Regular readers will know that I am a volunteer at a major hospital and my duties bring me into regular contact with patients, visitors and enquirers. The vast majority are civil and a pleasure to serve.
Every now and then a 'customer' is rude or unaccountably self centred and I could quite happily press an 'eject' button if there were one and send them on their way. These oddballs, like Sydney buses, seem to come in groups as though it is a full moon and all the eccentrics have been set loose in the hospital.
A gentleman, (in this case an extremely generous description) who walked in off the street today, called me a fucking cunt all because I told him he was welcome to read the complimentary newspapers on the premises but couldn't take them away because they were intended for the patients.
Shortly afterwards society looking madam appeared and engaged in the following conversation with me, all whilst patients were lined up waiting for me to attend to their appointments;
SLM: I've come to collect the papers
Me: What papers are those?
SLM: The papers someone told me would be available for me here
Me: Do you know what those papers are?
SLM: No
Me: Who did you speak to?
SLM: I don't know
Me: What area was the person in?
SLM: I don't know
Me: What is your name?
SLM: Society looking Madam
Me: I'll have to make some enquiries for you, please take a seat.
SLM: Look, I can't wait. I'm double parked in front of the hospital and I was told the papers would be here
Me: I'm sorry but I do not have any papers here for you and I will have to make enquiries
SLM: This is ridiculous, I'm double parked and can't waste time with you
Now, I don't know about you but if I double parked outside a hospital in the hope of collecting something and then found that the poor sod I was talking to knew nothing about it I wouldn't snap my fingers and expect him to drop everything else happening around him to accommodate me.
It was just one of those days.
It is bad enough that paid staff are on the receiving end of such attitude, but just not on for volunteers.
ReplyDeleteIt's days like that that make you wonder why you bother!
ReplyDeleteHopefully your next day there will be vastly different.
I'm currently having a week just like that... Sometimes I only wish those people could see themselves played back on video, I'm sure they'd be mortified by their own behavior.
ReplyDeleteWorking in the public sector, I get that a lot, too. It's hard to keep a smile on one's face sometimes.
ReplyDeleteAfod - Some people seem to forget they are in a hospital, instead acting like they are at a five star resort and demanding 'celebrity' treatment.
ReplyDelete