TOTAL JERK in the Contemporary

[irunnoft]

So this sat and churned in my stomach like an acid bomb all day yesterday. When I deal with people out in the public, I am a personable kind of guy. I talk to people and try to treat them as people - not as a means to an end. Yesterday, my family was getting ready to leave the World and return home. I was looking at a 10.5 hr. trip and I decided it would be a great treat to stop off at the Contemporary and get some tea from the Contemporary Grounds to take on the road. I ordered two tea lattes and struck up a conversation with the barista working the counter. She was a very nice young lady from Puerto Rico. I wish I could remember her name, but while she was making the teas, she and I carried on a conversation. Mind you, she was working the entire time. We were having a very pleasant conversation when all of a sudden, the one person waiting behind me just rudely blurts out "Can you guys cut the chatter? I'm in a hurry!" I turn around to look at this person in utter disbelief at what I'd just heard! There was a fairly tall older guy and a kid (who was kind of hiding behind him - couldn't tell if it was his son or daughter, but the kid was about 11 years old). He then glares at me and says "Maybe she could focus if you weren't talking to her!" I said "Hey man, I've got a 10.5 hour drive. . ." couldn't finish the sentence before Jerk says "I really don't care!" and I said "that's obvious." He then says "I just need to get a shot of espresso!" The young woman was obviously flustered by this. I didn't say anything when she stopped making my drinks (HELLO.... I actually WAS in line there!) and made his shot. The ONLY reason I didn't tell him to shut his trap and wait his turn was because I was afraid he would totally ream that CM out for no reason. I thought it would just be best for the Jerk to get his joe and go. So she served him and he was still a complete tool about it. He continued "Maybe I need to get a manager over here to explain it to you!" I'm not sure if he was talking to me or not, but I think he was talking to the young lady. It was the only non-magical event during my birthday weekend. What a great lesson he taught his son. I'm sure this idiot was in a hurry to get to a park, but that was his fault for not getting his coffee earlier. After all, I was in a hurry to get my teas and hit the road for a day full of driving. I didn't act like a jerk to the guy that was in front of me. I waited my turn in line. Anyhow, he certainly didn't know how to treat a young lady, let alone a person who was serving him. Maybe I was in the wrong and I just don't see it, but I never treat servers or people in a public position such as that as a simple means to an end. It took a lot of grace not to punch that guy in his pompous face, cuss him out or, more realistically, continue to argue with the idiot. But, man did that burn me up for most of the ride home. I resigned that I would shine the light on the big Jerk here on the Dis. I'm positive this guy wouldn't be a Dis'er but I considered this cathartic.

[Kickapoo Joie Juice]

oooohhhmm, breathe....

Karma will get him.

[Thumperette]

Glad to hear it wasn't a cast member - I heart the Contemporary.

[planningcrazymom]

You were the bigger man.

[1971DBday]

I just spent a patient two hours in the Emergency Room waiting for my 3 year old to get stitches for a bad "boo-boo". During this time we read a Disney Princess book on manners. There was a section on being rude to others, even those who are kindly serving us (Cinderella and her evil stepsisters). Maybe someone needs to read this book over and over again?!

It's hard not to let these people ruin your trip. I had someone stop suddenly one time in the parks and I accidently hit them with my stroller. (Please note they were stopping in the "walking path" during the Spectromagic parade to watch the parade, so I was not expecting it.) I apologized and moved around them as the loudly called me the "B" word after I walked past, not knowing my DH was right after me. My DH told me and I just continued on. Not appropriate lanuage for a family place, but starting an arguement an making it worse was not going to be any better. Way to keep your cool and be bigger then him!

[chocovrdmicears]

In all my trips to the World I have found that Disney can bring out either the worst in a person or the best..depending on the circumstances. Sorry you had a run in with someone who was definately not at their best..
Disney can be very overwhelming! Heat, stress, expectations, crabby kids & spouses ,exhaustion, etc... can really bring someone to a less than pleasant state. Not that it excuses poor behavior by any means...just trying to put a different spin on it.

[maltdisney]

The world is full of people like that - you can bet your life he's never had to work in the service industry. I have done and can fully appreciate the level of crap you have to take and just keep on smiling. The level of common good manners or basic personability isn't what it used to be.

For that barista I'm sure it's nice guys like you that make dealing with the grouches tolerable.

[kaffinito]

Grouchy guests can really put a damper on your day. Sorry you had a real jerk face behind you in line. I hope you and the barista recovered after he left.

You were the bigger person, and I have to believe that karma will get that guy in the end.

[mindy6540]

Amazing how some people act out in public! Reminded me of an incident in Las Vegas airport, this guy freaked out on the girl at the coffee counter and Hubs turned around and said, 'you know if this is the worst thing that happens to you today, I think you're doin' ok' He's over 6 ft and is a judge so he has a way with nutty people. What is it with people getting coffee and bad behaviour? Caffeine withdrawal?

[Rosanne]

That's just awful. Only good thing... be thankful you aren't married to him.

( I mean, think of his poor wife )

[Dicecatt]

Originally Posted by Rosanne

That's just awful. Only good thing... be thankful you aren't married to him.

