Pexels/Reddit

Small towns have a way of blurring the line between your job and your actual life.

One woman working patient registration at her local hospital helped check in a man for his appointment near the end of her shift, a completely routine interaction that ended with a simple thank you.

Later that same day, she ran into him again at the grocery store, this time in the floral department, and he immediately expected the same help he’d gotten from her at work.

When she explained she couldn’t assist him outside her actual job, he looked genuinely confused, as if her role somehow followed her home.

You’ll want to keep reading for the full story.

I can’t help you everywhere, sir

I live in a small town and work at our little hospital doing patient registration.

I checked in a patient for an appointment toward the end of my shift and answered some questions for him. He thanked me for my help.

But when she went to run errands after work, she ran into the same customer once again.

After work, I went to the grocery store, where I saw him again in the floral department as I walked past.

He recognized me and complained that there was no one there to help him. He looked at me expectantly.

That’s when she had to state what should have been an obvious fact.

I had to explain that I could not help him everywhere, only where I actually work.

He seemed genuinely puzzled. I suggested he ring the bell at the counter and wait for someone to come.

I heard him say “FINE” in a ticked-off tone as I walked away.

Small town life……….

The entitlement on this guy is unreal.

What did Reddit have to say?

This kind of thing apparently happens more than a person might think.

It’s important to uphold boundaries with customers.

Some customers appear to have their head in the clouds at all times.

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If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who gets problematic overtime changes reversed by pointing out how it will harm the company’s bottom line.

No one is “on” all the time, nor should they have to be.

Small town life comes with a weird kind of overlap where your job title doesn’t stay at work, it follows you straight into the produce aisle.

This patient wasn’t rude exactly, just confused in a way that only makes sense when everyone in town knows everyone.

People are confusing sometimes.

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Author

Benjamin Cottrell

Benjamin Cottrell | Assistant Editor, Internet Culture

Benjamin Cottrell is an Assistant Editor and contributing writer at TwistedSifter, specializing in internet culture, viral social dynamics, and the moral complexities of online communities. He brings a highly analytical, editorial voice to his reporting on workplace conflicts, malicious compliance, and interpersonal drama, with a specific focus on nuanced stories that lack an obvious villain.

As a published author of rhetorical criticism, Benjamin leverages his academic background in human communication to dissect and elevate viral social media threads. Instead of simply summarizing events, he provides readers with balanced, deep-dive commentary into why the internet reacts the way it does. In addition to his cultural reporting, he is an experienced fine art photography essayist and video game reviewer.

When he isn’t analyzing the latest viral debates, Benjamin is usually chipping away at his extensive video game backlog, hunting down the best new restaurants, or out exploring the city with a camera in hand.

Connect with Benjamin on Instagram and read more of his essays on Substack.