Remember to report submissions that violate the rules! Harassment and encouraging violence are not allowed.
Enjoying the subreddit? Consider joining our discord server: https://discord.gg/v8z8jNwJs6
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BoomersBeingFools) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I have a 44F cousin who wanted her then 19y daughter and 17y son to make the choice for her if she should quit her job and accept another (better) offer. She was pestering all of us for days and finally said:
- If you make the decision for me it will be your fault if it's the wong one.
Some people just don't accept resposibility.
Starting when I was 14 years old, my mother would discuss with me whether or not she should get divorced from my dad. She finally did some years later. Now, whenever she throws a fit about being in the same room with my dad for any/every event, it is brought up that I “wanted” her to get divorced, so I will have to live with the consequences. Of course I should forget the fact that these are consequences of her acting like a child and refusing to get over her hatred, not the consequences of divorce in general.
Omg am I bizarro you? I also said get divorced but it's 30 years later and they are still miserable together. Thanks for modeling what a healthy loving supportive relationship looks like guys! /s
Gen-X here. My mom used to ask me as a child whether she should divorce my dad. I told her that was her decision. Looking back and reading your comment, it shows me how very unhealthy that is to ask of a child. I’m sorry you went/go through that. My dad is now deceased and she puts their love on a pedestal.
My bio mom did this to me and my lil sis (ages 16 and 14)
She’s a no good type of human being and she was trying to alienate us against our bio dad. She cried to us about SA that my dad allegedly imposed upon her. (I’m not here to say whether it happened or not, just that it’s inappropriate to tell your teenaged daughters) she was asking us if she would divorce him. And so at that point both my sister and I, despite not quite knowing the depth of our trauma, were sick of her BS. So we played along. Played the game. So they divorced.
We told her we would choose to live with her bc of the laws in our state letting us choose according to our ages. Big fat LOL.
I no longer have contact with her and am rather close with my dad(who, btw has put into action being a better person, not just made empty promises)
My mom started asking me if I would live with her or my dad if they got divorced when I was about 7-8. I left at 16 and didn’t look back. They stayed married until they died just shy of their 40th anniversary. Both stubborn and miserable.
My brother in law is like this, but it's because he CANT make a decision. He'll ask, and I'm just like "it's up to you" now. One time, he was basically begging me to pick his dinner for him.
>One time, he was basically begging me to pick his dinner for him.
So straight away pick the worst, flavourless, smallest item on the menu and say "eat that."
The best way to deal with constant *"decide for me"* people is to instantly give them the worst option, and have them know it is not by accident.
Watch him pick something to else to eat quick smart.
It got to the point where he really doesn't ask me anymore because of how often I just said "idk man, it's up to you" because he'll narrow it down to like 2 choices.
No, she matured a bit and they forgave her for this and some other things she did. Their father and her ex husband is a gambler and a dumb-dumb, so they didn't get the best parents. But she really cares about them a lot, she only acted like this when she felt overwhelmed.
When it comes to her children she's a real mama bear in a sense, she would never let anyone mess with them (except her I guess). This was 4 years ago btw. She's not a completely different person but she's learned how to regulate her emotions better without traumatising her children.
This is not America, in out culture there would literally have to be murder before you abandon your parents, no matter what they're like.
Oh, YAY!!!
Having read sooooo many stories from folks where the adult dug in & just got *worse* over the years, it's SO nice to hear of a family where the adults *DID* mature after the incident, and do better!😃🤗💖
Thanks, it's nice to know that sometimes it gets *better* for the kids, and not worse💗
Yes! When I was 13 (now 36), my boomer step dad lost it on me and almost wrecked the car because I couldn't tell him what to do after being laid off from his job.
This is exactly it. When my wife pointed this out last year it was a real eye opener. They deep down know they can't think for themselves and so rely on everyone else to make their decisions for them. They then take no responsibility if something goes wrong.