( I mean, think of his poor wife )

I had to comment on this, I had something funny happen today...I was in the Christmas store in Downtown Disney, and I told my kids "open the door for me" (I had the stroller). So this guy at the counter with his wife walked to the door and opened it. I kind of giggled and apologized, and told him I was talking to the kids, and thanked him. His wife says "he just hears an order and obeys" and I said "well trained, eh?" The guy smiled and was such a good sport about it. I know this is the opposite of the situation you just described, but feel good about only being exposed to this guy for a few minutes, because I am fairly certain everyone in his family is exposed to his unmagical ways constantly.

[Microcell]

Originally Posted by mindy6540

Amazing how some people act out in public! Reminded me of an incident in Las Vegas airport, this guy freaked out on the girl at the coffee counter and Hubs turned around and said, 'you know if this is the worst thing that happens to you today, I think you're doin' ok' He's over 6 ft and is a judge so he has a way with nutty people. What is it with people getting coffee and bad behaviour? Caffeine withdrawal?

I indirectly work with Judges all day at work, and they come up with the very best one liners.. I swear that they understand completely that I have to sit and listen to every word and need a break now and then to laugh!

Some great ones: "You don't want to interrupt the fat guy in the black robe here..." and "Counsel, why isn't your client here in court?" "Well you honor, he passed away just yesterday" to which I spewed my coffee when the judge said, completely deadpan.. "Oh, well I suppose that is a good enough reason, he can't very well appear if he is dead, at least I wouldn't want him to..."

And to OP good on you for just letting it roll till you could tell us!

[Vicksterp33]

I have to hand it to you for being so cool under pressure from that jerky guy!

Have to chime in here too. I was at Disneyworld Sept 7th to Sept 12th and we ran across one really jerky lady one night. We were waiting at MK for the boat to Wilderness Lodge. For folks that haven't ridden those boats, there are 2 sizes. Large ones that can take strollers and wheelchairs with people in them without having to collapse them, and smaller boats where folks in wheelchairs or strollers have to get out, take a seat on the boat and fold up the stroller or wheelchair.

To the point: we were waiting for the boat about 3 minutes, when the new boat captain came on to the dock and was also waiting for the boat so he could take over and start his shift. This woman shouts out to him "I hope you're not going to tell me I have to take my child out of the stroller to ride the boat." He answered her in a very pleasant manner "Well, if it's a smaller boat, yes ma'am, you will have to take your son out of the stroller and transfer to a seat. Or you can wait about 10 more minutes for the larger boat to come along." She proceeded to talk really loud about how unhappy she was and how she shouldn't have to take her son out of the stroller, etc. Just really rude. I can't describe the whole tone of voice, body language, etc. It just came across as awful. We all felt bad for the captain who was literally just starting his work day.

The boat arrived and folks got on, the boat captain who she had been talking to, helped her get on the boat, got her son seated, folded the stroller up, got her seated, patiently waited for her to get settled and gave her the folded stroller. She didn't thank him or anything, just kept saying what a pain it was to have to do that. We sail on to the Wilderness Lodge and 10 minutes later are getting off, the captain again got the stroller, unfolded it, got the woman's son all in the stroller, and got the woman all set, she again did not thank him and grumbled on the dock about having to switch her son to a seat, etc. Really rude to the captain.
Now, I know it's hard to have a child in a stroller, I know it's been a long day in the park, but her son was about 3 years old, was fine getting out of the stroller and sitting, he was smiling and enjoying the boat ride. The captain helped her get organized and didn't ever complain to her, was very pleasant, and she was just awful.
We all were a bit shocked at the behavior.

So, my Mom, Sister and I had brought a few Thank You cards with gift cards hidden inside just for moments like this. We got off the boat and handed one to the captain, thanked him, and said "We thought you might need this, have a good night." He put it in his pocket, so I don't know what his reaction was to it, but I hope he was pleasantly surprised.

(I've since learned that CMs aren't allowed to take tips or gift cards or anything like that, so for the future we won't do this kind of thing and I don't want anyone else to try this so there aren't any problems with CMs.)

[CR Resort Fan 4 Life]

I am sorry you about that person acting like an idiot, however I do agree with others that karma will catch up to him.

[irunnoft]

I want to thank each and EVERY one of you who posted. Seriously! I feel so much better about this now. Funny thing, but on the way home, I knew that posting this to the Dis would just make me feel better. My wife assured me that I was the bigger person and that I handled it well. I just love the experiences that all of you fellow Disney nuts have to offer. Sometimes the Dis is just the place where we can go to get reassurance and even vent. So thank you guys for letting me vent.

To answer the comment about the barista and I recovering... we picked back up after the guy left. I assured her that she had done nothing wrong. She was only being very personable and treating a guest with the utmost friendly manner. I apologized and said that no real man treats a lady in that manner. We both agreed that his wife, if he had one, was probably looking for her receipt so she could return him!

Thanks again guys!

I'm glad this happened at the end of the trip and not at the beginning. It would've been pretty hard to recover from that at the beginning. But several of you are so right, just let it roll and try not to let other people and their bad behavior ruin your vacation.