Ever had a Breakdown in Public?
By MsJessi
@MsJessi (423)
United States
March 13, 2007 10:42am CST
I still remember a few years back when I was a waitress at Perkins! lol. I had been working nights and sometimes graveyard shifts, my idiot boyfriend at the time didn't work, and I was pregnant with my 2nd child. I was doing just fine, because I was good at this particular job and made decent money at it. One night, we were so busy! And a bunch of other servers had called in. So I had the whole smoking section to myself and it was Friday or Saturday night! I had manager help, running food and taking orders for me and all that. I came to this table and introduced myself and asked what I could do for them. It was two young girls and they asked me how I was doing? Oh man, was that the wrong thing to ask me??? I just lost it! I don't know if it was a mixture of the fatigue and the fact that no one else had even bothered to ask me that all night. But they immediately made room for me to sit down and for about 30 seconds, they just told me it was ok and to take a moment and breathe. I felt so bad, because in that business, sitting down crying at the guests table isn't the best thing to do, but I just couldn't help it!
Afterwards, I felt so much better and had a good rest of the night, and of course those two girls left me $10. Nice.
But what I remember most is the fact that even tho they were hungry and were wanting service, they took the time to see if I was alright, because they actually noticed that I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. They didn't even know I was pregnant, cause I wasn't really showing yet. lol.
2 people like this
2 responses
@babyhar (1335)
• Canada
16 Mar 07
I have cried in public a few times in all honesty. I tried to hold it within but I couldn't further more after a while. I was working at this job & had been working at this job for two months but was going on my three months of being there. Well I honestly had thought that I was doing such a great job at what I was doing around the place & in my section.
Well one day we had gotten a lot of stock & I was the only one working for about 3 hours. The girl who was supposed to be working her shift an hour earlier eventually strolled on in. So she tried to help me do all of the stock that was surrounding us. And I honestly had felt like I had done a great deal of stock & had gotten it out of the way before she had come in for her shift. I think 20 boxes of stock is quite impressive for someone who had just started a few months before.
Well I had to leave at the end of my shift but this girl who had come in for her shift.. Kept asking me if I could stay & help her out. I didn't really have the time but stayed a half & hour over time just to help her out. And one of the pharmacy workers came up telling me I should have been gone a long time ago. I said "Well she kept asking me to stay.. And I needed help with the garbage & she wouldn't help me take it to the back until I helped her.." And this girl began to get rather rude with me..
She told me I have to move all of this stock to the side next time.. And she began blaming me because the stock wasn't all finished. And instead of looking at the other girl who was working along with me.. She just decided to blame me for everything that hadn't gotten done. But there was a lot of stock just sitting there & you can't expect someone to do that all on there own by themselves.. And she asked if I do this all of the time.. Leave stock for this other girl.. I was like no..
And then she took me to my manager & began yelling at me in front of customers.. And my manager didn't do anything to stop it.. I couldn't hold it within anymore & began to just start crying.. I mean who yells at there fellow employees in front of customers? It was very unprofessional.. My manager & the girl began to gang up on me.. I literally stayed there a half n hour of them just coming down hard on me as I stood there crying.. I was so upset because they hadn't trained me for that job.. I had to learn everything on my own..
My other half was waiting for me after work & had seen that I was crying & was furious.. After I had explained what had happened he told me not to go back.. That the girl who wasn't even management had no right to yell at me & blame me for everything that had happened. And how if the manager just stood there & allowed a fellow employee to do this in-front of his very own eyes.. And in-front of customers he didn't deserve having me as an employee.. The next day I didn't end up going back..
I just felt rather embarrassed for crying in-front of my manager & another employee.. But if two people are just yelling at you & blaming you for everything when there is another person doing stock with you.. I think anyone would begin to get either mad or start crying. In which I got both & didn't allow them to walk all over me.. I stood up for myself & I honestly am so very proud of myself for doing so.. As I feel another company deserves me as I believe I am a great asset to any company who hires me to be apart of there team.. But I just was so very hurt that people would do this to me.. I just was so over-whelmed & couldn't handle being yelled at because I knew I was doing a great job.. So having someone tell me I'm not hurts..
In conclusion.. I think this was the instance that really stands with me to this very day because I remember how hurt I was on that particular day.. I just couldn't hold the tears in.. And sometimes you can't..
I really enjoyed reading your experience you had with crying in public.. That's so sweet that those girls we're willing to comfort you.. There are some really incredibly sweet people out there in this world still.. And your story shows me that there are still some good people out there.. I am sorry you had cried in-front of customers.. But it's also so kind of them to comfort you.. Thank you for sharing your story with me. I do believe sometimes we all break down.. I know I have at jobs as you can see.. I think we're only human & this is bound to happen sooner or later to us all! . .
Thanks for allowing me to share! xx
@trinidadvelasco (11401)
• Philippines
13 Mar 07
Oh, my. This is quite an experience to remember by. Those two girls are really great. They are so mindful and caring for others. We will not find many of their kind anymore these days.
Mine is very different from yours. I saw this very sick child which reminded me of how hard I had been coping with one of mine, too. And I just cried right there. I didn't like what I did, but it just happened.
