.........................

[MrsPete]

Nope, it's a law. A police officer CAN write a ticket for profanity, and it carries a fine, which must be paid in court. Our resource officer at the high school has done it, though it's not a common thing.

Of course, there are two problems with this situation:

1. There probably was no officer nearby, and the store clerk can't write a ticket.
2. The store manager probably wasn't too motivated to do anything about a customer who was buying a whole cartful of stuff.

Personally, it has the sound of someone who wanted attention -- I see lots of this among teens. Even if it's negative attention, a some low class people want that attention. Your description makes me think that she wanted people to notice that she was buying lots and lots of stuff. It makes no sense for her to yell at the daughter about the clothing; didn't she okay it before it went into the cart? If she didn't, she could've easily put it aside instead of buying it. Sounds like she DID make an impression on you -- but certainly not a positive one.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

Sorry, but your freedom of speech ends were my freedom NOT to hear that crap starts. She can curse all she wants, away from other people but she does not have the right to infringe on the rights of others--thus where the issues arise.

 

[Mrs. Chamberlain]

.

 

[MushyMushy]

And such a ticket could easily be fought in a court of law, seeing as though they are depriving you to your rights as discribed in the Bill of Rights. Just saying...: rolleyes:

What you learn in your history class isn't always the way the real world works. You can fight your ticket, but you'll still end up paying it nonetheless. I think cursing is a form of fighting words.

There are most certainly things you cannot say in public.

 

[kwelch10377]

I would agree that you should call Target's Corp office and complain. The store manager should have let the woman know that she was disturbing other customers and that if should continued to act that way that they were going to call the police and have he escorted out of the store.

My guess is that the store manager was either afraid (which in this day and age who could blame him) to approach her or just didn't want/know how to deal with the situation. If that was the case then he or she should have just called the police and they could have handled it without the store manager having to interact with her.

Hopefully Target's Corp office can speak with the District Manager who can help the store manager understand how to handle the situation in the future.

I do think though that in certain communities you can be fined for using profanity, although I think most of these laws are not being upheld or are being changelled since some feel it is a violation of Freedom of Speech.

 

[mrs. magoo]

I wish there was a law... last year at Christmas time we were at Target (too) and a young woman with her mother were walking into the store. The woman was cursing up a storm and my children's eyes were wide with "we do not talk that way" I asked the woman to politely be mindful of little ears she proceed to ask me who the #!$# was I and to get the $%#@ out of her face. I walked away, but couldn't stop my self from saying "That is what is wrong with this world"

Kathe

 

[onelilspark]

It's also something called taste and respect, something that unfortunately entirely too many people lack in this society.

I probably would have made some snide comment to whoever I was with at the time, loud enough for her to hear me (or if I was by myself, to whoever was behind me.) I'm rather passive aggressive.

My mother on the other hand would have spoken directly to her and given her quite the lecture. She's much more direct.

 

[quentina]

As a retail manager, I have dealt with this...I always says, I'm sorry but if you don't mind we are a family orientated store.

I have never had someone challenge me.....if I did, I would probably ask them to leave.

 

[Dan Murphy]

....Just saying....

Just saying what?

 

[Stacerita]

"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

Some people are just trashy. There's no excuse for them and nothing you can say will change them.

You should have given that ****ing ***** a piece of your mind!









Yes, that was a joke

I love that you had to put that this was a joke.

 

[Piecey]

Meanwhile, DD's MIL went to complain to the store manager - who replied that since the store was basically empty - and half of her order was rung up already - it would be too much of a hassle to void it all out and return the items to their proper places..

And last but not least, I can't believe that a manager of a store would allow that to continue - making other customers very, very uncomfortable - just because there was not an abundance of customers..


Better yet, could I have called and made a complaint? I really felt bad for DD's MIL.. She doesn't swear at all - ever - and she was so mortified and so embarrassed, her face was beet red!

I think that the manager's response that it would be "too much of a hassle to void it alll out and return it" was totally uncalled for and crazy... BUT... I don't think he had any right to ask the lady to leave, either.

If the lady made you guys uncomfortable, you should have done.. exactly what you did. Distanced yourself from her.
I don't see what the manager should have done, or why you're shocked he allowed it to continue?... customers are all different. He doesn't have a right to ask a smelly one to leave and thats pretty offensive to other customers as well. Why would he have a right to control a grown adult's language choices, no matter how non-PC they may be?

