I had a run-in with an unstable right-wing customer tonight...

[armyowalgreens]

Generally speaking, I don't advertise my political ideologies. And this is why...

I was waiting on a seemingly very nice old couple tonight and the restaurant was very slow. So I sat down and we sparked up a conversation about how the old man use to be a pastor (I'm agnostic, but he seemed like a nice guy) and my job/schooling. I explained to them that I am an undergrad planning on going to law school. But between my undergrad and law school I'm planning on joining the Peace Corp...

Well I'll be damned if the old mans face didn't get this disgusted look on his face. "You're not doing it because OBAMA told you to, are you?"

I kind of stopped for a moment to mull over the reasons why he would say such a thing. Of course my crazy-alarm was going off. I said "uhhh no I want to have a career in foreign aid work and I thought the Peace Corp. would be a nice start"...


That's when the old man changed from kind old Jesus lover to psychotic idiot.

"Well I'm glad you aren't doing it because OBAMA forced you to."

"uhhhhh yeeaaahhhhh"

"I've gotta tell you that man is going to destroy this country. You know he's a socialist..."

That's when I remembered that I am, in fact, a socialist myself.

"uhhhh yeaaaaaahhh I don't know...."


"Oh no, he is. He might even be," and he leaned in towards me and strengthened his voice, " a COMMUNIST!"

The wife chimed in "I don't even know how he got elected."

I stumbled over this pot hole of insanity "uuuhhhhh yeah some people think that"


"Wait, you don't support him do you? Are you a liberal?"

Not knowing exactly how to respond and frightened for my life I said, "Well I'm left of center when it comes to politics and I voted for Obama because I liked his policies. But he isn't exactly living up to his promises..."

I don't think he realized that I meant that Obama wasn't liberal enough. But he seemed a bit unsettled by the fact that I was "left of center" (if that isn't the understatement of the fucking century).

I decided that we were heading down a very bad path. So I changed the subject to politicians, in general, in hopes of staying away from my political views. After all, I am relying on these people to leave me a good tip. I also don't want to find out that he has a hair-trigger finger and a .357 in his pants.

"I mean I'm definitely not a republican, but I think I share your discontent with politicians in general"

He smiled and puffed up his chest, "Yeah those people make me sick. They don't actually give a damn about us"

Feeling better about the situation I said "Yeah I'd have to agree. I can only think of a few truly genuine politicians"


This is when he jumped off the diving-board of lunacy and cannon-balled into the deep end of mental illness.


"Yeah well I don't trust any of them. America hasn't actually had a president since Reagan. If I had it my way, I'd fire all of them, dissolve congress, and form a dictatorship. I'd be a benevolent dictator."

I swear to god folks I can't make this shit up. His belief that he is some sort of Deity kind of scared the fucking shit out of me...and then he nonchalantly said...

"Yeah and I'd deport all the illegals, stop welfare and kill all the socialists too.":yoiks:

Was he advocating for the assassination of Obama? I'd like to say no. But logic points to "abso-fucking-lutely". Just as horrifying, he was essentially advocating that I be killed. :scared:

He went on to say that only lazy "niggers" need welfare. He felt compelled to explain the difference between a "black person" and a "nigger".

By the end of our conversation, my head was spinning, I think I might have shat myself and I wanted to get the hell away from that couple as quickly as possible.

As I turned to walk to the kitchen, the old man said "You seem like a nice kid, I think I'd make you my right hand man"...I thanked him for the consideration and walked back to the kitchen where I chugged a glass of water and reflected on what had just taken place.


The incredible irony of this entire "event" was that as they walked out the front door, the old man said that if I ever ran for office, he'd vote for me because I seemed "genuine"...


You've heard it hear folks. A right-wing Christian murderous dictator-wannabe nut case just endorsed a godless socialist for public office. :patriot:

My god. I need to go wash the "holyfuckingshit" off me.

