The First Time I Got Harassed

I want to share a story about the first time I got harassed when I was 16. I'm sure there a lots of people who understand what I went through.

When I was fifteen and a half, I started working evenings at McDonald's. As soon as I turned 16, I had my own car and license. I worked evenings, usually 5-10pm. So, after work it was always dark out when I had to go to my car. My dad made me carry pepper spray with me just in case. I worked with this black guy (we will call "DM" for name purposes) who was about 24 years old at the time, at least a whole foot taller than me, and about 90 pounds heavier. (He was all muscle). He also wreaked of BO all the time. He somehow got latched on to me. He would always say things like, "I'm going to kidnap you and make you my wife and you're totally going to love it." He would also try to hug me all the freaking time. I hated going to work because I hated when he talked about me like that and said those things made my stomach cringe and I thought I was going to suffocate every single time he tried to hug me. This went on for a couple months. A lot of my fellow employees noticed it, but never said anything. The managers didn't know because they weren't really around when he would talk to me like that. 

Well, one night I clocked out at 10pm, and walked back to the crew room to get my car keys and jacket out of my locker. The crew room only has one entrance/exit and is right next to back cash. Well, DM was working in back cash that night. I'm trying to get my jacket on when he stands in the doorway with his arms open. "Hey how about a goodbye hug from my babygirl?" I felt my heart start racing like holy cow I am so terrified right now and I am blocked in and I'm trapped. I race to grab my keys out of my pocket and flip open my pepper spray tab and hold it up pointed at him and say, "If you don't back up, I am going to pepper spray you." And then instantly I got the, "aw dude come on, don't be like that. I'll tell a manager" as he holds his hands up in that woah woah hand motion. He starts backing up and I literally sprint out of the crew room and run outside without saying goodbye to anybody and get in my car and speed home. 

When I got home I told my parents about this guy. (My mom works mornings at the same McDonald's I work at, so she knows the managers, but she doesn't know this guy because he only works nights). My dad was so angry about how this 24 year old spoke to me and that it was so inappropriate that I had to like restrain my dad from going up to McDonald's right then and there to like beat the crap out of this guy. 

The next morning my mom went into work and told the store manager. He completely agreed that this kid acted inappropriately and that he would make sure all the managers knew. I worked later that evening, and DM happened to be working again too. As soon as I clocked in my one favorite manager comes over to me and goes, "Don't worry, I know all about it. We are going to make sure you two don't work near each other. And we are going to walk you to your car at the end of your shifts, okay?" 

So I was so happy that the situation was taken seriously. I still had to see that guy at work unfortunately, but they kept us separated as best as possible. The managers also told me I was given permission to pepper spray him if needed.

A few short weeks later he ended up being fired because he sucks at his job.

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Fast forward to about six months ago. We have all new managers at our store now. One day I walk into work to see DM working. My heart dropped and I felt completely sick to my stomach. They rehired DM. After my shift I told my mom they rehired him. She was not too happy about that.

So, I told the manager who hired him and the new store manager about what had happened before. The hiring manager told me if anything happens to tell him and he will personally fire him on the spot.

Two weeks later they fired DM because he didn't listen to the managers. The hiring manager came up to me and gave me a hug and said he was so happy he got to fire him and that there was nothing to worry about anymore because he took care of it for me.
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If anyone has a story they want to share with me, feel free to comment below.
-Bay

My Fellow Employees

I work with a variety of people who generally tick me off. I don't know why, but they choose to complain literally their whole entire shift about where the managers put them and about how everyone else doesn't do their jobs right. 

They're literally some of the laziest people ever. Like, stop complaining ... It's just Mcdonalds... You don't have to get yourself in a tizzy because it's not like this is strenuous labor or anything...

And how do y'all make the same mistakes every single day??? Like do you guys just enjoy making change over (switch over from breakfast to lunch) as difficult as possible everyday? 

And no manager has the guts to tell some of the employees that they get put in the crappy positions because they're slow... And then those slow employees complain about where they're put because they think the managers are playing favorites...

No listen here honey, you're put there because you're slow at your job, not because they play favorites. 

You can bitch about where you're put when you're actually good at your job. 

And today, one of my fellow employees asked me if I was becoming manager and I said no, because I would be 'way too mean' to some people because no one understands how to take/give criticism. "At least you're honest."

Ugh, I don't feel like ranting more today about this. More to follow eventually!

-Baylee 

P.s. Do you guys dislike some of the people you work with, or am I just crazy?

Things I Do Not Understand About McDonald's Customers...

So I work at our local McDonald's. Yes, I am a "teenager" (almost 19 years old). No, I most certainly am NOT going to work there for the rest of my life. I aspire to be much more than a person who takes your order or flips burger patties everyday. 

So I see a variety of people every single day. In one hour of work, our store typically will have anywhere from 40-100 cars pass through, and that is just drive thru alone. That does not include the customers that come inside to order their food. So you can imagine just how many people I get to see daily. (Unless I'm "lucky" and I get to work on grill, then I just get to deal with my lovely coworkers - a rant for a different day). 

