When someone’s the victim of a humiliating, public, a verbal attack can feel soul-crushing, especially if you’re a single mom doing the best you can while constantly being judged by self-righteous jerks. But, being a witness to someone being treated that way can also feel frustrating, as many folks think they are powerless to do anything about it. Experiencing someone going through such an ordeal can really inflame a decent person’s empathy, compelling them to take action in some way. More often than not, the only thing you can do is comfort the victim while rebuking the offender, who probably couldn’t care less about your condemnation. However, this wasn’t an issue for the man in this fictional story who witnessed a rich snob bullying a woman who couldn’t afford her son’s birthday cake and delivered some sweet karma.
(I’m in line to pay. Customer #1 in front of me is about in his 4os, and very well-dressed in a suit and tie. Customer #2 in front of him seems to be a single mother with her child. I’m pretty shabbily dressed (day off); wearing only faded jeans, an old, novelty Star Wars shirt, and have my long hair almost covering my eyes.)
Customer #1: “Lady, can you hurry up! Some people are important and actually have places to be!”
(Customer #2 is fumbling with her money. In her cart, she only has basic groceries and what appears to be a birthday cake for her child. She mumbles something about not having enough money, and decides to leave the cake behind.)
Customer #1: “Don’t waste everyone’s time if you can’t even pay for your s***! Or maybe you need another government handout that comes from my taxes?!”
(At this point, I feel like I’ve got to step in.)
Me: “Hey man, that’s enough!”
Customer #1: “Who do you think you are? I’ll have you know I’m the [high profile position] at [large shipping company], and no one ever talks to me like that.”
(Suddenly, I become much more respectful.)
Me: “I’m so sorry, sir. I had no idea you were so important. Would you mind if I asked you for your business card?”
(Customer #1 smugly hands me his card. I see he is, indeed, who he says he is.)
Me: “And here’s my business card.”
Customer #1: “Why the h*** would I want your”
(Customer #1 suddenly goes pale, as he notices that I am co-owner of [large shipping company].)
Me: “Now that I know your name, I’ll be sure to phone your supervisor to ensure you’re put on probation. One more act like this and you’re fired.”
(Customer #1 stammers for a bit, before practically running from the store. I end up paying for the mother’s cake, and even gave them a bit extra to buy the kid any toy from the store.)
Source: Tickld