SNOB!!!

So, this week has been a series of unfortunate events for me. Am I a psycho magnet? In the past 72 hours, all kinds of inappropriate things have been said to me. Here's the latest and most traumatic...

Yesterday around 2:30 pm, this man called. He was apparently on his cell phone because he repeatedly yelled, "HELLO! HELLO!" at me. I patiently replied until he finally heard me. He informed me that someone had called in a work order to have an outdoor light replaced. I told him I was the only full-time employee at this location and someone in one of the other buildings must've spotted it.

So, he came to the door about 20-30 minutes later and told me he was here to fix the outdoor light. I thought he came to the door to inform me and that he would, you know, go outside to fix the outdoor light. I stood there for a minute, wondering if he needed to come in to turn on the lights inside...or where those lights even are. I don't ever work downstairs.

"SO.I.NEED.TO.COME.IN.TO.FIX.THE.LIGHT," he said to me as if I was a 2-year old with little to no comprehension of the English language.

"O-kay," I replied. I then walked back to my desk, wide-eyed, a little taken aback at his tone.

"IS THIS THE ELEVATOR I NEED TO TAKE TO GO DOWNSTAIRS? I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE BEFORE." he said very curtly.

Um, ya think the elevator might go downstairs? Oh yeah...that balcony you're standing on looking at the level below and the fact that this building is only two stories might lead one to believe that the elevator goes down.

"Yes," I replied. I was sick of his tone.

"SNOB!!!" he yelled.

WTF?

I marched right on out to the balcony and informed that he had no right to speak to me in that manner, and that I would be calling his supervisor.

"FINE. CALL! I DON'T CARE! YOU ARE SO RUDE AND YOU ACT LIKE YOU DON'T WANT ME HERE!"

Was I supposed to greet him with appetizers? A martini, perhaps?

"Sir, I apologize if I came off as rude. Most people that come out here have been out here several times and know where everything is..." I began.

"I DON'T CARE IF THIS IS THE FIRST TIME OR THE HUNDRETH TIME! YOU WERE SO RUDE!"

"Sir, I apologize if I was rude..."

"YOU'VE SAID ENOUGH ALREADY!!!"

He was so scary and I couldn't understand whatsoever why he reacted that way. So, of course I called his supervisor and he informed me they had problems with this employee in the past.

After the second time I spoke with his supervisor, it was about 3:40. I realized I was shaking, and I began to cry.

I hate confrontation.

I packed up and went home early, unable to focus at work. I felt scared and had convinced myself this man was a psycho killer.

After hours of analysis (thanks, Bert and Mom!), I finally came to some conclusions. I can't live in fear. After all, my building has an alarm system and stays locked. No one's coming in unless I let them in. I also let the staff know in other buildings...and they graciously offered to come yell at him should he ever dare to show his face here again.

I guess the guy was probably having a bad day...or a bad home life...or who knows what. You never know why people act the way they do. Yes, I think he's psycho and needs to take Anger Management courses, but I haven't walked a mile in his shoes. I don't know the background. I don't know about his personal life or if he got in a fight with his wife on his cell phone right before he showed up here.

I also have decided I really don't care how someone treats me...I'll be very careful to not show the least bit of attitude or agitation in the future. Two reasons: 1) I don't want someone to go crazy on me. and 2) Maybe someone is going through something really bad at the time...and they can't take any more. Haven't we all felt like that before?

Am I scared? Yeah, a little. I hope he doesn't get fired. I don't want there to be any more fuel added to the fire. Am I mad? Not really any more. Am I sad? Yeah, I hate stuff like this.

But...have I grown from this experience? Yeah. I'll be more careful how I treat people...even if they treat me like doody (Bert's new favorite word). I've always been told to give people the benefit of the doubt. Haven't we all acted ugly at some point and known that was in no way a representation of who we really are?

So, Psycho Man, wherever you are...I hope everything gets better in your life. I hope you quit taking out your aggression on everyone else in the process.

And, thanks. Thank you for reminding me to treat people with kindness...no matter what. I don't ever want to make anyone feel the way you made me feel yesterday.

UPDATE: The guy's supervisor just came by and told me that the scary man was very sorry and realized he was in the wrong. He told me that I wouldn't have any trouble with him in the future. He told me that the guy was having a bad day and came here in a bad mood. "We all come off ways we don't mean to sometimes," I replied. *relief*