Matt writes:
Yesterday I went through the horror of taking my 15 year old brother to the Best Buy in Orland Park, IL on LaGrange Ave. I had close to $100 in Best Buy Gift Certificates given to me for Christmas. My brother and I were en route to dinner and we decided to swing by the aforementioned Best Buy to pick up a video game, Assassin’s Creed, and XBOX Live Gold. We entered the store. I browsed the camera aisle looking for a cable to possibly purchase for our flat screen then headed to the video game section. I picked up the said items and headed to check out where hell will shortly ensue.
I stepped up to the red haired, slightly obese cashier and she immediately gave me a look of disgrace as if I did something wrong. I replied with a “hi” to make the tension less awkward. She immediately asked me for my ID. I’ve never been carded for a video game before so I politely handed it to her while asking my brother for my gift cards I gave him while I was busy shuffling through my car just 20 minutes earlier.
She then left the the register booth with my ID and video game and went to her manager. The Best Buy cashier then came back and shouted that I’m purchasing a video game for a minor in front of everyone in line behind me and her fellow cashiers. She even had the nerve to ask, “Is that even your brother with you?!” Hell yes he is! I was embarrassed! It’s like she was condemning me for purchasing alcohol for a minor. [ed. Assassin's Creed is rated "M" for Mature, meaning it's considered not suitable for kids under 17. It's a game where you play an assassin during the Third Crusades and you take out various historical figures.]
I quickly responded back that I am 21 year old and that the video game and peripheral are for me. She shook her head with a menacing grim and said that she saw me take gift cards from my brother and that what I am doing is illegal. Enough of this obese 17 year olds shenanigans! I demanded a manager. Unfortunately the manager was probably about 18 years old as well.
In front of the store again he told me that I am illegally purchasing a video game for a minor. I responded back that they are my gift cards! I want to make a purchase. That’s when he picked up Xbox Live GOLD. I then asked if I couldn’t buy that either. He then took a few minutes to scrutinize the box looking for an online peripherals rating. He never found it and said to me, he’s not sure, I might not be able to do that either (Xbox Live was also rated E for everyone mind you). I continued to repeat that these are my gift cards, I’m 21 and I want to make my purchase. The cashier and manager continued to condemn me in front of all that I’m illegally purchasing the game for a minor.
I brought up two ultimatums. “So I have to go drive miles outside Orland Park, IL to another Best Buy to purchase the video game then?” The manager shrugged and said, “I guess so.”
I also brought up the option then that if I left the store with my brother, came back in by myself and made the purchase, would that be legal then? The manager replied, “Technically, yes, that will be OK.”
I then told them to hold on to the Xbox Live Gold since it was the last one left. I left the store with my brother, told him to go to the car. I then walked back into the store. The manager earlier told me that I can’t use the old video game I originally had in hand because it was deemed under “penalty.” I then had to walk all the way to the back of the cavernous store, pick up the video game then walk back to the line I was originally in. I stood in line for another 10 minutes waiting. I finally got back up to the obese red head cashier where she smirked and looked at me and said, “Yeah, we can’t sell you that video game.” What?! “Those gift cards are illegal.”
How the hell does she know someone didn’t just give me the gift cards on the street or if I had more of my “OWN” gift cards from the car. They just told me that I was able to purchase the video game once I walked my brother out.
I told them that they made a fool out of me before everyone in the store. She continued to be as politely as I can put it a “bitch” to me. I purchased Xbox Live Gold and said to the hell with the game. After making the transaction I told her I didn’t need a plastic bag since all I’m carrying out is a small little hand held cardboard box. Who needs a plastic bag for that? She then told me that under company policy if I wanted to exit the store I needed a plastic bag. Absurd! For me to exit the store I need to kill the planet now? I never see people with bags over DVD players that are twice the size as the flimsy Xbox Live cardboard box.
Anyway I left the store, we ate dinner and on the way home we stopped at the Best Buy in Mokena, IL. I purchased the same exact video game, Assassin’s Creed with my brother right beside me. I was never carded, I was never interrogated, I was never questioned. I had a wonderful experience there but I had to go through a three hour ordeal of going to the Best Buy in Orland Park, eating dinner than spending another 20 minutes at a Best Buy miles away all for a video game.
