New Year's Eve Hell at a Grocery Store: Tale of the Taser Lady
From OsoDePaulie
This happened last New Year's Eve, but I figured today would be best to tell it, just in case something happens tomorrow night. As usual, I work at a grocery store.
I had just closed up self checkout for the night. We had to have everything shut down early since our closing hours were different (the company allows us time to get home to celebrate New Years with our families). I still had about a half hour or so left in my shift, so I went to go help with some of the restock stuff. I'm at the far end of our soda aisle, putting 12 packs up on the shelves and I hear bzzzzzzzzzzt.
I stand straight up and think, "was that a taser?!? Why would somebody have a taser in the store?" As soon as I finish thinking that, I hear one of the cashiers ask very loudly, "why do you even have that in here?" Followed by another bzzzzzzzzzt. Something's obviously about to go down, so I run to the registers to see what's going on. I get to the registers and there's a large-ish circle formed around this one customer. She's yelling at another person in line, so I ask the cashier for a quick rundown. She explains the customer is super drunk and trying to buy a bottle of champagne. She denied the sale and the lady pulled a taser on her.
Our night manager hops out of the checkstand he was in (directly behind taser lady) and stands next to me. Taser lady has stopped yelling at the other customer and is demanding the bottle of champagne.
TL will be taser lady, B is boss, C is other customer.
TL: you're gonna give me that champagne, right?
B: no.
TL: why not? waves taser around. B: Well, for starters, you're already drunk. And you're out here threatening people with a taser.
TL: is that a problem?
B: Yeah, it is. I'm gonna give you the opportunity to leave now or I'm gonna call the cops.
C: too late. I already did.
TL: I'll deal with you in a minute. turns back to boss you wanna come over hear and kick me out to my face?
B: no.
TL: what? You afraid to get tased?
B: yeah. I don't feel like wasting my New Years getting tased cause you're an idiot. Seriously, just leave now.
TL: I'll do whatever I want. I'll leave when I want, I'll drink what I want, I'll.....
C: no, you should seriously leave now. I'm still on the phone with the cops. They can hear you. The dispatcher says they're maybe a minute away. Unless you want to get arrested, then by all means, please, keep being dumb.
Taser lady thinks it over for a little, waves the taser at the customer, then makes her way to the exit. Our security guard, fresh from stopping a fight in the parking lot, goes to escort her out, while keeping at least 10 feet away from her. They're halfway to the door and taser lady starts screaming at him to stop following her and starts swinging the taser at him. He looks back at us like, "WTF is going on here?" Then turns back and laughs at the lady. She finally walks out.
Everybody gets back into their normal spots and the customer who had called the cops says:
"I have a confession to make. I didn't actually call the cops."
I've pulled the "let's pretend to call the cops but really I am calling my voicemail" bit. It works in small situations where drunk people refuse to leave McStores. However in this situation where it was a legit threat with an actual weapon involved (yes I am considering a taser a weapon) the cops legit should have been called.
Posted by: McHell Manager | Saturday, December 31, 2016 at 07:17 AM
The best response if you have it. Throw liquid on the tazer and her arm. I have to assume from the noise it was a prong contact tazer not a dart. She gets shocked on flat her ass.
Posted by: Jofur | Saturday, December 31, 2016 at 12:44 PM
I've also pictured what would happen when one of those taser hot heads decides to use a prong taser at a places with explosive vapors.
Posted by: Jofur | Saturday, December 31, 2016 at 12:50 PM
"She denied the sale and the lady pulled a taser on her."
Slame her wrist with the champagne bottle - if it's a good bottle, it won't break and it will, hopefully, cause her to drop the tazer. And no, you cannot really be held accountable for assault because you were reacting instinctively to a potential threat in self-defense.
"I have a confession to make. I didn't actually call the cops."
IMBECILE!!
Posted by: Lightning | Saturday, December 31, 2016 at 01:20 PM
I hate people who get drunk and drive or pull out Tasers and threaten people! The cops should have been called and have her hauled to the drunk tank. I did read a story about a drunk guy who stole a horse from a farm when he was drunk so he could avoid drunk driving in his car. I thought, "His heart is in the right place but where is his brain?"
Posted by: BH | Saturday, December 31, 2016 at 06:01 PM
BH, you seem to be under the impression that he had a brain to begin with.
Posted by: Lightning | Sunday, January 01, 2017 at 02:57 AM
I'm with Lightning. Imbecile! The police should have been called, and a Taser is a legit weapon. Not all weapons are lethal, though tasers can be for people with heart conditions
Posted by: TenebrisVenator | Tuesday, January 03, 2017 at 12:36 PM