[REP]

1. That's unbelievable

When I waited tables, they had us do side work when it was slow, not sit and gab with customers.

Unbelievable!

[Maru Kitteh]

59. Entirely. n/t

[old mark]

2. They are all around, in their millions, and they actually think they

are good people.

They are among the top reasons I own guns.


Hope you feel better - thanks for the post.
Rec.
mark

[DainBramaged]

3. One question, was it worth compromising your beliefs for a tip?

Not being a dick, but all too often, we as Dems don't stand up as your customer did, we just let them spew without consequence. (cat helping me type)

[armyowalgreens]

4. I really did think this guy was unstable. I just wanted to keep everything as cool as possible.

Normally, I am the first person to jump into a debate. My friends constantly bitch about me never shutting up.

This situation was entirely different than anything I've ever handled before. I was very uncomfortable and just wanted it to be over with. Honestly, the tip thing was more of a joke. At best, I made a few bucks off them.

[DainBramaged]

5. And that guy USED to be a Pastor? I didn't know God was a bigot.

shameful on his part.

[armyowalgreens]

7. I've heard similar things from "christians"...

[Fumesucker]

9. Ever heard of the Canaanites?

They lived in the land of milk and honey and God had them slaughtered.

Seems a bit bigoted to me.

[csziggy]

73. Pastors can be far more bigoted and intolerant than the average person

I learned that in 1964 when my Southern Baptist pastor uncle told the most racist 'jokes' I had ever heard. After that, I did not trust him at all and was leery of clergy until they showed their true colors. Unfortunately, most of my experiences with clergy in the Southeast have just reinforced my early experience with my own relative.

Yes, there have been one or two that were closer to what I was told in Sunday school Jesus taught - the most consist church leaders that I've met have been Unitarians - in my experience they are more accepting and inclusive.

I can blame my uncle for turning me away from Christianity on that day. He was such an example of what his religious teaching was all about, I eventually became an atheist/agnostic non-believer.

[bedazzled]

22. i've lived through similar incidents, and acted the same way, for two reasons

a. i need my phony baloney job, and a person like
that would work to have you fired

and

b. i don't want to be shot by a lunatic

i didn't feel badly about "compromising my beliefs."
in my opinion, if a person is so far removed from
reality they're dangerous.

[gkhouston]

56. It is for your life. Discretion is the better part of valor around somebody that unhinged. n/t

[roguevalley]

65. then again, who wants to be shot by a dipshit?

[lumberjack_jeff]

70. When I contemplate the careers for which I am unsuited...

... I get depressed.

I guess I can't be a waiter either.

[im1013]

6. I know EXACTLY how you feel

I'm a New Yorker that lived my entire life in South Florida.
Then I mistakenly moved right in the middle of Right-Wing-Jesus-Freak HELL!! (Northeast Mississippi)
I say "mistakenly" because I truly didn't think this shit actually existed in the 21st century... seriously,
I had NO idea!!

It's sad that I have bumper stickers I'm afraid to put on my car because I'll probably be shot!


:scared:

[B Calm]

8. Sounds like the dumb asses I work with. . . Only thing different, they

know I'm a liberal and I'm not afraid of these clowns.

[RandomThoughts]

10. Much of the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ speak of things differently then that experiance

Since you posted about it, these are my thoughts on your post if you want to hear them.

My understanding of those teachings are that they speak of loving your neighbor, not being attached to material things, and tolerance while not judging others. Many of those things go directly against people that are angry. However everyone is a sinner, and everyone has faults, but some people think Christianity is some badge that lets them claim self righteousness.

Not all Christians are like that, and even with all that man's faults, I believe he will learn eventually, I think we all will.

I disagree with what he said in your post, and do not agree with what you heard from him, and I consider myself a follower of Jesus Christ. I don't think you judge all people the same in the same ways he was, but know that there are Christians that have all the same faults of people of different religions and atheist, it is just that we are suppose to have a place where we can go and find guidance on how to better ourselves and fix those issues. However not everyone spends as much time in those places of introspection and thought that can help us think on our own actions.