Three things Best Buy, first drop the mandatory plastic bag policy. Second, you need to revamp your treatment of customers and not threaten them of their illegal actions in front of all. Three, can I get reimbursed for some gas money for driving miles and miles out of my way since I was banned from buying a video game at your store in Orland Park, IL?
Cheers,
Matt D.
That is one crazy story, Matt. Now, if you had a copy of The Consumerist.com Consumer Action Manual (an as-yet unwritten pocket-sized book in the style of those “How To Escape From Anything” Books), you would turn to page 42, under “Dealing with in-store employee’s wacky interpretations of store policy” (just a working section title). There you would see that when little Mr. and Mrs. Blueshirt have decided they are the petty dictators of the cash register universe, you calm yourself down and call their corporate headquarters or customer service line and let them know what is going on. Oftentimes, this results in a call to the store from official company people with a few more firing brain cells who can straighten the whole matter out. Perhaps then corporate would have informed this store that video game ratings are just voluntary recommendations, it’s not “illegal” in any sense of the word to sell them to a minor, and especially not to an older sibling who just happens to have a minor with them. We offer this advice based on testimony from readers for whom it has worked, as well as former employees of various retail establishments.
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I’m sorry guys but i’m really disgusted with a few of you. In fact, i’m rather surprised that anyone of the dispostition to read Consumerist would want Best Buy deciding what YOU as a consumer can and cannot buy, regardless of who is with you.
What if a gaming mother goes shopping with her kids for her self and picks up a game?
Best Buy and the government have ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT WHATSOEVER to tell me what I can and can’t buy for myself, my kids, my family, my friends and I take extreme offense to any company who thinks they can be my mom, or to any person who think its the government and corporations job to babysit you and raise your kids for you.
If your kid buys a violent game you don’t want them to play take it away from them. Interact with your children. RAISE YOUR OWN KIDS, and if you can’t bear the burden of the responsibility that it requires to father and nurture children… well, I don’t know what to end that with.
In my eyes this is an absolutely unacceptable business practice, and this clerk would have gotten a polite piece of my mind, because minor or not i’m walking out of the store with the item I want to buy or you will never see my business again.
@Silverhammer35:
I’m assuming you’re talking about that 2003 law, it was struck down a long time ago: [arstechnica.com]
When in doubt – write down employee ID names and numbers and tell them you are going straight to corporate with that info and see what their “minimum wage monkey asses” do after that.
I’ll give credit for good service when it’s due but 99.9% of the time I buy at BB and most other establishments I find and take care of my purchases myself with the exception of checkout. Hell if they had self-checkout I would do that too.
Hell if I’m going to take crap from some kid who’s still putting clearasil on his face at night
I’ve heard that Best Buy cashiers are psychic and can read your intentions without your even thinking about them. Anyhow, when I have a retail issue, I email a complaint to every consumer agency I can get an email address for, all the way up to the US Atty General. It works..
Ok. No matter what they should have sold the guy the game after his brother went into the car. I mean that is just not selling him the game. That’s just stupid. No excuse.
@Rapter09: Look, I rented an NC-17 movie to a man who had a ten year old kid with him (he was the mother’s boyfriend- but I didn’t know that). The mother was the one upset that I had done this because as she pointed out, he wasn’t the boy’s father, but her boyfriend and did not have the authority to allow her son to see a NC-17 movie.
I’m not saying the clerk should’ve acted the way she did. But what would it have hurt for to just ask to be sure that the purchase was for him and not his brother. I believe that should’ve been it. But let’s say he was buying it for his brother–should it matter? No. Can the boys mother get on the phone and scream at the manager–heck yes. It happens. Part of the problem stems from parents who do blame the store and clerks for things that get into their kids hands.
It is responsible for the store to just ask to be sure the item was for the purchaser and not his brother. After the purchaser replied yes, that’s where it should’ve ended.
First Things First!
It’s a free country so a store can do what ever it wants to who ever it wants at any time. Ya if your black and well they don’t like the way you look they can say hey get the fuck out and you can’t do a single thing. Ya pretty stupid but who cares.
It would be better if the basterds at BEST BUY weren’t monopolizing things like game stores and reviews. Cause you could just go to another store and buy it somewhere else but of the last Franchising world 15 years. If you don’t have a brand name you don’t exist for long so mom and pop shops are done and you have to drive an hour out of your way to get what ever you want because some douche bag thought they were holding up the law. Hell that bitch probably let tons of kids who would sleep with her buy games underage. But no she just felt she should do something noble so she could go to bed at night and think she did the right thing.
