Goodbye Blockbuster, hello TAC
So, tonight was my last night at Blockbuster. I'm going to miss that place, no matter how hard Mitch laughs at me for liking it. I learned a whole lot that I never expected to. For instance, I learned that I am a good salesperson. Register #1, baby! Go me...we're not mentioning that I sell passes because I flirt. I sell tons of passes to women, so it can't be just that. Yes, straight women *glare*And North Hills taught me to live with weird senseless rules and wonderful-unless-you're-in-their-power people, so I can handle my boss just fine. She's great as long as you aren't a manager...
But the best of all were the customers. I met some of the most interesting people ever. Just tonight, I heard someone talking about their bootleg copy of "The Passion of the Christ". Ironic? A little? Also tonight was a customer who repeated every single thing I said...in song. I have no clue why. I think he was just goofy, because he was sane and sober.
Farther back, there was the guy who left his wallet as security for a phone book so he could take it outside. When he didn't come back for an hour and a half I thought maybe it was a fake wallet...but no, it had money, credit cards, a license, a picture of his girlfriend, and yes, folks, a Blockbuster card. When he came back to get it he didn't even open it to verify the contents...
Also, we have a drawer full of lost things. There are 5 drivers liscenses in there,and a whole ton of state ID cards. Don't they miss those?
Then there was the guy who told me, completely seriously, "I like paying late fees". This man had paid us over 60 dollars that month, when he could have spent only 15.
I also learned, as my father warns me, that negative attention from guys is much worse when you're working at a store than when you're just walking down the street or riding a bus or whatever. Just because I work at a store and have to smile at you doesn't mean I'm a peice of meat, you sicko. The way some guys looked at me made me physically ill.
But the lechers and the customers who like to blame you for everything going wrong in their life are a minority. So many nice people knew me well by the end of the summer. The adorbale indian couple, the nice European man, the UPS/Jason's Deli dude, all of our lovely pass customers that we see all the time, and the few holdouts on the pass that we argue with every time they come in. I see people at Walmart and think "I know your name and what you rent. Muahaha!" It's fun! And people are just so darn nice, and have SUCH cute children.
Working there did leave it's mark on me, though. There are a number of movie titles that I will never, ever forget, whether or not I ever saw them. I will probably jump in surprise every time I see a rental copy of PS2-Spiderman 2 or the Bourne Identity. I may never stop straightening random shelves when I walk by them...no matter where I am. ask Mary. I straightened Barnes and Noble. Also, I have a dent in my hand now from catching keys thrown at me. And wow, catching keys hurts!
And, my friends, let me just tell you. Don't ever stick a movie down your pants. You can't sneak it out that way. We do have sensors, and you look like a complete and utter moron pulling a movie out of your underwear. It's not worth it! Not to mention we call the police. You don't want it on your permanent record that you tried to walk out of Blockbuster with a movie stuffed in your drawers, do you? I mean, that's lame.
I also learned to tell the drug users from the clean ones. It's crazy how easy it is. I can just tell now, though I don't know why it even matters. Don't do drugs, it makes Blockbuster employees know you do drugs! Um, yeah! Ha!...
Anyway, I now have 4 months off from Blockbuster, and I will both miss it and not. I will miss everyone that was nice to me, and not miss the stupid top shelf that I couldn't reach.
posted by Noli at 11:59 PM
