Have you ever been happy and just going about your day, then all your happiness is abruptly snapped away? Today, me and my husband were entering Trader Joe’s when immediately, the parking lot security attendant quickly started yelling at my husband. I had been trying to get the attention of someone we knew who has epilepsy and autism and doesn’t like loud noises. The security attendant was insisting that my husband had been there earlier in the day swearing at him and had given him the finger because he couldn’t enter. My husband was taken aback by the fact that the security attendant was verbally assaulting him in front of the police officer who said and did nothing. The person I was attempting the talk to quickly ran off with a terrified look on his face. I tried to intercede and told the security attendant that we should park so we can get out of the way of others attempting to get in. Once we parked I told my husband that I had to go talk to the security attendant as he had really upset me. I felt that his behavior was totally inappropriate. My husband entered Trader Joe’s and I headed for the security attendant. He saw me coming and I could see him say something to the police officer like “oh, here she comes”. Once there I explained to him that I felt that he should have waited until we parked to come over to speak with my husband. I further stated that he should have pulled him aside as it wasn’t necessary to publicise their conversation. I also mentioned my high blood pressure and anxiety. The security attendant didn’t seem to want to hear anything I had to say and continuously tried to speak over me. The police officer just stood by, which I guess was ok. I have no problems with his actions. However, the security attendant again continued to insist that my husband had come to Trader Joe’s earlier that day swearing at him and stuck up his middle finger. I explained that my husband had in no way been there today prior to our being there together. He continued yelling over me saying “go ask him, he’ll tell you”, over and over. He made me feel quite threatened by his forcefulness and putting himself up in my face. He triggered anxiety in me. No one should be so shaken when visiting Trader Joe’s. He had actually threatened my husband telling him that if he ever came back yelling at him again he would kick him out of the parking lot. When we pulled in the parking security attendant putting his face in our car being verbally aggressive. I was surprised at that time that the police officer didn’t tell the security parking attendant to back off.
I returned to meet up with my husband inside of Trader Joe’s and suggested that he go to the customer service desk and let them know what happened. The parking security attendant had said he warned the people at the customer service desk about my husband. The person working at the customer service desk took my husbands information after he shared his side of the story but didn’t have much to say. They did say that my husband isn’t the only person to complain about the parking security attendant.
The problem isn’t just this one parking security attendant. Honestly, there isn’t really one that I’ve come across there that is nice. They all seem so angry. I know it can’t be easy dealing with the stress of managing parkers and delivery trucks every day for hours on end. But my motto has always been to do the best job you can do and that’s it.. Inserting angry feelings into any situation just makes it worse.
I think it would benefit Trader Joe’s to hire their own staff to work as parking attendants. Private companies in this instance are not invested in their jobs. They don’t seem to be there when you need them and when they are there, they play favorites because they believe they have the power and in that instance, I guess they do.
Often times, when we are trying to get to the handicap parking spots, they will let another driver that has come in behind us cut and go in the wrong way and take the spot from us. Our handicap plaque is always visible. This situation can of course make others angry and frustrated, especially when they have waited their turn and went the proper way.
There is also another parking security attendant that is also quite nasty to us and now glares at us every time we go to Trader Joe’s making us feel quite uncomfortable and wishing and hoping that he’s not there. Today we were lucky, he wasn’t there but unfortunately, his counterpart was.
So I ask again, have you ever been happy and just going about your day, then all your happiness is abruptly snapped away?
A Day in the Life of me: Have you ever…?©
Copyright© 2019
By Felina Silver Robinson
The Writings of Felina Silver Robinson 