Being publicaly humiliated I would go to court for Slander. They were slandering your identity to everyone in the store about who you were. You have to stop these companies from hiring retarded representatives puting in the store then making an ass out of your company and making a lawsuit. 1 Little girl in Best Buy just ruined oh I don’t know 300 customers. They will never go there agian because of this incident. I would rather fly to china and buy it off the black market then deal with best buy any day.
I would refuse to buy at this store I would urge a boycott completely nobody should have this much control of games we enjoy. I would definatly like to pull the last piece in the console gaming market to see it tumble so we can get some new freaking games and new ideas out there. Wii of course would survive it’s already inovative
Remember they can be like I want to see you ID and ask is this for your little brother. ANd if you say NO they have to accept that as the truth or they can be complete Pricks which they were. Hope you all enjoy your corprate run asshole businesses.
There’s a few things that don’t make any sense. All of the store’s employees must have been INCREDIBLY stupid. Best Buy’s policy is actually to offer the plastic bag every time, not automatically give it out. This saves a lot of money.
A minor purchasing an M rated game is also far from illegal. It’s against company policy, sure, but illegal, no. This is a cause that many gamers fight for, to ensure that the act of a minor purchasing an M rated game never becomes illegal.
@GothamGal: Are you her doctor? No? STFU.
As Geek Squad guy, I am quite ashamed at the moment. I’m sorry you couldn’t take your business elsewhere, gift cards kind of lock you into that retailer, but fortunatly you were able to drive to another store and get proper service.
I find it funny that they thought making a purchase was somehow illegal. In theory your brother could purchase the game, and “legally” there’s not a damn thing we can do about it if it comes to that. I can’t loose it in front of rude employees, I get too embarassed, I would of fled the scene and come back at another time. If you’re one who likes to make a scene, see if the employee will grab you physically and cry “Assault!”, fall down on the floor and go into a siezure or something. AlkaSeltzer helps here.
(No I don’t condone doing it, but it would be funny)
Wow.
@Coder4Life: The place was probably run by idiot frat boys from ISU. (yeah, I spent some time in Ames once).
Ah so I finally found this, I remember seeing it before. Best Buy basically says that without your parent with you, so I guess a brother doesn’t work. They wont sell you an M rated game.
Here’s a video of their President saying that:
[images.bestbuy.com]
So just go to target or gamestop.
You should have done the right thing by switching the Assassins Creed disk with one from another game box.
I had a similar thing happen to me when shopping at a BevMo. I ran into a friend at the store (she is 22, I’m 23) and we got in line at the register next to each other. The cashier asked if we were together, and my friend said we were not. Then the woman accused my friend of buying me alcohol illegally. I am older than my friend! And we had driven to the store and entered it separately. She reluctantly sold my friend alcohol after I showed her my ID, but my friend was pissed that I needed to be of age for her to purchase anything. (We were both club members there too.) Stores need to realize these policies are offensive, and they need to stop treating their customers like criminals.
LOL that is kind of ironic considering about 6 months ago i purchased my xbox360 with TWO rate M games at BestBuy and i am only 15 they asked if my parent was there and he (my grandpa who isn’t even my legal guardian) wasn’t he was out in the car but the clerk said and i quote “fuck it here you go” i snickered and purchased the games and console and went home a happy customer.
@GothamGal: Or a lot of other medical problems. you do realize that there are medicines that have weight gain as a side effect?
But no, you’re judgmental enough to assume that there’s only one root cause of having weight problems. I know people who have weight problems through no fault of their own, and their lives are hard enough without judgmental fuckheads like you coming along and judging them about something that is not their fault. So fuck you and your high horse you rode in on.
(Yes, people like you who are bigoted judgmental jerks piss me off. Why is it still OK to make fun of people who don’t look model-skinny?)
@benjimandodd: Uh, we’re making fun of him for being a bigoted judgmental asshole because he’s a bigoted judgmental asshole. Neither you or any of the other people supporting this ridiculous BS have satisfactorily explained how the appearance of the cashier factored into this story at all.
dude i would have pulled a hissy fit. Yell and demand to see the boss, and write a long and angry letter. Or leave the stor ranting and raving, leave no innocent unscathed.
