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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Supermarket car park staff member - WIBU?

305 replies

HalloweenOutThatPumpkin · 18/10/2011 22:21

AIBU, SN, Waitrose and the car park. I must be stark raving mad, but here goes ...

I shop in the same branch of Waitrose every other day and have done for years. All the regular staff know me and the guys who collect the trolleys are among them.

This evening half the car park was totally empty so instead of driving round the one way system shown by the arrows I nipped into the "down" lane, parked in the first space and got out of the car.

Cue fairly large trolley bloke who has SN of some sort (not sure what they are because he never talks to anyone as far as I know) shouting "Eh! Eh!" at me and pointing at the ground. I couldn't work out what he meant and just looked confusedly back at him. After a minute or so of this he walked over and shouted right in my face "One Way, One Way" and pointed at the arrow. I said that there were no other cars there so I couldn't see the problem. He followed me round the car, still shouting "One Way" at me while I hunted for my bags. It was after dark, there was no one else around and I felt quite intimidated so after I had scarpered to the shop I mentioned it at the customer service desk. I just said that it was quite an outburst and it had left me feeling a bit shaken.

Now I am not sure if I did the right thing. I don't think he will lose his job over it or anything that drastic, but should I have simply thought "the guy has SN, he obviously needs people to follow rules, I've broken them and I should suck it up", or was I right to complain about him shouting at me?

OP posts:
eslteacher · 19/10/2011 13:19

In the grand scheme of things, I don't think that driving the wrong way in an empty car park is a big deal, presuming you were driving slowly, carefully and literally just for a few metres (which seems to be the case). Am shocked that so many people seem to see it as such a terrible thing to do...

The only concern I'd have would be what happens to the car park guy now that you've complained. There's no way I'd feel comfortable complaining about this if I thought there was the slightest chance he'd lose his job. So am glad to see you decided to retract your complaint.

The only thing I don't understand is why you didn't just say sorry to him and admit that you technically shouldn't have done it, rather than ramping up the conflict in the first place by refusing to admit you'd done anything wrong.

But generally, I don't think YABU.

JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 19/10/2011 13:22

I'm repeating myself here but what the hell...

What happens when the parking attendant shouts in the face of somebody prone to punching people's lights out?

He might be a perfectly nice chap who because of his SN, reacts in an unusual way to minor driving infractions. Or he might be a git who has anger issues or gets a thrill out of intimidating people. We don't actually know.

Either way his behaviour needs flagging up.

HalloweenOutThatPumpkin · 19/10/2011 13:25

Obviously my post was not well worded because there are so many people accusing me of being anti-SN, which I am categorically not, and I certainly didn?t post this just to stir things up or SN bash. The reason I asked the question in my OP was because I felt, with hindsight, that I might have been wrong to report the incident because I should have taken account of his SN. However I was shaken by it at the time because he is much, much bigger than me, he has always seemed very mild-mannered and helpful and so it was completely unexpected.

To put a few points straight, I did say ?I?m sorry?, before I said that I couldn?t see why there was a problem; I was not aggressive, high-handed, arsey or any of that ? I was just confused and then shocked, and I tried to be very polite and fair when I reported the incident in the shop; I don?t break the law when driving on public roads, but I won?t drive 200ft round a completely empty sea of tarmac dutifully following arrows to get to the nearest space; no, the trolley guy was not at risk of me knocking him over ? although if I had followed the arrows he and his stack of trolleys would have been in my path; if the car park hadn?t been empty I would have waited for him to move on, but it seemed pretty pointless given that there were no other cars in that area.

As I posted on Page 2, I have now been back to the shop and spoken to a duty manager. I said that I understood that the guy has SN (I did ask if he is deaf, and he is not) and that I realised that he found me flouting the arrows difficult to cope with. I said that I felt that I should have made allowances for the SN and I apologised for not doing so. I said that I was concerned that I might have stirred up trouble for him and that I most definitely didn?t want that. The manager told me that there have been similar incidents over the years with him trying to police the car park and that he has had it explained to him that he shouldn?t try to, both for the customers' sake and for his own safety if someone should turn nasty on him. He has never been physically violent but he can be verbally quite aggressive if something upsets him. The manager said that they have always encouraged him to tell a manager or supervisor if there is a problem rather than trying to deal with it himself.

He has spoken to him about it again (before I got to the shop), he assured me that there is no question of him losing his job over it and he said he was glad I had told them about it because they want to be able to manage the issue and support him rather than it getting out of control.

OP posts:
onefatcat · 19/10/2011 13:28

You sound very reasonable Halloween and I think I too would do exactly as you have done.

eslteacher · 19/10/2011 13:31

Like onefatcat, I think that all sounds reasonable. And I didnt understand where the idea that you were SN-bashing came from anyway, none of your posts read like that to me...

Deflatedballoonbelly · 19/10/2011 13:35

`I dont see why the duty manager felt the need to tell you all about his past histories with customers etc..

Confidentiality? Hmm

Mardymwahhaha · 19/10/2011 13:47

Glad you went back to the store Halloween. Sounds like a measured conversation with the store manager and a proportionate response.

