The other day, while working my delivery job, I needed the help of a Walmart associate. The closet one was a sweet older lady who looked to be in her early to mid 70s. To help me, she needed to look up an item and proceeded to fumble with the technology in her hands. I could sense her shame and embarrassment rise with each failed attempt and I did my best to remain calm. After her tenth attempt to perform the task, I wanted to snatch the device and complete the query myself or, at the least, ask for help from another employee. But, I didn’t. Finally, another woman made her way over to help. And just as I was about to receive the needed information, an old asshole with pale skin and a navy blue baseball cap walked up to the sweet old lady and began to pester her with rude questions about “the inventory control management system you got here.”

I was in a rush and thus kept my observations to myself, figuring the two ladies could handle him. But my Lord knows, I had a few words for him. Words like The f*ck is wrong with you? What’s the point of being a dick? Does she look like someone in charge of the “inventory management system bro? You look old as dirt, so you ought to know customer service reps don’t make high level decisions? And that they certainly don’t make complicated decisions related to the placement of items in a store as large as a Walmart? Why don’t you go home and yell at the TV?

I was angry. And I know he was frustrated. We’ve all been there, aimlessly wondering the aisles looking for the one thing we need. But that pale faced jagoff took it to an extreme. And in the end, all that jerk did was vomit his frustration onto the weakest looking employee he could find. What a dick.

The thing is, most of us look down on Walmart employees. Don’t deny it. We do. In truth, Walmart employees and fast food workers are some of the least respected workers in the country. The question I ask is why? They work just like everyone else, except they come face to face with some of the biggest dickbags you’ll ever see, not to mention being at the bottom of a large corporate entity that would just as much replace them than give them a raise. Or in a different light, when was the last time you had to deal with rowdy teenagers, tweeked out losers, smelly old farts, demanding Karens, and self-righteous “you can’t check my bag” morons, all day, every single day? (For min wage.) Huh?

Welcome to Walmart. Cut the people in the light blue vest some friggin slack.