There are ways to not agree and not disagree when in a position like that, I usually ask the person why they are angry, with as much kindness as I can muster, honestly caring about the bad place they seem to be in. Sometimes it gets people back on the topic about it being also about their issues. And if it does not, it gives me a chance to be kind. Or sometimes I state my comments and wish them well again trying to do so with kindness. I find that allows me to keep my peace of mind and still not get angry myself.

You also seem to be in a place where you are getting some people trying to change your view of life, last week a person said that your choice of careers was bad, and now a person is insulting your views on life. Stay strong in your convictions if they are of honesty and good, and don't let the anger or hate into you, don't take feelings that are not yours into you. While he said you were doing something because someone else told you, he was trying to tell you what you should think or do.

I hope my comments are not to forward, they are just trying to share my experiences of having been in the same place from time to time. It is frustrating that some people get that way.

Stay in the good thoughts and God Bless.

Edit: I think that if a person finds a religious belief only to give themselves the feeling that they are better then someone else, and they do not learn from the teachings of that religion, it makes the person actually act worse in society. Since they really haven't found the religion if they do not try and learn from the teachings. Although I also think God's ways are mysterious, and have hope and faith in knowing that only he knows how it all works.

[WeDidIt]

11. I don't buy it

Not a word of it.

[POAS]

13. Why? n/t

[armyowalgreens]

14. Why not?

[yodermon]

35. utter FAIL of a post without an explanation. Why even bother posting that?

Just hide the thread already.

[cherokeeprogressive]

48. I don't buy it either, but probably for different reasons...

Whenever someone quotes so much of a conversation they had with someone, I tend to believe that some, if not all of their story is either made up or embellished to the point as to be comparable to the actual conversation as trout are comparable to clouds.

When a writer uses "" quotation marks to relate a conversation, the reader has the reasonable expectation that they are reading a verbatim account of what was said. So, unless the writer of the OP was taking copious notes, or had a voice recorder handy, I don't buy for a minute that what was represented as a verbatim account of what was said, is actually what was said. I don't buy it.

[Maru Kitteh]

52. bingo.

[WeDidIt]

62. Bingo n/t

[armyowalgreens]

66. Well I quoted a few minute long excerpt from a 15-20 minute conversation...

notice how I didn't quote the discussion about welfare. I just explained what happened.

Did I get every word the same right down to the emphasis on each syllable? Probably not. But it's about as close as it gets without a video recorder. The quotations were also meant more for you to be able to picture the scenario in your head. Otherwise it gets boring hearing me explain what happened.

[treestar]

75. Huh? You can't imagine someone remembering the gist of a

conversation?

I did not get that idea at all - that conversation could have happened. It may not be exact quotes but the general conversation can be remembered.

Not seeing what you are saying at all - it sounded perfectly natural to me.

[cherokeeprogressive]

77. I was never taught that you're supposed to put "the gist" in quotes.

Maybe that's how you were taught. Some if not all of it was made up or embellished. If you put MY words in quotes, you had better get it right verbatim, or I'll call you on it. Quotation marks are solely intended for use when you're quoting someone verbatim or when you're writing fiction. Show me where it's correct to use them differently, and I'll wholeheartedly agree.

That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it.

[Ikonoklast]

51. I agree.

Seems the OP has lots of 'run-ins'. I ain't buyin'.

[TheWatcher]

72. Well, good for you. I guess that makes it all full of shit then.

Asshat.

[Norrin Radd]

12. You did well, diffusing the situation.

These people are unhinged, and could get violent. Next time, say you aren't allowed to discuss politics at work.

[Berry Cool]

17. Actually, "defusing," not "diffusing."

"Diffusing" would have meant spreading it around to the broader environment, which is exactly what you DON'T want to do with this stuff.