FlossieFromCrapstonVillas · 19/10/2011 13:48

I've read what you've read, Deflated - I think you're looking for things that aren't there. The manager wasn't going into specifics.

FanjoForTheMuahahammaries · 19/10/2011 14:01

I still would have dutifully driven following the arrows in the first place if I knew the guy had.SN and was clearly getting upset by it, out of.compassion for him and a bit of kindness.

FanjoForTheMuahahammaries · 19/10/2011 14:04

I have never accused OP of SN bashing either, just wondered why there is a lack of kindness from some on this thread. Sometimes its nice to put oneself out for others if it makes them feel better

onefatcat · 19/10/2011 14:07

But she didn't know he would be upset in advance- how could she?
You really are determined that she will be in the wrong aren't you???

FanjoForTheMuahahammaries · 19/10/2011 14:11

Other people knew he was upset and still say 'why drive following the arrows even if it upset him'. That is what I am referring to. Anyway I have made.my point, its about kindness not point scoring.

OchAyeTheNooPal · 19/10/2011 14:14

That's good OP that you've come back to the thread after some of the names you've been called here. You admitted you were unreasonable and still some posters piled in to tell you what a nasty SN basher you are.

I didn't read any of your posts as making fun of this man but i guess some people see what they want to.

onefatcat · 19/10/2011 14:21

No they didn't Fanjo- people said they didn't really see the need to follow arrows in a virtually empty or empty car park, or admitted that they sometimes do the same. Nobody said they would still drive the wrong way if they knew it would upset a particular person with SN needs.

FlossieFromCrapstonVillas · 19/10/2011 14:25

Gosh, now the OP did it deliberately - There might be a little bit of taking from the OP's story what suits, I think.

FanjoForTheMuahahammaries · 19/10/2011 14:29

Am on holiday so you can froth berserkly at me all you like, I'm off

PinotScreechio · 19/10/2011 14:39

{{{Rhubs}}}

onefatcat · 19/10/2011 14:39

I think Fanjo sounds somewhat disappointed that the OP turned out to be quite nice. Grin

FlossieFromCrapstonVillas · 19/10/2011 14:43

Kindness, Fanjo. Yes I agree, very important...

Rhubarb0oooo · 19/10/2011 14:44

Just to clear things up OP, you stated this: "Cue fairly large trolley bloke who has SN of some sort (not sure what they are because he never talks to anyone as far as I know)" which, without calling you a nasty "SN basher" (wonderful term Hmm) is ignorant. Does everyone with special needs have to wear a banner proclaiming which special needs they suffer from?

Also how come you then say that he is normally polite and helpful when in your first post you say he never talks to anyone?

And I'm sorry but did I miss where she said he had been there 10 years?

onefatcat: "Supermarkets often employ people with SN to collect trolleys etc so she is probably right to assume he has SN," what a presumptious pile of poo. Just wanted to point that out to you, I don't think that ridiculous statement needs replying to.

We are not talking about a bloke with a hoodie on, we are talking about a member of Waitrose staff. One whom the OP is presumably familiar with although she has never heard him speak and then she has (is she confused?) and one which she knows has special needs.

He did not come out of a street corner shouting at her. He saw her go the wrong way around the car park, he pointed to the ground and shouted "One way". She doesn't answer so he goes closer and says loudly "One way" and then continues saying this as she walks to the store.

In her OP she did not specify that she had said sorry, she merely stated that she'd told him she didn't think it a problem.

How, may I ask, is this harrassment or intimidating?

I'm sorry to have to break this to you, but people with special needs sometimes tend to talk loudly. They don't have to be deaf to do so, they just do. They are also sticklers for the rules and get upset if they see the rules being broken.

So how about a little compassion and understanding for someone who is paying his taxes, working and trying to live a normal a life as possible?
Yes sometimes you do have to make exceptions for adults who have special needs, it's hardy going out of your way to do so though is it? Talk to them like you would do anyone else and show them the same levels of respect and you'll be respected in turn.

I wonder what response she would have given if an ordinary shop member had pointed out that she had driven the wrong way?
I'm very sorry that you found him abrupt, but this is the reality of adults who have difficulty communicating and if you know him to be polite and you know him to have special needs then you make concessions - of course you do! Because you realise the difficulty of the situation and you realise that you were in the wrong. You don't make a complaint against him because in reality he will now be taken away from the public and placed in the storeroom.

The public obviously aren't ready to accept a grown man who talks louder than he should, who cannot articulate sentences very well and who is a stickler for the rules.

FanjoForTheMuahahammaries · 19/10/2011 14:49

I can't even answer that comment as its so pathetic on many levels

onefatcat · 19/10/2011 14:50

So, on one hand the OP is to allow for the fact he might have SN by treating him differently, but she/I is then wrong to presume he has SN??
It is quite well known that many staff employed to collect trolleys etc at the supermarket have SN, and from his behaviour the OP described I think it is a reasonable assumption to be made???

PinotScreechio · 19/10/2011 14:50

Rhubs, step away. Not worth the stress and the heart rate my love.

And I agree with Fanjo.

FanjoForTheMuahahammaries · 19/10/2011 14:52

My last comment was to onefatcat

PinotScreechio · 19/10/2011 14:53

YY Fanjo. I thought that :)