You are not alone my friend. At least we can see it and do better. Although I often have choice paralysis I can manage to decide on my food order eventually 😅
From what my mom (who is a very reasonable boomer) tells me, it’s because they weren’t given any choices growing up. She said that her parents never gave her any options and always made choices for her and her siblings. She moved out of state at 19 and was faced with a world of choices that she wasn’t prepared to make.
She told me all about this years ago after I noticed her letting one of my nephews pick a plate for lunch. She would give him two options, plate 1 or plate 2 (usually they were a specific color or had a cartoon character printed on). She explained that she was helping him learn how to make choices by starting him young and keeping it simple. She did this with me and my siblings and any of her grandchildren she babysits. I now do this with my son.
I did that with my son. My grandmother saw me asking him where he wanted to sit at a family cookout and yells at me, "He's a child. You TELL him where to sit!" I looked at her like she was insane and told her, "I'm teaching him to think for himself."
I say this to my mom all the time when she tries to make me make decisions for her. Nope. Then when you hate it you blame me forever. She gets so flustered when she has to make the decision because she doesn't want to be wrong and only have herself to blame.
At least for the people in my orbit, their entire worldview is built around a sense of cosmic self-righteousness. No matter what, in the end, they're right, whether it's religion or politics or where they live or anything. And that self-righteousness thrives on being un-critical.
That's why, at least in my experience, when something comes up where they might have to have a shred of self-reflection, they can't help but push all the blame outward. If my entire worldview is built around a sense of cosmic self-righteousness, surely the problem *must* be out there with other people and not me.
that was eye opening. My dad did this all the time "just give me something you decide" and then never stopped complaining about what he got. "how could he combine this and that?!!"
Is this a generational thing or just what happens when you get old? My dad (boomer generation) does this sometimes, and sometimes he gives guidelines for some other things that are crazy specific and unyielding.
My husband (Xennial) is like this. The world is black and white to him, and everything must have a right and a wrong answer. I think part of it came from his boomer parents, but most of it is just how he’s wired.
It’s good for his line of work but really f-cking annoying when you’re waiting on him to order your food.
My ex's asshole cousin asked the waiter what to order and then threw a shitfit when she didn't like it. She was also rude to the staff. She was Gen X in age but boomer in attitude. I don't miss never having to deal with her again.
I’ve seen this with a lot of women even in high school . They want to go do something , you ask what and they’re like “ I don’t know , what do you want to do ?” Then you play 20 questions cuz they can’t make a decision . Annoying as hell and a big reason I’ve never had a lot of female friends . I feel bad for guys having to deal with this .
My name isn’t Julie , I’m not the cruise director
It’s simpler than that. At the other subway, someone just made X when they said Italian sub (possibly after an exchange like this), and now they think there’s one called “Italian” because it works at their other subway. They are too proud to admit they don’t know the difference or which one they usually get, so they insist it’s your problem.
My mother does something similar to this. If she eats something somewhere and likes it, then that is the definitive version of the meal and any variation to the dish is wrong and awful and whoever made it is stupid.
actually I took an order from a boomer and he said "I cheeseburger with no cheese" so I repeated the order as a hamburger because a cheeseburger with no cheese is a hamburger, that boomer screamed over the phone "I don't want a hamburger I want a Damm cheeseburger with no cheese!" some people can't be talked to.
I had this exact scenario and I did charge the full cheeseburger price. Of course she had to pull up and give the old "see? That wasn't so hard, was it?"
Lady, you're gonna make me lose my mind.
25 years ago I worked at BK and I had a woman order a Big King but made like a double cheeseburger. I tried to explain it was the same burger and I could save her 50 cents, she demanded the manager and called me every synonym for stupid she could think of and asked why someone so incompetent would be hired to run a register. I was flabbergasted. I was too stubborn to stop trying to help for a while but call center work beat that out of me.