Back cash. That's the person at the first window who not only takes your money and gives you your receipt and change, they usually take your order as well in drive thru. (One of the voices that talks to you when you roll up to the speaker). They deal with every customer that goes through drive thru. I love back cash because giving people their change is really easy and I normally don't have to do much else. Plus, I am basically hidden away from my coworkers, so it's nice on days where I don't want to deal with my fellow employees. 

There are things about customers that I just do not freaking understand.

1. Why don't people just take their freaking receipts???

 I have literally had customers tell me, "Keep the receipt, I don't want that trash laying around my car." Meanwhile, in the backseat of this person's car, there are like twelve bags from McDonald's crumpled up. Like seriously people, no matter what you get from McDonald's, YOU WILL HAVE TRASH. You get just a coffee? Guess what you have to do with that empty cup... Not to mention, our store has 11 trash bins in the parking lot alone... Yes, I counted them. Use those. That is what they are there for. Also, our store policy is that everyone needs to take their receipts... as a method of "enforcing" this, there isn't even a trash bin in back cash... so it is really inconvenient for me or anyone in back cash to throw away receipts. There is usually a pile of receipts on the counter next to the register and when the window opens up and the wind blows goes everywhere. 

2. Why do people get mad when we try to give them their receipts? 

It isn't like we are giving you a bill that says you are $200,000 in debt... It is literally a piece of paper you can throw away... stop getting mad at me for doing my job.

3. Why do people refuse to take their receipt, and then at the next window tell the manager that we refused to give the receipt to them? 

Trust me, employees do not want to keep your receipt. There is nothing valuable about me "refusing" to give you your receipt. I don't want that paper either. 

4. How are people so miserable that they cannot smile back at me when I smile to them? 

I am not grouchy with customers. I don't know what is going on in their personal lives, so I always flash the prettiest smile I can muster in hopes that the person will smile back. Please smile back at me. I don't like wasting a smile on someone who won't smile back. Like, I get customers who will go, "Oh my gosh, your smile is so lovely. It is so nice to see someone working who is actually happy. Thank you, you made my day." Which ultimately makes my day because usually I'm not that happy. But I get customers who are just so angry. No hello, no how are you, no little small talk. No pleases or thank yous. Like, come on people. Everyone has bad days, but when a total stranger is just trying to be nice to you while they cash you out doesn't mean you have to thrust your negative energy onto them. And yes, I can totally see the black clouds leaking out of your cold body. Stop spreading that stuff to me I do not appreciate it. 

5. Why some customers only order our dollar drink... which, with tax, comes to $1.07...

200 feet up the road is a Circle K... their drinks come to about $0.69 with tax... and you get more pop and more options... 

6. Why must customers talk on the phone while I cash them out??

Hello, super rude. Secondly, super freaking rude. Thirdly, you essentially ignore me and I could totally give you the wrong change back and you wouldn't notice because you're so engrossed in a conversation that could wait about two minutes. 

7. Why do some customers roll up to the speaker, and when they aren't greeted within 0.5 seconds scream "ARE YOU THERE!?!?!"

Stop it. My headset beeps when you roll up. I can hear you. I may be dealing with another customer at the moment and cannot exactly split my eardrums to fully grasp two different conversations. Plus, you're being rude. I will take your order, I promise. 

8. Why must some customers speak to me like I have a learning disability??

I am not slow or anything like that. When I ask you to repeat yourself, you don't. have. to. speak. to. me. like. I. am. dumb. stop. it. Your. total. will. be. nine. dollars. and. seven. cents. (And then the customer proceeds to get mad at me for talking to them like how they spoke to me... fair, right?) Sometimes, I ask you to repeat yourself because you weren't speaking clearly. Stop assuming every McDonald's employee is slow or stupid or something. We do not like that.

9. Why do customers drive away from the speaker before I double check their order and tell them their total?

That's rude. Also, it is the number one reason most people's orders are wrong. Then they get mad at us because something wasn't right about their order... Well hello there princess, I was going to ask you to double check your order... And you didn't... It's your fault not mine sweetheart.

10. Why can't customers come to the window prepared with the amount of cash I tell you to have???

We tell you your total for a reason... so you can come prepared to the window when it's time to pay. I literally watch customers have to unbuckle, struggle to get their wallets out of their back pockets that they are sitting on, count the dollar bills in their wallets, watch their face go "mmmm... no, I don't have enough cash...", and try to get their credit card out. You're holding up the freaking line. Stop it. At least have your wallet out and know you're paying with cash or credit... it isn't rocket science...

11. WHY CAN'T YOU JUST GIVE ME THE ONE PENNY YOU OWE?!?!?

"your total will be $2.01." And then a customer proceeds to hand me a 20 dollar bill... Sir, I see your change cup in your center console... you really can't spare that penny so I don't have to count 99 cents back to you? And then you proceed to roll your eyes at me as I hand you back seventeen dollars and 99 cents... 

Ugh, someone please explain these things to me. I just don't get it. But, I guess working at McDonald's has just taught me to not do these things to fast food employees.

More to follow.

-Bay