If you want a true understanding of just how weird and wonderful the human race can be, getting a job in customer service will give you just that. Because retail and hospitality workers get a front row seat to some of the best and worst of human behaviour, and honestly, thanks to the folk that they work with, no day will ever be the same.

And if you want to push things further, how about working a customer facing retail job during a discount sale. Because honestly, some folk turn from regular well to do adults into entitled kids when sale season comes along. Everything is about getting the best discounts and beating other folk to the prize – it’s a dog eat dog world out there, especially if there’s a limited number of discounted items. May the fastest – or most savage – customer win.

The retail worker in this story was actually doing some discount shopping of their own when they happened upon a family at the checkout whose behaviour left them reeling.

Read on to find out why.

A cringe-worthy family, as seen from the other side of the counter

I don’t work in the retail store I was in today, but I have the utmost sympathy for the poor two women that had to deal with the family I encountered today.

There was a great sale going on, something about shirts and sweaters and pants being two dollars – the poor college student in me jumped all over it.

I think in total I had about five items, but all were easy to check out, and my friend that was with me had one. There was only one register open and it was currently dealing with the Family From Hells massive pile of stuff.

Let’s learn a little more about this family.

The family was made up of all women: two young children, a 20 something and an older lady. They were easily the trashiest looking family I’ve ever seen, and they were buying more clothes at this small clothing store than I had ever seen anyone buy there at one time.

It ranged from boots to sweaters to underwear to pants and belts. It was mind boggling.

So I’m in line waiting behind this family, the children are positively SCREAMING about everything and the older women are doing almost nothing to stop them.

They’re picking up a bunch of stuff and throwing it on the ground… but it’s children, I can handle it, just please try and control your kids.

Read on to find out how the checkout operator was dealing with the family.

The sales lady is trying her best to ring everything through quickly, but they keep finding more and more stuff to put on the counter. She starts doing all of the like things and she gets to the pants.

Well, the 20 something says “Well, I’m still wearing one (security tags and all!) here’s the price tag we just ripped it off, ’cause I’m gonna wear them out.”

Seemingly this lady doesn’t understand the woman can’t physically take the security tag off her butt while she’s wearing the pants.

The lady looks like she’s in pain while doing this transaction.

But then the kids started creating havoc here.

So the kids finally decide they want some candy they see. The older woman says “NO, YOU’RE NOT GETTING CANDY. THIS IS MY STUFF, I’M BUYING IT AND YOU CAN’T HAVE ANY.”….alright, whatever floats your boat. But then she continues to say “WE’LL JUST GO BUY IT WITH FOOD STAMPS.”

I have absolutely no problem with people on food stamps, or people getting them. These are hard times and people need help, and a little push to keep going on. I’m all for helping the people that need it… I just don’t like when it’s taken advantage of.

Um, WHAT?! you’re buying at least $300 of clothes and shoes, but you can’t buy a 50c piece of candy for your kid, that you won’t bother to shut up? I had no words.

And this really shocked this fellow customer.

The second lady finally hops on another till and starts checking people out. I was very pleasant and told her I’m sorry about the obnoxious family (which earned me a glare from them, but I’m sure I’ll get over that).

I just don’t understand people like that. How can you spend that much money on multiple pairs of the same pants, perfume, ten belts, and more shoes and shirts than I can think of and then loudly talk about how you’re on food stamps?

That might just be me though…

There are a few things going on here, and the food stamps is literally the least important of all of them.

Rather, this family are letting their kids be disruptive, and the reaction when the kid asks for a piece of candy suggests exactly why they’re so disruptive in the first place.

But wearing the pants that still need the tags removed? That’s uncomfortable behaviour for everyone involved.

Let’s see what folks on Reddit made of this.

This person thought folk shouldn’t be so judgy about what people choose to spend their food stamps on.

But others, who had been on food stamps themselves, did question other folks’ decisions.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about an employee who found a way around his company’s denial of company time to study for his Commercial Driver’s License.

Meanwhile this store worker was no stranger to folk wearing the clothes they were buying.

Honestly, it’s easy to judge some people whose behaviour is very different to your own – in fact, it’s human nature to do so. And this family really were drawing attention to themselves – not by talking about food stamps, but by basically neglecting the kids. They were completely ignoring the kids while they were being disruptive, then the way they spoke to them when they asked about candy just shows the kid of parenting these poor kids are receiving. This is why they are disruptive, because of the lack of love and care and boundaries they are being shown.

But the idea of the woman actually already wearing the trousers she was buying is really mind-boggling. What happened to her old pants? Are they still in the fitting rooms, or has she packed them away? Was she simply done with them, or was there another reason she needed to buy new pants? What does she expect the cashier to do about the security tag, given the trousers are already on her body? It’s something that most people would never consider doing – but at this point, nothing is a surprise to cashiers.