Gorcery Hell Scare: Custy Grabs From Behind and Restrains Just To Ask A Question

Hello, Retail Hell!

Not a Morning Person here again.

It's been a long time since my last submission. Well, the thing is, my job at the supermarket's been pretty good recently. The customers have been nice, there's been less incidents of sheer what-the-hell, and overall things are going well. I've even finally decided what I want to do with my life (zookeeper ftw!).

But something happened earlier today that made up for the past couple of years' peace.

I was working on the self-scan checkouts, trying to fix yet another pointless error (seriously, can somebody program one that actually works?). I suffer from anxiety and since the small self-scan area was crowded, I was already pretty tense. All of a sudden, somebody comes up behind me and restrains me.

Immediately my brain jumps into "Oh god who is touching me what is going on" mode. I try to struggle away but they're not letting go. I wrench myself away and turn around to see an old lady.

She tries to grab my shoulders and I put my hands up in a "stop" gesture. She still keeps trying to hold my shoulders and I tell her, "Please don't touch me," as polite and calmly as I can.

She smiles as innocent as can be and says "Excuse me dear, what time does the shop close?"

I'm on the verge of a panic attack but I manage to tell her, never mind the sign with our store hours is literally two metres to her right. She wanders off and I get back to fixing the malfunctioning checkouts, trembling and trying not to flake out at the people walking nearby.

Okay, a few things wrong with this situation. First of all, WHO THE FUCK RESTRAINS SOMEONE TO ASK THEM A QUESTION?! It wasn't like she couldn't tap my shoulder (which I wouldn't have liked, but it's still better than being grabbed!) or even just talk to me like a normal frigging human being!

Ugh. Sorry if I seem like I'm whining, but I really, REALLY hate being touched. Respect each other's personal space, folks.

--Not a Morning Person

 

Comments

[Sales Agent Guy]

OK, why didn't anyone report her? That right there should've been assault!

[Mollywobbles]

Okay, that's not a "I just don't like to be touched" thing, that's a "Oh my god, someone's grabbing me to abduct, rape and murder me, and not necessarily in that order" thing. I would have been screaming and cursing the instant I realized someone was grabbing me. Something along the lines of "What the FUCK are you doing!?" before I even saw who it was. Jesus, I can't even wrap my mind around this one.

[Spritzy]

No apologies needed. I would have spazzed out at someone grabbing me from behind as well. I don't handle human contact very well either (unless it's people I know very well)

[Not a Morning Person]

@ Sales Agent Guy, my friend and I reckon she was probably having a senior moment. ^^'

I'm laughing about it in hindsight at the bizarreness of the whole situation, but I was still really freaked out for a while XD

[Bored at the Bookstore]

At the very least, the first words out of my mouth would've been something to the effect of "keep your hands to yourself!" Not to mention I'd've been stomping an instep, elbowing some ribs, and generally screaming bloody blue murder. Lady would probably been laid out o. The floor by the time I finished flailing. To be able to react as well as you did, anxiety included, is most impressive, indeed.

[Bored at the Bookstore]

Correction of iPad typo, please... "laid out on the floor". Thank you. Stupid iPad.

[ScreamingOffKey]

O.O How did you NOT lay her out? I've actually laid out a certain manager of mine three times in the six months I've been at the hell that is Golden Arches because he thinks it's funny I don't like being touched... (I'm searching for another job this one is stressful because of that..)

[MahiMahi713]

Ughhh I hate when people, especially strangers, think it is ok to touch you,without asking for permission. Be it in a sexual or non sexual way. Maybe she didn't realize it was wrong because she is old? Still, I'd have said something along the lines of "Ma'am, you need to keep your hands to yourself. I did not give you permission to touch me."
You know what also pisses me off? When women think it is okay to touch a pregnancy women's belly without any permission. Hell, it's wrong even if the person is your friend. Ask first. I honestly don't know what makes some women think they can touch a pregnant woman's belly.

[Kiddo]

Maybe she had the mentality that if she didn't physically hold onto you until she was done talking with you, then you'd get distracted and ignore her for some other task? There's more than a few seniors that do that up here and I've seen them get snapped at for it, even escorted out of the store by security in the case of the guy that liked to slam his hand down on an employee's shoulder to 'catch' them.

Either way, she shouldn't have done that. A simple 'Excuse me' would have done the job perfectly well.

[photoslave]

Lady would have been on the floor with both of her arms broken. I spaz when people touch me suddenly. I took Go Ju Ryu karate from 4th-8th grade and know a lot of ways to get out of just about any kind of hold.

