Useless Parent Lets Sick Child Touch All Over Registers

From: Banja

Today I have a story about the hells of flu season.

A few weeks ago, I was cleaning my register when a woman came bustling up with a sick-looking child. The woman dropped her things on my register, telling me to hurry it up because her daughter was sick.

Her attitude kinda rubbed me the wrong way, but I said "Sure!" and rang her up.

She had a few items, like soup, air fresheners, and makeup. I reached for her makeup, only to have her pull it away and tell me it was separate.

I thought it was odd, especially since she claimed to be in a hurry, but when I saw she had an EBT card, I thought "Okay, it needs to be separate. That's fine, it doesn't matter."

As the woman swipes her card, she casually says, "Sorry, but my daughter's been throwing up all day, so we just came for soup," and her kid FLOPS bodily onto my grocery belt.

My stomach turned a little. I stammered out something like "Oh, I see," and quickly tried to ring the other things out.

Meanwhile the girl, still flopped over on my register, begins to grab at the card reader, getting her hands all over it.

I finished ringing the two of them out and as soon as they were gone, I wiped down the register with disinfectant. I even offered a customer my hand sanitizer since she grabbed the card reader before I could clean it. All of my other customers were really nice and even thanked me for cleaning the belt for them (and the sanitizer).

I didn't care that her kid was sick. I sort of wanted to know why she took the time to pick out makeup if her kid had been vomiting all day, but I really wanted to know WHY she wouldn't tell her kid not to flop on the belt.

Oh, and I got sick a few days later, too - from a GI bug.

Stay healthy,
--Banja

Comments

[hardwarenutz]

I was in the same boat a few years ago working for Dynasty Buck and H1N1 was running rampant around southern NY and NYC. I had one customer flat out tell me he was sick with H1N1 and another I knew was sick with it. I ended up using so much hand sanitizer that I started having an allergic reaction to it.

[lamer]

As a parent, no way in hell would I let my child (sick or not), touch anything.

[Spritzy]

I'm surprised you let them get away with her being on the belt at all, sick or not. Most places it's not allowed to have children sit/climb/lay/stand on the belt/counter/register. I would have told the custy that they'd have to put their kid in their cart or have her stand on the floor cause it's a safety and security hazard to have the kid there. If the lady complained I'd promptly let her know I'd be calling over management and security and do so...as well as let her know that she needed to mover her kid or I'd call CPS for child endagerment since she willingly kept her kid in a dangerous place after I warned her.

[Banja]

Oh, sorry, I wasn't clear. This girl had feet on the floor but her upper body was flumped over. I still didn't feel like I could say anything - kids do this a lot, and the few times I've tried parents ignore me and so do the kids. The managers don't think it's a big deal either. =\

[RetailBird]

My son likes to run his fingers on the belt. I like to tell him that they keep a jar under the register for the severed fingers.

[Banja]

HAHAHAHAH RetailBird, I wish I could get away with telling people that.

[Perky]

I have never had a parent put their kids on the belt, thank the goddess, but I'm sure one will one day. As for kids flopping their upper body or running their hands on the belt--all the time. We are not allowed to scold the kids, but I do say for them to be careful since hair can get caught on the belt or the items on the belt can squish their fingers as the move down with the belt. That is usually enough for the parents to stop them or ask them to move. But sometimes I get parents who give me the whole "don't you tell my kid what they can do, they can play with the belt if they want too" comment. I just shurg and tell them it's on their head if they get hurt. All I legally have to do is warn the parent.

[Chicajojobe]

FYI so you don't catch it next time (since we, sadly, know there will be a next time) hand sanitizer doesn't kill norovirus, nor does Lysol. There are specialty cleaners, but the easiest way to disinfect after encountering a stomach virus is a 10% bleach solution.

[NC Tony]

@ Perky: Next time some idiot parent tells you not to tell their idiot kid what to do, just tell them that your manager has a wall of trophy heads in his office for all the kids who have gotten their hair stuck in the belt.

[Banja]

Thanks, Chicajojobe! Completely forgot the and feel quite silly now! I suppose it's more of a mental state than anything. Hehehe. I feel sheepish now ^^;;;

[Luna]

I tell kids that touch the belt that if they get their fingers caught they'll have to spend the night, because the guy who gets the fingers out can only come *whatever the next day is*.
They pull their hands back pretty quickly and most parents smile at me, the cranky ones I just ignore or point to the little sign that says do not touch on the belt.