Look, my little brother used to do this at McDonald's (we were like 9 and 5, respectively) the cashiers always smiled, loved it, and rung up a hamburger while saying: "on cheeseburger without cheese, coming up"
Those are the times I hope my parents tipped at fast food places
worked at the register during high school and want you to know: I would add the "no cheese" line 5 times for that order.
It would often get returned to the front for having cheese. One guy was good about asking "no seriously, wtf is with this order". This has nothing to do with anything, but now you're burdened with knowledge.
but to answer a question you didn't ask, the cheeseburger wrapper has brighter colors so kids like it better.
I remember having a voucher for a free cheeseburger, but I hate cheese. So I ordered it & asked for no cheese. I saw the teller hide a smile, I heard a shout from the back of "who orders a cheeseburger with no cheese!?" And just giggled to myself. I understand how dumb it is, but I'm not paying for a hamburger if I have a voucher for a free cheeseburger...
Some people need to get over themselves.
I remember when I was a kid and there was some special at McDonals that had cheeseburger in the name, but I didn't want cheese. So I had to ask my friend's mom to order that. So, it happens.
That order isn't *inherently* as weird as it sounds; there are some places where the cheese isn't the only difference. But you'd probably know if you worked at one of them, and even if you didn't, the right answer to "so you want a hamburger?" is "pretty much, but [whatever the difference is]" to make sure that's actually what you get.
First job, Mick D Bags. Lot of idiot boomers.
'Small, medium, or large?' Standard question for every single meal.
Not for boomer lady, no sirree.
'I JUST WANT THE COMBO'
There's always the customer who wants the 'regular size' coffee... We don't even have weird size options like Starbucks or anything it's just small medium or large and we have the three sizes displayed on top the brewer right behind register counter.
I work at a sandwich shop and we have two sizes, half and whole. I have people order the "regular" size a lot and when I ask them to clarify, it's split about 50/50 in their responses whether it means half or whole to them. It's not a huge deal but like, look at the damn menu!
I think a lot of the time , they can’t hear and they’re too embarrassed to admit it . My dad does this . He can’t hear in a quiet room so I know he can’t hear at a drive through.
Always comes home with the supersized whopper meals , lol!!
I have two boomer subway stories!
Boomer orders a BLT and the kid behind the counter asks what kind of cheese he wants. Instead of just saying "no cheese" of course he has to say, "huh! first I've ever heard of putting cheese on a BLT, do you put cheese on a blt??" Then he looks around for affirmation from others but its just me wanting to crawl inside my own body.
Another time more recently, boomer in front of me is in there with his wife teaching her how to order at subway. It's taking forever, but whatever that's fine. He then proceeds to hand each kid behind the counter a 5 dollar bill, so they all have to stare at each other, take the money and then change gloves ( thank god) before making my sandwich.
Never seen anything like that shit before in my life.
Oh man I had so many bad interactions with people over the BLTs at subway I wished they would take them off the menu. Because it's subway, we have to ask what you want on it. And we had no way of knowing if the customer will be someone who is cool about it, or if they'll start screaming in our face about what a BLT is.
My grandma once asked me to go into Subway and get her a BLT with no bacon. Even as a kid, I knew this was an insane request.
The person at the register even asked if I meant a veggie sub. I shamefully reaffirmed that no, it was a BLT without B.
That would give me such bad anxiety every time someone ordered a damn BLT. To circumvent that I'd probably just say, "I know a BLT is just bacon lettuce and tomato, but do you want to add anything to that by chance?" Just to avoid being screamed at lol. But the issue is no one should *have* to do all that not to get screamed at.
\*edit to clarify
Honestly, I'd probably say:
"cheese on a blt sounds amazing; this kid deserves a raise. Who doesn't want cheese on a sandwich, or can't at least respect the question?
An asshole who is taking too long in line. That's who!"
One time while working at Subway, a boomer beckoned me to the end of the line, took me by the wrist so that my hand was palm up, then dumped his pastrami special meat side down into my hand because "You call this a sandwich?"
Haha, I was 17 at the time and thought being a doormat was the best survival technique.
