Two minutes silence and refusing to serve customer

[BalugaBelle]

At work today I was on the checkout (large retail store) and the silence was announced over a tannoy.

A woman (on the phone) came up to the checkout during the silence, so I shushed her. Motioned to poppies next to till!

She then said, "I'm going to miss my train, please continue serving me!"

I refused, shook my head and sat silently for the two minutes.

At the end I put her items through, she moaned at me and called me rude and petty and then went on her merry way.

So was I being unreasonable to respect the two minutes silence, even if it meant a customer was unhappy at me doing so?

I know good customer service is needed but surely the two minutes silence takes priority? She clearly had no respect!

Quite frankly I didn't give a damn about her train, I was paying my respects as was everyone else in the shop. It was literally almost silent apart from young children (understandable) and general noise, i.e., heating making noises!

Anyone who refuses to acknowledge their sacrifice are as bad as hollocaust deniers in my opinion.

I respectfully - but completely - disagree.

If she doesn't like it then she can always sod off to another country and good riddens to that sort of person.

Observance of the two minutes silence is not a legal residency requirement...

When we start forgetting the horror... that's when it will start happening again. The whole point is never forget.

You did the right thing. It would have been poor form to have your machine beeping as you processed each of her items. .

I think you did the right thing.

I'm surprised at the number of people that are saying you should've served her in silence- that's not really in the spirit of remembrance.

If she doesn't like it then she can always sod off to another country and good riddens to that sort of person.

Ah yes that’s what we fought the Nazis for, so that people who express themselves differently or don’t conform to the dominant societal norm have to leave the country

Mrs. It’s about remembering the PEOPLE who died. Relatives of many of us. It’s not about remembering 99 year old political decisions.

She was rude.
Slight tangent, we were at the garden centre with DS (5) who is a total wiggle and never shuts up. They announced the silence over the tannoy so I told him we would be standing still and quiet for 2 minutes to remember people who have died in wars. I was very surprised and proud that he stood beautifully. A 50 something man next to us continued moving around and talking loudly so his wife about Christmas decorations throughout. Some people!

You should have served her. You could have really caused her problems by making her miss her train.

It wasn't a ticket office.

If she wants to cause herself problems with last minute purchases during the armistice day silence, that's her own disrespectful lookout.

I think you did the right thing OP. It's surprised me that there's so many people on the thread saying the opposite though.

"It's surprised me that there's so many people on the thread saying the opposite though."

Some People try really hard to be contrary. Makes them feel special.

Hilarious that pseudo lawyers keep saying the silence ‘isn’t a legal requirenent’. Nor is serving someone a legal requirement, especially not within a set period of time.

Ywnbu; would have been even better had security thrown her out.

I was very surprised and proud that he stood beautifully. Brought a tear to my eye that did.

‘Some People try really hard to be contrary. Makes them feel special.’

Ooooooooor maybe people just don’t agree.

If the company policy is 2 minutes of silence them that is what you do!
To the folk saying that the wws have passed out of living memory, surely that is all the more reason to observe the annual act of rembrance.

I run a children's sports club and they had no problem stopping what they were doing and observing the silence

Anyone who refuses to acknowledge their sacrifice are as bad as hollocaust deniers in my opinion.

No, they’re really not

poppycock

I'm shocked and depressed at the number of people who think you should have served this woman op, and even more depressed by the poster who asked why we observe the silence.
It is two minutes a year where we remember people who fought in wars to ensure that we could live in freedom. Their sacrifice made it possible for us to live the life we lead. Two minutes out of the year and it's not a surprise, it happens every year at the same time so people should be ready for it.

Well done for taking a stand op.

I was in a cafe/shop and all of the staff moved away from their counters and formed a line in front of them. I thought that was lovely.

YWNBU to observe the silence and not serve her.

I see the arguments surrounding poppies and the silence every year. It’s a choice, it’s not compulsory. When it becomes forced it is meaningless, it is a choice to wear a poppy and observe the silences.

The bickering and nastiness which happens all the time is hugely ironic. Isn’t bigotry and intolerance why we need to remember the fallen in the first place? Without it, there wouldn’t be war.

I am a pacifist and I observe the two minute silence, even in my own house. I got to he car with my shopping yesterday at 11 am and sat in the car rather than put my shopping in the car. It makes me sad that some of you on this thread who are calling other judgemental are judging me a s a rabid right winger just because I was silent. I have the same thoughts about war as you. Do you go around being deliberately noisy or something??

I make sure I spend the two minutes thinking about the futility of war and the poor young people who died as victims of military and political decisions. I am going to a service today as DS plays in the Last Post. A man plays The Flowers of the Forest on his bagpipes and it is genuinely moving.

You can descry war and observe the silence.

I agree some people are (and always have been) very jingoistic about poppies and didn't buy them when they were Earl Haig fund (and I didn't like the pushy poppy sellers in Sainsburys yesterday who started trying to sell me other things apart from a poppy!). But I know what I mean and intend by observing it.

Anyone who doesn't observe it needs not to be in a public place at 11 am where possible. If they are, they just need to stop what they are doing. If she genuinely had been going to miss her train she would have left the shopping and rushed off.

I was in Waitrose and it was made clear that service to customers would not go ahead during the silence, maybe shops should be more clear

YANBU

TBH I hate those two minutes of silence.
Yes it’s great to remember people during the two WW who lost their life’s so that we could live somewhere safe.
But it’s now about remembering all servicemen. Servicemen that no one is ever thinking about at any other times.mservicemen who have been injured or killed and then let down by the government who is refusingnthe provide the support they should give them.
Now I wonder, how many people, incl the OP is actually doing something about it and giving money for them to build the facilities they need, the home adapattions they need or the support they need to cope wo their husband/wife/father/mother.

It has become an exercise in false patriotism.
And as such no one has the ‘moral high ground’ because they are respecting those 2 mins silence.

You did the right thing .
She should have been more organised - after all there's a years notice of the silence :)

YANBU you were paying your respect as you wanted to do.