"Defusing" means just what it sounds like it does--you dismantle the bomb so it doesn't go off. Which is just what the OP did here, painful as it might have been.

[timtom]

28. diffuse could also mean to weaken the intensity

[FormerDittoHead]

30. The usual term is 'fogging' but diffusing is a very similiar word, some folks may use that word.

http://www.uiowa.edu/~ucs/asertcom.html

Fogging: This is a way to deflect negative, manipulative criticism. You agree with some of the fact, but retain the right to choose your behavior. Example: Mom: "Your skirt is awfully short, don't you think you should wear longer skirts? They're the style now." You: "You're right, skirts are longer now." Agree with as much of the facts as you want to, but don’t agree to change your skirt length. Fogging is great for avoiding fights and making people stop criticizing. With significant others, when you need to keep living together, it's best to quietly hear them out, then assertively give your response.

[Norrin Radd]

74. Was typing late at night tired and bleary-eyed and accidentally chose the homonym

that, of course, wasn't picked up by the spellcheck.

[Nay]

15. Yep, I meet ppl like this every day down here in old Virginny. Shocking,

isn't it? God, get me OUT of this place......can I please retire early and LEAVE?

[pipoman]

16. I manage a restaurant

in a pretty religious retirement community. Several retired missionaries and most residents have long time religious affiliations. I have found there to be about an even split Dems and Repubs, similar to society as a whole. Many are anti war, pro welfare, anti discrimination Dems. Others are anti abortion, fiscal conservatives. None know my politics, it's bad business. I just listen to their screeds and shake my head, then change the subject to the weather, non political current events, or whether they enjoyed their visit to the restaurant. Sounds like you handled it well...your job doesn't include political proselytizing, don't pay attention to those who would try to guilt you by saying you compromised your principals by not professing your true beliefs...there is a time and a place and the dining room isn't it. Be well.

[MannyGoldstein]

18. Sounds Like Dementia

Sad.

[bedazzled]

23. i guess his wife caught dementia from him!

life could always be worse - could be married
to him...

[MannyGoldstein]

26. Spouses Can Sometimes Adapt So As To Deny The Situation

If a spouse has a choice between "my husband is becoming demented" and "Obama really is Satan, like my husband says", the latter will often win because the former is horrible to contemplate.

[bedazzled]

60. i do feel for the woman. sometimes there's no choice but to go along

it'd be hard to live with such a hater...

[armyowalgreens]

19. Also forgot to add. He likes Sarah Palin.

He said he couldn't believe how the media was treating her children.

[G_j]

20. I hate it when that happens. nt

[Lilyeye]

21. Great. Another imbecile right wing "Pastor" ignoring the teachings of Jesus

by sprewing hatred and biotry. These people make me sick to my stomach. Then to top it off his a Sarah Palin fan? :puke:

[mdmc]

24. next time just jock Ray-gun

seems to work and will get ya that tip $$$$

[bedazzled]

25. one of the customers in my store had an "obama would make a good speed bump" bumper sticker

before he got elected. i actually thought
that was a threatening statement and considered
calling the secret service about it. it might
have at least caused him some inconvenience.
i only saw him a few times, and was never able
to get his license number. i'm glad to say he's
disappeared, hopefully forever.

he went off on me a couple of times, and i
handled it exactly the same way you did. the
man was mentally deranged. i was concerned for
my family's safety and my own and humored him
somewhat.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[POAS]

29. oxymoron alert in subject line of OP n/t

[MindPilot]

40. Where's the oxymoron?

"I had a run-in with an unstable right-wing customer tonight"

I see redundancy in "unstable" & "right-wing" but no oxymoron.

[POAS]

57. Oooops, your right, that's what I get for posting in the AM

before coffee.

[dugaresa]

31. that is why I don't like to talk politics at work, you never know the loonies

you may run into and it isn't worth the grief.