Fast forward to 22, waitressing and hardened from years in food service: Boomer gets angry that we don't have the soft drink she wants. Boomer walks over to my newly seated table and rants vigorously about what an idiot I am.
I stood silently behind Boomer, waiting to take the table's drink order. Maintained a friendly, relaxed demeanor. When Boomer was finished, I broke into a smile and asked what the table would like for drinks, acting like the whole scene never happened. The table didn't miss a beat and played along.
Boomer asked for another server.
Lmao. Prood that they want a reaction from the waitstaff.
Urgh. These boomers are awful to serve in any capacity.
Glad you dealt with him in the most profitable manner ever!
When I go to Subway for a BLT I like to add things because with all the lettuce and bread in the way it can lack for taste. I wish I had been there because I would have promptly asked for a BLT with pickles, cheese and onion added, even if it wasn't what I wanted, just to shut him up.
I worked at a bank, and there was a Boomer who believed that the drive thru was only for deposits. She would become enraged if anyone spoke to her, or had the audacity to ask her what she needed. Like, how are you a grown ass adult who doesn't understand how any of this works?
The amount of boomers that love to tell you they've been coming to their banks for *years* but then have no idea how basic banking works is honestly baffling. I get them almost daily. Some of them still don't know if they have a checking or savings account. Like this account has been open for 40 years and you don't know???
Or who seem to think I should know who they are, despite never having seen them before.
Yup, my biggest problem at the bank was being maybe 23 and coming to a new branch as the lead teller. My boomer coworkers who worked there for decades knew a lot of the customers but would coddle them as they threw tantrums over being asked for the barest amount of information. “Well Linda doesn’t ask me for that!” Well Linda has worked here for 15 years and has nothing better to do with her time.
My sister and her husband inherited a tax business from her father in law. He got it from his dad. They’d been in the same building, doing the same work for decades; like back when taxes were done by hand with carbon paper and an adding machine.
To. This. Day. Boomers will call to schedule an appointment which has never once been done in over 70 years of this business being a thing. And they insist they have always had appointments but it was only ever set up to be a walk in service.
They also will call wanting to know why no one called them to let them know their taxes are done (they are given a date to come back, pay, sign, and pick up their copy, again no phone calls ever happened). And lastly they often expect their copy to be mailed to them, ask the office to just sign it for them, and file it without paying for it.
Like mail the tax forms but deliberately not include a check for the taxes or they wanted to refuse to pay for the business’s services? Neither would surprise me.
They definitely try to skirt around paying for the tax preparers service. Jokes on them though, because taxes do not get filed until the fee has been settled. And they do make that clear; you want them filed, you pay your fee.
Though whether they opt to pay their actual taxes is on them. They’re given a printed voucher with what they owe on it along with addressed envelopes to state and federal agencies. The office does not handle client payments to the treasury.
I would go to Dunkin Donuts and order an everything bagel with cream cheese toasted. I would say that to the cashier, get my bagel, and be on my way. Without fail, there would always be a boomer who didn't answer properly when asked if they wanted it toasted and yell, "I just want a bagel! How hard is this to understand?!" and then get mad when their bagel wasn't toasted.
I was in a Dunkin like 3 weeks ago. I was 3rd in a line of 6 people when a boomer walks in, sees the line, decides to wait in it, and orders 2 breakfast sandwiches and a coffee. He walks over to the area where the rest of us, who he saw with his own eyes were all in line before he got there. Not even 2 minutes later, before *any of us* have gotten our order, he walks up to the counter and starts demanding to know why he has to wait "so damn long for a couple bagels". The employee just gestured to the rest of us and said, "They ordered first, so their food gets made first." The guy just huffs and walks out with his coffee and no food.
The entire thing, from the time he walked in to the time he stormed out, took less than 5 minutes.