She wasn't doing anything illegal and while I might have been shocked I never would have complained to a manager. She wasn't harming her child, or any of the other customers.

I don't really see why you would call and complain? I don't know where there is a valid complaint... unless it had been an employee with the dirty mouth.

 

[Mysteria]

From what the OP said it was over the top cursing AT her children. You don't think that is harming them?

 

[CookieDiva]

In this day and age, and with a person with that much anger, I would either mind my own business and move away from her or leave the store. It's too risky to be bold these days with all the violence that people dole out without even blinking.

Unfortunately, I agree. It really is a shame, but you just never know how someone might react when you try to call them out on something. It is very sad.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

Sorry, but your freedom of speech ends were my freedom NOT to hear that crap starts. She can curse all she wants, away from other people but she does not have the right to infringe on the rights of others--thus where the issues arise.

Here's another scenario that I have run into with young teens/adults. They are not cursing but they are talking suggestively and explicitly. Now they are chit chatting away to each other in the toy aisles at Target. Of course I give them my best dirty look which they are oblivious to and steer my children away without them realizing. So while I think they are animals with no social graces, I move on to another area so as not to hear what they say. Not everyone is going to speak the same way that you or me do. That's just life.

As for the cursing lady the OP encountered, I would have told her to shut the **** up!
j/k, well sort of......

 

[Mrs. Chamberlain]

.

 

[Eeyores Butterfly]

At least I'm young enough to remember what I learned in history class.

But there is a good point to this matter. With the Patriot Act, all of our civil rights were taken away.

That was completely uncalled for. It is also obvious that you are not learning much from your history class? All of our civil rights were taken away? Please.

Target is a private business and can ask a customer to leave for any reason as long as it is not based on a protected status under the law (so no asking you to leave because of race for example). Being a potty mouth is not a protected status.

Absolutely the manager should have said something. Her behavior was affecting the other customers in the store and quite possibly costing him business. She was disruptive and being verbally abusive to her children. Right to free speech does not give you the right to harass which is essentially what she was doing.

When I worked at Disney it was not uncommon for us to ask those using inappropriate language to please desist. Normally all it took was a friendly smile and a simple reminder that we were a family park. Absolutely guests have been escorted out for that kind of behavior. You can try to sue if you want, but places like that are considered private party and can decide who they want to patronize their business. Heck, our local mall no longer allows teenagers without a responsible adult because of this exact same behavior.

 

[Cindy F]

I probably would have started singing The Lord's Prayer as loud as I could.

 

[SSAVL]

I dont care if im the only one hearing it, but when im with my kids, and i hear it, i ask nicely once to refrain in front of mine ( or other kids)....if that is ignored, i then give one REAL WARNING to shut it and move on. Usually that is all it takes.

 

[portocall]

I don't think there is a law here, but usually my children do it for me. They would have said "MOM! DO YOU HEAR THAT LADY SAYING ALL THOSE REALLY BAD WORDS? SHE REALLY NEEDS A TIME OUT!" Yes, the caps, were there on purpose as they would have been as loud as she is. That is usually all it takes. Only once had the offender turned and cursed at me in return to which I simply told her that she needed to grow up and learn how to express herself in appropriate English. She left the line. Had she continued I probably would have gone to the manager and asked him to do something. If he didn't I would have left him with my basket (And we both had full baskets).

I don't get why people think the whole world needs to hear foul language.

 

[DMRick]

There was actually a couple people injured and one car damaged at that big Clearance sale C.Ann, and two people were arrested, one for the damaged car, and one for punching someone. We drove by and the crowd was worse than black Friday..for some used junk.

In this day and age, I would have just changed lines, and ignored her. If the manager had done something, such as kicked her out, and she went out into her car and returned and decided to shoot someone (not unheard of any more..and maybe the person who complained), the manager would have been at fault for that too. I doubt the manager would have said he was afraid she would hurt someone and just used the half way rung up as an excuse. And security in our area is often 19 year old stock boys...not even rent a cops anymore. This isn't the olden days where you could ask someone to watch their mouth and have them hang their heads in shame...not even in Disney, where a father was cussing at a CM two weeks ago on the safari, because she allowed a bunch of cheerleaders to join the one person in front holding a place. You would have thought he had been maimed for life. She just stood there and took it.