The author of this story is 100% correct. I work at the front of the Best Buy store (Yellow Shirt), and I see shit like this happen all the time. Seriously, Best Buy puts some of the stupidest people in charge…
Anyway, we had someone not want to take a TV because a small blemish in the box. Not too big of a deal IMO, but she wasnt having it. Well, the lead and manager she talked to said she would be charged for us to order her a fresh box in which there is no guarantee of it coming cleanly to the store. She was fine waiting, but not interested in the extra charge. She left the store, and in less then 10 minutes I receive a call asking for the MOD to confirm the story.
But this store is messed up, and needs to be reported. There is no law in selling minors M rated video games, so nothing there was illegal. Also, it should be fairly obvious if they are brothers. But even if they werent, how do you prove parents buying games for their minor children with no ID?
But either way. There is a better way to beat this. If he would have ditched his bro in the car, then came back in. He should have went to another cashier. In our store u can buy that game anywhere. Computers, TVs, Customer Service, or even the media employees can ring you up.
And the whole bag policy I think is just a shrink tactic. Something which is also BS. You can refuse a bag. This store must think if they have a bag, the person isnt stealing. A bad tactic because it just puts trust in people with bags and gives thiefs the opportunity of stuffing stuff in the bag and being waved through the doors.
Honestly, I hope this guy reports this store. This is something HR needs to look into.
Your story saddens me. I work for target, as the department manager of the electronics department no less. I have told every single one of my employees that the enforcement of ESRB ratings is left to their own discretion. I have explained my feelings about this to my upper management and they have agreed (logically I argued that we do not enforce the sale of R-rated movies and Parental Advisory CD’s it would hold that the enforcement of M-rated games was the same).
Dont get me wrong, I understand why the ratings system is in place, but I have seen far too many parents take it far more seriously that it really is; i.e. refusing to purchase a T-rated racing game for an 11 year old because they are not teenagers. I wouldnt sell GTA to a 7 year old, but I have no problem selling Halo to a teenager. And Assassins Creed is hardly the most gore-laden game I’ve ever played and it wouldnt even warrant me carding somebody for.
There is as of yet no law strictly forbidding the sale of M-rated games to minors and remains solely as a store policy. Stores are not nearly as strict about this policy as some of you might think, and nobody at my store has ever come near being threatened with their job for allowing a minor to purchase an M-rated game. I think this story is absolutely ridiculous, though Im not going to say that the employees responsible should be fired – I just think they need a refresher course on what the difference is between a ludicrous store policy and an actual law.
And im sure some of you actually believe that the ESRB enforcement is a good thing and is “protecting our children” and whatnot, but it serves no purpose. This is because the type of children that are going to grow up to be degenerates are raised by the type of parent that doesnt care what games they play. The parent is the sole judge of what is appropriate for their children, not Best Buy, not Target, not Gamestop, not the ESRB.
Why are you buying ANYTHING from that store? I would have told them “fine, I’ll never visit this store again.” And, then follow through with your threat. It’s that simple. If you stop shopping there, THEY LOSE!
I haven’t bought anything at a Best Buy in YEARS because of their deceptive business practices. The best way to hurt a business is in their pocketbook.
@Rapter09: The beginning of your post got me a little heated.
Yes, in fact, Best Buy can tell you what you can and cannot purchase in their store. They can arbitrarily go through every person in line, and take one item away from them. Of course, they would lose all of their business, but they still are ABLE to do so.
You came through in the end though. You’re exactly right. You give them a piece of your mind, and you walk out, giving someone who treats you better your hard earned cash.
Unfortunately in this case, gift cards were involved, which complicates every purchase.
It’s a good thing you warned us by throwing in that little bit about her hair color and weight. Thanks to you, we can all live better lives by avoiding those who look different from the rest of us, because obviously it makes all the difference in the world.
That was terrible. Best buy is one of the worst electronics chain stores out there. While I was out in Colorado last summer I went to buy an M rated game at the local Best Buy. I live in California and my only form of ID was my California Driver’s license. When I got to the register I had two items, Gears of War and 300 on DVD. The cashier asked for my ID so I handed her my license. At that point I’m not expecting any shit because I’m 18 years old. I was wrong. she hands me back my license and says she can’t accept it as a valid form of ID because it is not a valid form of ID. I’m kind of confused as to why a government issue ID is invalid when she tells me that an out of state Driver’s license is unverifiable and is unacceptable. I asked for the manager and he told me the same thing. At that point I was really just about laughing at them. The manager called over a security guard to ensure I returned the items where I found them Then to leave the store. I figured I found them right where I put them on the damn counter and just gave him the finger and walked out. I have not and will not set foot in a Best Buy again.
