Bloodied store manager describes life in the age of COVID-19

[Tactical Peek]

AP News

Bloodied store manager describes life in the age of COVID-19

By JOHN ROGERS



For weeks Samantha Clarke calmly listened to the insults and threats directed daily at her and her employees by people who learned they couldn’t enter the Modesto, California, store without wearing a mask and following other coronavirus-related rules.

But never, says the 17-year veteran of retail sales, did she expect she’d be sucker-punched and knocked to the floor, blood gushing from her battered face. Not until it happened recently after a customer was told the last above-ground swimming pool in stock had just been sold to someone else.

“I’ve been in retail my whole life. I’ve been at this particular job 17 years and I’ve never heard of anyone being attacked, ever,” Clarke said by phone one recent evening after finishing the night shift.

But in retrospect she says, perhaps she should have seen it coming.

“We had the normal upset customer from time to time, but rarely did someone lose their temper and cuss at us,” she says of life before the store she manages began operating under state-issued coronavirus safety guidelines.

“Now it’s just daily, sometimes back to back to back,” she said.

https://apnews.com/6c3185047eb177dea7fa60682c211c84

[Sherman A1]

1. Damn Sad

But, not surprising, Retail is on occasion a very dangerous line of work. During my years I dealt with all sorts of "interesting" folks. Screamed at, belittled and threatened. The only time I was assaulted was by our own Loss Prevention department, when I insisted upon them producing I.D. when in the backroom. That "charming" individual was terminated the same day.

[LizBeth]

2. I agree. There have been more than a handful of times, working the last two years in hotel,

That I have been physically threatened by men because I was unable to meet their want. A 60 yr old woman, creating distance, and planning escape, with phone in hand, ready to call 911 because of some stupid ass want they had, that I could not accommodate. Everything about me and my job was to solve problems and make customers happy, and I worked hard toward that goal, always, even with the unreasonable, the angry. And still, I cannot count the number of people that flew off the handle in rage.

And this is an upscale hotel.

People are out of control. Trump has brought this to us. I did not see it prior.

[Sherman A1]

5. Agreed

But, I saw it for many years and it has gotten progressively worse. Trump hasn’t helped the situation, but he isn’t the cause.

[Tipperary]

3. And again, not the south. nt

[Indykatie]

4. CoronaVirus Cases Have Begun to Soar in California Exceeding 2000+ a Day

No sane person would balk at wearing a mask in public.

[pecosbob]

6. Domestic terrorism