[Echo In Light]

32. You handled it better than I would have! Such people don't scare me, I scare them.

Most rightists are blow hards: all tough talk, and little, if any, action to concern one's self over. There may be a volatile, unstable one occasionally, but most of em are only dangerous if within a group and they realize they have strength in numbers. Bullies never fight alone.

Yours was the wiser approach, though. I rarely have those type of encounters these days, but when I have in the past I usually can't censor myself - something that began getting me into trouble very early on in my school days.

[zbdent]

33. These are the type of people I say would be happily shoving people into ovens

without the faintest tug from what little conscience they ever had ...

they wouldn't be recruited, they'd show up looking to do it for free ... hell, they might even pay for the privilege ...

[SheilaT]

34. Aside from the fact that you really

should know better than to get into any kind of conversation like that with a customer, I'm sorry you didn't ask him how he thought the Peace Corps got volunteers before Obama.

[MadHound]

36. Pfft, that's not unstable, that's normal around here

Especially in Southern Missouri, Ashcroft territory. But that's not so unusual at all around here. I generally hold my ground and don't get intimidated by these asshats. Of course being 6'5" helps a lot, people tend not to want to mess with me.

[Odin2005]

37. That guy is loony-tunes.

:wow:

[mitchum]

38. May he soon be with his precious lord

[MindPilot]

39. They only do that when they have the upper hand.

It is really tough in a situation with a customer or client. You try to make small talk to be friendly and they immediately go to politics and/or religion because they know you are going to be very compliant; you want to keep your job.

Last time it happened to me, the Obama-basher was a surgeon standing over me with a scalpel. Not exactly the most inviting situation for an adversarial political discussion.

Or a few weeks ago on an airplane when the guy yelled out an anti-gay slur, safe because everyone else in strapped in their seats during an emergency landing.

Those right-wing kooks would have likely not said anything if they were on equal footing with you.

[Echo In Light]

47. Exactly! They're opportunists, and usually weak when push comes to shove.

[TWiley]

41. um .... most jesus lovers turn into psychopathic idiots if questioned.

Stir them up a bit, and the most profane words come from their heads.

[spoony]

76. Versus being pathologically idiotic, like yourself.

The guy in the OP's story is a bigot and you're the other side of his coin.

[ellie]

42. But god damnit, don't send

him his Social Security check and he will be raising holy hell! What a fucking idiot.

[jeepnstein]

43. Did he leave you a tip?

[ipfilter]

44. That's a very normal conversation here in Oklahoma.

This state is so red people will blurt out that sort of right wing crap to anyone without much regard for their political beliefs. It's just assumed that everyone believes that crap around here.

[Joanne98]

45. They're dying off. In ten years it will be a lot better!

[Echo In Light]

49. Yep. It's mostly middle aged/elderly who hate the social advances of the 60s Counter Culture

[subcomhd]

69. same here - east texas

[HughBeaumont]

46. Replace that guy with any old duffer from the "Reagan Democrat" era . . .

Right there, you have the singular example of the voting block that's unfortunately snared my dad, his friends, and every other racist conservative out there who unhesitatingly blame everyone but rich white Republicans for their problems or their station in life.

They simply refuse to believe the statistic that you're 50 times more likely to be robbed by a corporation than a person. The National Debt was ran up by three Republican presidents under the precedent of keeping their taxes low; it's just that no one told the duffers that there'd be a bill come due. Think about that at your "I Hate Obama Ral . . " . . . er . . .. "Tea parties".

The whole "hating minorities" and "THE RED MENACE"? This is a sign of someone who hasn't moved on with time and watches just the right channels loaded with conservative white bastards who keep them frozen in that 1956 mindset. They don't realize their audience has long since moved on from looking for "Reds under th' bed!" and hating Blacks and Hispanics. They're in turn frustrated because the only people who their ranting to that agree with them . .. are each other.