I’m of the impression that the OP mentioned the cashier’s weight so that, should you ever be in that store, you can identify the cashier and not deal with her (“red-headed” isn’t enough of a qualifier, perhaps). He wasn’t mentioning it so you could stereotype her in some way before the story began.
You guys need to stop being so fast to jump to conclusions.
And stories like this make me sick. Another reason to never shop at Best Buy.
I am all for carding those who wish to purchase M rated games. As a person who plays many video games and played M rated games online, I want no children playing these games UNLESS the parent has the wherewithall to supervise. Carding for the game plants the idea of supervision in the minds of parents. Whether or not it’s an actual law is just semantics. The POLICY helps keep the controversy of children playing mature vidoe games in check. Enforcing the policy might actually educate parents and keep children from driving me crazy online.
it sounds like that best buy is making some moral decisions that will eventually get them in trouble. you should go take a picture of yourself outside of an abortion clinic smoking cigarettes with your little brother and the assassins creed box!
This happened to me at Wal-mart…but with a DVD that was rated R.
I had my two little brothers with my who were 8 and 12.
I asked the woman at the register, ‘do you honestly think I’m buying this movie for THEM?”(It was a gruesome horror movie.)
Well I gave up and just left the store.
Hmm, I would complain to the district manager and report BOTH the conduct of the red haired employee AND her manager. I wouldn’t take that kind of treatment since you’re clearly of age, and they’re clearly discrimating against you. How dare they assume that the game was for your brother just because he was in the vicinity of you, an adult.
Maybe the clerk found it a little hard to believe that a 21 year old would be actually be buying a video game for himself. I mean, 21? Still playing video games? No women to date in the Chicago area these days?
@Witera33it: You’re assuming that the parents will monitor the child once they buy the game.
I worked at Target and we had a policy like that, but we never enforced it unless someone looked extremely young. In my 4 years there, I never carded anyone. If they look old enough, I gave it to them.
I remember when I took my brother to see Team America (rated R) I was over 17 and he wasn’t, and the cashier at the theater refused to sell us tickets. So I walked over to the self-service ticket kiosk, bought 2 tickets, and we went right in and had no trouble. That kind of crap annoys me….if you’re going to have a policy, either enforce it fully, or better yet, don’t enforce it at all.
Some stores can be really anal about carding people and they have their priorities in the wrong place. I’ve been 21 since March, and I think since then, I’ve been carded more for things like cough/cold medicine, R movies and M games than I have for alcohol. And I know I’ve bought alcohol a hell of a lot more often.
Kotaku says hi.
Goddamn this stupid shit never happens here in Australia, although it might have something to do with our gov’ts history of trying to be a nanny state and not having a R (your equivalent of M17+) rating for games. Maybe I ought to petition the new guys for that… but unlikely, given how they’re trying to censor the internet. Yes, the internet. This ain’t gonna go down well.
@newspapersaredead: Let’s hope you’re being sarcastic. You know that the kids who grew up playing video games haven’t stopped and never will.
@Kohath:
I guess you’ve never had issues at retail stores?
Clerks can be assholes. Just like normal people can be assholes.
There is no reason she had to be a bitch. Same goes for the manager.
This is a product of the hype and hysteria around games like Mass Effect. Everyone is looking at M rated games like the plague now, so expect more of this crap.
I dunno what I would do in your situation.. I think though that I would of had a mini melt down in some corner then go back to the manager and make sure that I speak to the store manager, not just a department manager. Then tell them that I can buy my sister (who is 16 and I’m 23) a rated R ticket legally and so why can I not buy this. Hell I’d even show them her Permit.
Oh course my luck would be that they would think it was a fake or that I’m not 23… I’m usually lucky if someone thinks I’m 18.
I was in gamestop with my 13 year old brother and saw the employee refuse to sell a game to a kid because of his age. This was years ago when the ratings first came out. i was appalled. I turned to my bro and said that if he ever wants a game and they refuse to sell it to him, come get me. i think the ratings system is stupid…all for video games. the world is going crazy.
