(Blake Wisz)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

spitting mad

Front-line worker: Abuse from customers sometimes too much to handle

Jun 1, 2020 | 4:49 PM

A worker at a central Alberta store is speaking out after being spat on by a customer last month.

The worker, who rdnewsNOW has agreed to keep anonymous, says the incident was just the latest in a string of unruly behaviour by customers.

“In our line of business, we are used to people thinking that we are not worth being talked to respectfully. During the pandemic, the humanity of people has been lost. People think that they are entitled to everything and it just doesn’t work that way.”

The worker says employees at their store and at many others are just following protocol from the government and health officials, but have been left shocked and confused at times when an incident or confrontation takes place.

“It’s like ‘What just happened and what did I do? It makes us feel hurt, disrespected, angry, and completely dumbfounded,” they say.

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“As a manager, when something is wrong, it is my fault, but to be so rude and disrespectful to our staff is beyond me because they have nothing to do with why you are so angry.

“We go home and cry or vent and just want to be by ourselves to deal with all of the emotions. It is very hard and tiring and has become almost impossible to stay positive.”

At Save On Foods in north Red Deer, store manager Ernie Cordonier hasn’t observed confrontations between workers and customers, and their efforts to make the store a safe place for all has been successful, he says.

“Red Deerians are aware of what’s going on and they’ve been courteous and understanding right from the start as we’ve gone through different phases,” he shares.

“The message we give to staff is that we’re not sure what has happened to folks and what they’ve experienced in their personal lives because of COVID-19. We have to understand that this has been hard on everybody.”

Meantime, Red Deer RCMP urge anyone who is spat upon to report it to police.

“Spitting on someone is assault. I’m surprised that would happen because Red Deer citizens are normally leaders in the province, and they know to do the right thing,” says Cst. Karyn Kay.

“We for sure want to know about these things and hold people accountable. It isn’t acceptable.”

Kay says the maximum sentence for spitting on someone is five years in prison or a fine.

The worker who spoke to rdnewsNOW adds that there have been positive experiences with customers, including many who’ve gone the extra mile to just ask staff if they’re doing okay.

“My message to people who are doing these things is that we are dealing with this too, but in a much different way. We are putting not only ourselves at risk, but also our loved ones to make sure you can get what you need to keep your family healthy, happy and safe,” they say.

“To those that witness it: I wish they wouldn’t be so quiet about how we are being treated.”