One Godblessyou over the line...

[Croney]

I go to Zumba classes four times a week. My gym hired a new desk person to take temperatures and greet members. He was very friendly, which was fine.

When I left the desk he'd say Godblessyou. When I passed him on the way out he'd say it again. It started feeling a little creepy. I mentioned it to a couple of class friends and they found it odd but just laughed it off.

One day I asked him, politely, not to say it. He continued. I spoke to a manager, who at first asked me "if I was a person who..." and I stopped him, saying I shouldn't have to explain myself and I'd asked the person not to say it, and it probably wasn't a job requirement. He agreed.

Today when I went in, the desk person apologized and I quickly and happily accepted. When I left, he said have a good afternoon.

Many people would not be bothered by constant Godblessyou's in a secular setting, but I was. I'm glad I made my feelings known.

[vlyons]

1. You handled it well and intelligently.

nt

[Croney]

2. Oh thank you.

[tblue37]

3. You could've responded, "And bless your heart."

[Susan Calvin]

7. I generally say

I'm an atheist but thank you anyway. That's if it happens with somebody I'm probably not going to see again. If it happened over and over it would annoy me as much as the OP.

[wcmagumba]

4. back in my first year of college (a small Methodist school but quite liberal and secular)

I lived in a dorm, an upper class kid living there said that to me every time I passed...I just ignored him but it really super soured me on these groups (I was already fairly agno/atheist. I mean he would do it even if we passed each other in the hallway 10 times in an hour...how annoying...I guess he did this little public pronouncement of his "theocratic superiority" to everyone, I just didn't notice at the time...Totally annoying and disgusting aggressive act (Guess I was too young/ignorant to respond forcefully to him, that would be different today...jerks...

[Croney]

5. Ugh. I'm glad it's not just me.

[Brainstormy]

6. Good for you. n/t

[progressoid]

8. Excellent.

Good for you.

I would be more likely to roll my eyes and groan at him.

[OriginalGeek]

9. most of my co-workers know I'm an atheist

but they still say "bless you" when I sneeze. And laugh when I say "No thanks!"

(Some of them are atheists too - when you've worked with people for 20 years ya start having inside jokes lol).

But a random desk clerk guy who I've asked not to say it to me and continues to do so needs correctin'. You handled it more gracefully than I might have.