Wal-mart once carded a friend and I, both in our early twenties at the time, for Batman (1989) on DVD. My friend didn’t have his ID on him, so it took more than a bit of haggling to buy the damned thing.
However, not once did I lose my cool and not once did I write a small essay on the ineptitude of the employees that day. In other words: if being fat is indicative of how the cashier approached the situation, I’m sure this article is reflective of the great amount of elegance that the writer exhibited in the situation as well. If handled calmly, politely and with persistence, he could’ve probably have bought Caligula for that kid.
I just called that Best Buy to let them know they where boycotted by my entire family, about 20 people which frequently shopped at this store.
Some people just like drama and wasting other peoples time. Or how you put being a “bitch”
There is no mandatory bag policy, nor do I have any clue what the heck “deemed under penalty” means, so they were probably just fucking with you.
What you encountered was some brat who thought they were doing their good deed for the day, and the “manager” you spoke with was making you jump unnecessary hoops probably because he felt you were an asshole. My boss does it with customers who he feels need to be toned down a peg all the time.
Your mileage will vary depending on what Best Buy stores you go to, but none of the crap you encountered was a result of any sort of policy.
@bravo369: Ummm… Ok I guess its ok for all ages to see an R or something higher movie.
@3bd:
No, this is the product of early games like Mortal Kombat, then the games that took it to an extreme like GTA. Mass Effect didn’t really do anything. Ripping out spines and killing cops and hookers did.
@futurebiblehero:
So he should have kissed their asses?
They were messing with him…it has happened to me dozens of times.
Granted…sometimes I didn’t lose my cool.
But I didn’t ‘haggle’ with them. That’s what they want.
There are other stores. So they can KISS MY ASS.
@That Girl Hates You: I’m not talking about all ages but cmon…13-16 year old can’t buy a video game? that’s pretty stupid in my book. Same with movies. I saw many R movies before I was technically old enough. Funny how they made me pay Adult price for the movie too yet want to tell me what i can and can’t see like a child. I think any kid with good parents will not be affected by seeing a few curse words and a little blood in video games and movies. I saw all that and i turned out fine.
As an employee of Best Buy, I think its okay for me to tell you two things:
1. There isn’t a mandatory bag policy.
2. The employees at that store are idiots. Call their district manager and complain about the crappy service, harassment, and embarrassment they put you through as you attempted to purchase your items.
@That Girl Hates You:
I think it doesn’t bother all kids.
I’m 19…saw tons of R rated movies when I’m little.
I’m now a undergraduate at college…not killing anyone, nothing thinking of killing anyone, not raping, stealing, or any other horrible crimes.
I think it’ll only bother those who have mental illness…
@AllergicDonkey:
sorry…when I WAS little.
Suddenly Gamestop’s “annoying” policy of carding (which Best Buy also has the same policy) seems alot less annoying. As long as you are 17 you can buy the game and it is illegal for them to deny you a sale. I think it would be department of consumer affairs who handles things like this. I work at Gamestop and my manager always tells parents it is against the law for him to sell an M rated game to a minor. It is not. It is against company policy. I am completely for keeping certain games away from kids but when you essentially “ban” them by making it law that is wrong. Essentially most politician are just going after games. When you go to the movies it is not illegal for a minor to see an R-rated movie. It is just against theater policies. If politicians want to go after games then make it fair and go after movies and music too. And how about books too. Oh wait, politicians have no problems with books. It’s because of all the lobbyists from Hollywood that only games are being targeted. So in conclusion I would lodge a complaint. Just don’t bring the cashier’s size into the story. Best Buy will just ignore you.
@twesterm: You’re calling out everyone else for being stupid, and then you go making up laws that don’t exist. It’s NOT like alcohol — there simply is no law concerning video games.
Now, if it were a Best Buy policy she should have said that. But she said it was “illegal.” She was wrong, just as you are.
A suggestion: Refrain from calling people stupid — even when you’re right, but particularly when you’re wrong.
@AllergicDonkey: Diplomacy is getting what you want because you have manipulated your way out of the conflict. If you’re smarter than the person you’re dealing with, as the writer claims, then this shouldn’t be a problem. That’s the thing about kissing ass. You don’t do it because you’re lower, you do it because you’re better than embarrassing yourself over something so trivial.
I’m sure no one else in line felt his indignation, nor cared, they just wanted to buy their overpriced cables and bad movies and get the hell out of there. Of course when retold on the internet, this stuff is high drama.