that’s so rare.

And I know that’s not going to happen here.

But I look, like an idiot.

I see a woman at the front door. She yanks on the door again, like it will magically open for her. I feel like I’m saying that a lot, but if I stumble across a locked door, I’m leaving it alone.

I don’t keep pulling.

I’m just dumbstruck because it’s far too early for us to be open but there’s a person there. When the worst thing happens, she sees me there.

Then, then she does the thing that makes me scratch my head to this day.

She waves her hands at him and gestures to her wrist in the worldwide gesture for time and then points at the door handle.

I’m blown away.

The audacity.

Like does she really think I’m just going to bow down and open the door? I’m so sorry we were closed, I didn’t know it was a Karen on the other side. I’m so not sorry.

I blink for a moment. Too stunned to do anything.

She stares at me like I’m the biggest idiot on the planet.

Nope. Pretty sure you’ve got the title at the moment Karen. Just a thought.

But I manage to shake my head and point to the hours of the store on the window. Which, mind you, is literally next to the door she’s pulling on. It’s not that hard to find.

It’s not like we’re hiding the hours from anyone.

Why would we keep it a secret? To laugh at people?

Please, we don’t have to try that hard for a laugh.

She finally looks at the hours on the window and huffs throwing her hands up like I’ve personally offended her. I mean, I probably have. The world didn’t bow to her wishes when she wanted it to, so she’s probably super offended.

She is a Karen after all.

Then she storms off.

I still remember standing there like a moron, confused as hell about what I just witnessed when my SM came around the corner. She wanted to know why I looked so stunned.

Explaining it helped, she was stunned too.

Do you have any explanations beyond it was a Karen?

I don’t know.

But I do know this, if the door is locked, keep walking. They’re not open. There’s no one home. It’s not for you right now. Check the hours and come back when they are open. Don’t bother the employees just doing their job inside the building during closed hours.

I’ll never understand this.

It happens every single day though. I’ve never been in the General Nonsense without someone pulling or knocking or yanking on the door or cupping their hands to see inside. Seeing one of us walking around and demanding we open the door.

Like we’re not in there because we’re open. We’re working on things while it’s quiet. Or if it’s after close, there’s probably money being counted, and we’re extra creeped out by your desire to get into the building.

So do every retail store worker a favor and leave them alone.

Don’t scare them either by knocking on the door.

Or demanding they open it for you.

Because no.

Be a good person.

If the door is locked, walk away.

It’s closed. There will be another day to your shopping. The store will be open the next day or the day after that, or after that.

Do not be a jerk because you couldn’t take five minutes to see if they’re still open before driving over there and now want to make it a bunch of other people’s problem.

Just no.

Thank you for reading! Spread the love and read on!