[The Last Archimedean]

The second she grabbed me from behind my elbow would have been flying at her face. You DON'T do that to people, period.

[BookBitch]

Yep, I'm with the majority, you touch me when I don't want you to, ESPECIALLY from behind where I can't see you, and I've probably taken off your head and kneed you in the crotch before I've bothered to find out who the hell you are. There is exactly ONE coworker who is allowed to touch me (since all the rest of my friends have quit due to our psycho boss, but that's a whole 'nother story...), and no customer touches me without retaliation, up to and including me charging them with assault. Can't believe you didn't deck the cow.

[WMDKitty]

Oh, HELL NO! That was entirely inappropriate on the old lady's part!

BOUNDARIES, motherfucker! Respect them!

[Skittles]

@ScreamingOffKey Uh that is harassment you really aught to report that. It might even fall under sexual harassment depending upon the genders and sexual orientation of the parties involved.

Yeah I definitly side with the majority here I respond very poorly to unexpected touching, like with imediate and overwhwelming violence.

Of course my first thought was hey wait a minute so that's not how you get a date? Maybe that is why I am single I'll have to add that to my list of reasons why I'm single.
1. handcuffs are only used with permission
2. ladies do not like it when you ask "how much?"
3. you can not borrow a handful of breast without asking first
4. do not grab ladies from behind to ask simple questions

[Tatiana Silver]

I am the same, I hate being touched in any way by someone I don't know. I have to really know you even to give you a handshake. It just freaks me straight out to the point of an attack.
This happened when I was 8 months pregnant at the time. And at the time I was taking martial arts class for the past 5 years at the time, so I know how to protect myself.

It was especially fun when I was pregnant with my daughter. I had this lady whom I did not know come right up to me and start rubbing my belly and asking me questions. I told her to stop it and stop touching me or else. She kept doing it, HUGE mistake.
I grabbed her wrist and spin her around so he wrist was now behind her almost touching her shouldblades and yelled for security and police. They came running to see what happened, she said was she wanted to touch my pregnant belly. I told them that I told to to stop and I gave her a warning about touching my belly.
The cops came in which I am glad I knew the one officer, the security told them what happened and I got asked if I wanted to press charges against the lady, I said hell yes! All the time while this was going on she was I just wanted to touch her belly, and then she saw a another pregnant lady and ran over to touch her belly as well and the other pregnant lady flipped out.
Needless to say she was arrested, charges were brought up against her for assault and mental anguish.

There are a lot more situations that people have tried to give me a hug where I don't know them and etc, but I will keep those for another time.
Thanks for letting me rant.

[CellsSells]

@Not a Morning Person, I feel you. I'm also bad about the touching thing. My sister took me to a masseuse and I literally cried unless she went in with me (started with an incident when I was a kid, I've gotten better but still pretty bad). I probably would've flipped out and knocked that lady in the face with my elbow, or even the solar plexus.

However, my mother works in old folk homes, and one of the types of dementia is a constant need to touch people.

Seriously, there's this old guy she visits who can't even talk unless he's patting her hands or stroking her hair. She hates it, but that's just how his brain processes things.

I'm wondering if the lady was the same way. Her brain couldn't tell the difference between "grab" and "tap" when trying to get your attention. Whatever the reason, I hope it never happens again to you. Those surprise attacks take days to fade.

[NC Tony]

I think I would've either thrown my head back and probably broken her nose or struggled to break free yelling "What the fuck?". I'd better know you real fucking well before you even think of touching me. Unless you're a close friend or family member, you're going to get hurt if you grab me from behind.

[The Worst]

It makes me sad that the first thing most people think when someone touches them unexpectedly is that they're going to be raped/murdered. I wish we didn't all have to be that much on-guard, but we do. When I studied abroad in Italy it was in a very small town where I guess people hadn't seen tattoos very much, because people would come up to me or be standing in line behind me and start poking at or rubbing my wings with their finger, maybe to see if they were real or something. It freaked me out the first couple times, but I got used to it and now I don't really mind being touched. Which means I will probably end up getting murdered by some crazy old lady in a grocery store. That is really freaky, and kudos to you for not decking her on instinct!

[WorkedAtCinema]

Ouch! I'd not have handled that well. I hate being touched. I even hate handshakes most of the time and wish I lived in Japan or something so I could just nod. I'd have had to leave so I could get over it. Already I NEED to rub my arm if someone brushes against it!