Brady’s 14-month-old son stepped on a push pin at an indoor playground store at a local mall.

This business requires children remove their shoes before playing.

The proprietor’s response, inside, was the very definition of tactless customer service…

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Brady writes:

“I’ve got a 14-month-old son, and as I work nights, I stay home with him during the day. We live in Burlington, Vermont, so getting out of the house in wintertime is crucial if you don’t want to pull a “Shining”.

A few days before Christmas, I took my son to University Mall . There’s a business there called Playdate, which is an indoor playground with swings, slides, etc… It costs seven bucks for unlimited playtime, and you’ve got to take your shoes off before going in.

We were the first ones there, and had only been playing for about fifteen minutes when my son stepped directly onto a thumbtack that’s laying on the floor, driving it in to the hilt. He was pretty stoic about it, but clearly it was painful (remember, he’s not wearing shoes).

I went to the counter to tell the attendant, who also happens to be the owner. I told her what happened, showed her the blood-stained sock my son’s wearing, and she cheerfully explained to me that one of her employees must have dropped it.

No apology, no inquiry as to his well being, no offer of soap and water or antibacterial ointment, no offer of refund, nothing. Someone must have dropped it. I tell her we’re through, ask for my money back, and she gives it to me.

After I got him home and cleaned up his foot, I called my wife to tell her what happened, who in turn called the owner to rip her a new one. Here’s where injury turned to insult.

The owner told my wife that I probably brought that thumbtack into the playground myself, and purposefully stuck my own son so that I could get my seven dollars back. Well, the argument escalated, obscenities ensued, and my wife hung up in disgust.

We shan’t be returning, and would encourage any other local readers to do the same.”

We followed up to ask Brady if he had any pictures available. He replied,

“No, sorry, I never took a photo of it. It was really just a pinhole, because the tack went in so cleanly. As of now, it’s completely healed over.

It wasn’t really the injury, I mean anyone could have dropped that tack. The really irritating part was the suggestion that I did it myself.”

— BEN POPKEN