Ok, so I’m not usually a difficult person. I’m not picky and am easy to please. I often ignore errors as long as they don’t affect me in a way that I’d feel overly upset. This is also the values I’m trying to instil upon Dawn and Emily.
(my own thoughts are indented )
Therefore, when someone REALLY gets to me, I don’t stay quiet! Tomorrow is Dawn’s 5th birthday. I wanted to make it memorable because we aren’t from here and don’t have any family. Due to her father’s PPD behaviour, she doesn’t have many friends either and I’m doing my best to see that she get out more with other children.
We went to Galaxyland at West Edmonton Mall to take advantage of ‘Toddler Time’ where the kids get admission at a reduced price. They were looking forward to going to play on the slide and in the ball pits.
We were having an awesome time and while Emily was her reluctant-self, she lit up when I told her it was tome to go ‘to the balls’ as she called them. Everything was great till now…then I crossed paths with this lady:
It was just as I was crashing down the ramp (yes, it’s MUCH steeper than the legal 1:12 slope) and I learned for the first time today that wheelchair-on-a-rug don’t care if you’re pulling the breaks or not!.
ANYWAY…I had barely gotten into the area with my girls and started directing Emily to go look for the balls. She was stressed out at having to be around so many loud noises and practically having a panic-attack, and the lady in question, whom shall now be referred to as Cruella interrupted me and asked how old my daughter was.
This is while I’m trying to calm an upset child
Truthfully, I answered that she was 3 1/2. By now, Emily is crying because Dawn had already gone to play and she wanted to know where the balls were. Cruella starts in on me (though politely) that the sign by that area says it’s for kids 3 and under. Mmmkay, so what’s the problem. The sign says 3 AND under, therefore, if she’s not yet four, she’s still 3 and under.
With the state of our economy these days, they couldn’t hire someone brighter than that???
“Oh no,” she tells me, “3 1/2 is not 3 and under!”
Hmmm..yeah. She’s 3 and a half… Can you not hear the THREE in that combination?
This went on for a few more minutes, then I more or less told her whatever.
I ignored her and she went away for a while. Maybe 5 minutes later, she comes back telling me that I was wearing shoes and had to take them off! Umm…I’m in a wheelchair? “Rules are rules,” she says.
“… I can’t remove my shoes from my chair, you expect me to go find a bed (have to be sitting prone), take my shoes off, when I’m not even walking?”
“Yes!” was her reply.
Lady, the soles of these shoes haven’t seen the ground in ages! I’d rather lick them than touch a doorknob to your mall’s washrooms.
We politely argue back and forth and she finally tells me that if I refuse to remove my shoes, she’ll have to go get her supervisor.
Thank God-Almighty!
I tell her to go right ahead and she disappears. I look at two other moms whom were nearby and we rolled our eyes together. I try to get on with supervising my girls and she eventually returns alone.
Duh!
The places her hand on my shoulder and let’s me know that “the supervisor will be down shortly.”
“No problem!” I say and return to my camera, my crocheting, and the kids. Needless to say, he never did come down. I had to laugh though, because I vented the story to the girl at the entrance to the play area and she told me she’ll tell the supervisor. “No need,” I said, “it’s already been done!”
Seriously folks, what has happened with common sense? Has our society become so paranoid about liability and other such issues that they can’t see when a rule really doesn’t apply?? Emily finally did calm down and had a fun time, but this was another stressful episode that she didn’t need!
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