Some employees emerged from a local chain craft store and stood in front of the front doors for their morning cigarette break. I watched them laugh with one another, get ready for their day, the customers looking for dried flowers, cake tins, and scrapbooking supplies. One by one, they finished their cigarettes, finished their morning ritual, and returned to the inside of the store.
One by one, they flicked their cigarettes into the parking lot- three of the four still burning.
I wanted to beep my horn and gesture wildly, maybe yell. Instead, I sat, I watched, I let my blood pressure settle.
The girls and I unloaded and took care of the banking and took a little trip to the craft store.
I went in and asked to speak to the manager. He came to the front of the store- one of the smokers. I came this far...
I prefaced my comments by saying this was not something I make a habit of doing-- and while I was taking care of some banking this morning, I noticed he and three other employees, threw their cigarettes, three still burning, into the parking lot. He nodded and remarked that the lot is cleaned twice a day by a street cleaner- I tilted my head and responded with "yeah, still..."
He said "I guess, I know what you mean" And that was that.
Maybe tomorrow morning we should go stake it out- hmmm.
To say something or not? What would you do?
Bookmark this post with:
5 comments:
I've come to realize that the regret I feel for not saying something, is larger than the regret for saying something in the first place. I have recently vowed to do it more often. I say good for you.
I also say good for you, but I am a very shy person and would probably have grumbled about it to myself and moved on. My sister on the other hand is NOT shy and somehow she would have managed to leave the store with a cart full of free craft supplies and coupons for her next visit! LOL. That actually happens a lot. I have learned in my adult life and from my teenage life of working in fast food, that a lot of folks do what they can to appease customers and to "keep them quiet" lol. But I do agree that throwing cig butts on the ground instead of the trash is irritating, disrespectful, and just yucky.
That's a tough one. Our town can seem very small at times. I'd worry that it might come back to bite me.... I might go home and call that very bad craft store of which you speak..... I'm of the non-confrontational species for the most part. Yes it's wrong - but is it my place to point it out? That's where I flip/flop....?!
I felt like it was the right thing to do- and if it's not my place? Whose place is it?
I'm tired of being apathetic.
And I know that people that know me think I speak my mind all the time. But I don't.
I am glad you said something. Here in AZ you cannot smoke anywhere near an entrance, which is nice so that you don't have to walk through it on your way in our out of anywhere. Never really cared before, but with the baby it bugs me.
I think you were right to point it out. I truly believe if every person said something about anything just once, there would be a lot of positive changes in the world.
Post a Comment