ITAS(CP)D

The elevator was down. A woman leaned against the wall, bitching. An old woman looked mortified. A fellow, also in a power chair came in and we told him, in unison, that the elevator was broken down. Joe had gone down the stairs to check to see if it was simply stuck. He came up saying that it wasn't just stuck, it was broken. The fellow who'd come in said to Joe, as if Joe worked for him, 'You need to go upstairs and tell them at the desk that the elevator is broken down.'

I was taken aback at the fact that he felt that Joe was there to be ordered about. Joe just nodded and headed up the stairs, when he got to the top, the fellow boomed out 'And that they need to open the door to the alternate entrance', Joe turned and nodded. I then called out 'Please.'

The fellow looked at me perturbed by my intrusion. He had come in later and didn't realize that Joe was with me but that wasn't the issue. Even if he had known, people don't need to be ordered about, manners are manners and everyone needs to be treated respectfully. He started to say something in protest and I just raised my finger, no not that one, to indicate that if he continued this was going to become an issue. I'm good at the finger raising thing, I learned from the best growing up.

He sputtered and then muttered, 'OK, please ... hope that makes you happy.'

I didn't say anything but it did.

Years ago a mother said to me about the folks who worked at caring for her daughter, 'They don't get much in pay so they should get lots in thanks.'

Which reminds me ... today is International Thank A Staff (Care Provider) Day!

So do that would you please.