[patriotvoice]

50. The one thing everybody can agree on: "I think I share your discontent with politicians in general"

Left, right, libertarian, authoritarian. It doesn't matter; no politician is ever doing enough.

Having said that, the Democrats' strategy of "piss off their base while facetiously molly-coddling the other guys" is a huge loser. You're not going to satisfy everybody; might as well satisfy those who voted for you.

Oh, that's right: most of them are butt-plugs for their corporate masters.

[ChickMagic]

53. Aside from this being absolutely horrifying

It is even worse to contemplate how he preached to his
congregation. People look to pastors as a direct line
to God, so what he says is guided by the Almighty Himself.
At least, that's what they think having been one of them
myself for half my life.

If he says God wants to kill socialists, then that is
gospel. That is scary as hell. :scared:

[izzybeans]

54. You might have been talking to Joseph Stalin

He killed all the socialists in order to establish a "benevolent dictatorship" too.

This guy would have scoured the earth to hunt down Trotsky as well.

[Catherine Vincent]

55. Why do some people always think all blacks are on welfare such as this clown?

F him!

[TWiley]

58. Because the religion of oppression (KKK+bible belt) forces them into it.

[omega minimo]

63. Rush Limbaugh told them so. I (involuntarily) heard him saying that during Rodney King riots

"They should just cut off all the welfare checks -- that'll stop 'em!"

:evilfrown:

[pipi_k]

61. First lesson...

don't discuss anything that even sounds a tad like it could be controversial with old people. This means anything beyond prune juice and their grandchildren.

Some of them are quite sane, but a whole lot of them are probably dealing with one or both of the following:

1. dementia
2. they grew up in a whole different era


Seriously...

Over the weekend Mr Pip and I got a visit from our Crazy Old People friends...except for the really nasty stuff you heard from your customers, these people are basically the same.

typical right wingers who don't trust any part of the government.

The wife is particularly scary in this respect because she parrots what her husband says and I don't think she even knows what's so obnoxious about our government, but whatever.

The ironic thing is...these people, bless their crazy hearts...for as much as they hate and distrust the government, they aren't above taking advantage of as many government programs as they can.

Latest deal is the free cell phone and free airtime deal from the government. Safelink, I believe it's called.

After they left the other day it occurred to me (as such mischievous thoughts often do) that I could have freaked them out by suggesting that perhaps their "free" government cellphone might be bugged or monitored by the very government they hate and don't trust. :evilgrin:


But anyway, I've come to dread visits with them because they seem to be getting nuttier as the years go on. And I'm sick of hearing about God and Jesus and how they get "messages" from both. On their answering machine? In the mail? On a piece of paper tied to a rock and thrown through the window? Who knows.


aiyyyecheewahwah...

:eyes:

[PassingFair]

64. The REAL question: How well did he tip?

Was swallowing your ideals worth it?

And a BIG P.S. to the "I don't buy it" crowd:

FUCK OFF.

If you "don't buy" someone's personal
experiences on a message board, then
just GO AWAY.

It is the nature of the internets that
personal experiences must be taken on
face value. If you can't do that, then
you should become a detective and investigate
the claims yourself. Anything less is just calling
someone a LIAR, and THAT is against the rules
of this site.

[Hawkowl]

67. Politics ain't beanbag

I gather you have a better understanding of this phrase now? Too often Americans, and we liberals in particular, are naive in the fact that a good portion of the right wing would literally kill us if given the chance.

Politics is a deadly serious business.

[Touchdown]

68. Don't you have a breakroom?

:wow:

[Xicano]

71. God Damned Commies!

:sarcasm:


:evilgrin:

[troubledamerican]

78. Some of us come from families that are 100% like your psycho customer. Imagine that.

[Hugabear]

79. That man would have had YOU killed in a heartbeat

"Yeah and I'd deport all the illegals, stop welfare and kill all the socialists too."

Scary shit.