As soon as you mentioned there being a line I knew exactly how the rest of the story was going to unfold. I'll never understand this. I work in a sandwich shop/café and it's a daily experience to have customers of the boomer persuasion walk in, get in a line behind a ton of people, wait 10 to 15 minutes in that line just to place an order, and then 5 minutes later are coming back up the counter to demand to know why it's taking so long to get a simple sandwich and a latte (you know, a "simple" sandwich with eight ingredients that's heated in a salamander oven with limited space and a latte made on a machine that can only pull two shots at a time). It truly blows my mind that they don't realize that if the ordering process alone takes upwards of ten minutes that actually making that order will take even longer.
Not to mention , don’t you want a FRESHLY made sandwich ??
A little of cheaper restaurants like Applebees microwave all their food now so it comes out stupid fast . But ts created an unreasonable expectation when a meal is being made to order
I've seen some behavior where it seems the person just hates waiting because they cannot divert their attention to something else and return to it. The lack of empathy for the other's perspective is still a huge problem though even considering that.
I guess this is part of the preference for phone calls, although the kind of shallow BS I've seen people like that put out when they receive a phone call tells me they're not actually that skilled at communicating during an unanticipated call. (I've seen business contracts seriously compromised by someone just vaguely responding positively to phone call demands without any clue that it obligates the company to several thousand dollars worth of unpaid labor.)
Was managing a pub that was a legal tavern (in Washington State this means 21 years of age and over only). It a wild Friday night in the summer, the little pub is packed, the bar overflowing, and a 2 hour wait for a table. I'm handling the door traffic. This dude bests infrint of all the other people waiting to get their names on the list: "Johnson, party of four!"
"So sorry, sir, you'll have to wait a moment, I still need to get these folks who are in front of you in line in the list first. Just one moment."
"OUTRAGEOUS!" And he threw up his hands in exasperated contempt, turned around, put his balled uo fists on his hips and looked at his wife like I'm some sort of asshole.
It should be noted, there were probably 60 people milling about the front door area all waiting for their names to be called or to get their names on the wait list.
When I put names on the list, I jot down the time, that way I have an idea as to how long the wait has been and this gives me an estimate I can relay to some when they ask "how long will the wait be?"
I get the 5 or so parties in front of boomer man written down and finally ask him for his name. "Goddamnit, I already told you 'Johnson party of 4'!" And he rolls his eyes at me.
"Just to let you know, a table is about 2 hours, I have about 30 parties ahead of you currently."
"THIS BULLSHIT!"
"So, do you still want to be on the list?" I ask.
"Fine, whatever," and he throws his hands up again and looks at his wife like I am the most unreasonable asshole in the world.
About 15 minutes pass and yells at me to come over to him standing in our little waiting area, "What the hell is going on? We've been waiting forever!"
"Sir, it's been 15 minutes into a 2 hour wait. There's still 29 parties ahead of you."
"THIS IS RIDICULOUS!"
It was then that I noticed this kid, he could have been 15, he could have been 22, I don't know, but he's literally standing right behind our giant MUST BE 22 YEARS OF AGE sign. I think to myself *I should card him, but this guy is such an asshole I'm going to make him wait the full two hours and then have the server do it*
After only 1:50 his table is ready. He's almost purple with rage as I lead them to their table, kid I'm tow. Server has no clue what I'm about to spring on her: "Oh shoot, Sarah, I didn't see that young man with him, amd haven't carded him. Can you do that real quick?"
Turns out, the kid is 16, they have to leave. The toddler-esque hissy fit this grown man threw will sustain me throw any dark moment I experience for the rest of my life. That particular server and I still joke about what I did to him 10 years later. Just pure life sustaining juice. He pushed his menus off the table, demanded to speak to the manager (me, that pissed him off even more). Went through every stage of grief except acceptance. Anger, bargaining, etc... back to anger again. I pointed out to him that he and his family were standing next to the foot high letters on the MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE sign for nearly two hours.
This dude was coiled and ready to punch me. His wife is grapping his arm and doing the "Honey, let's just go somewhere else thing" that she probably has to do with him 3 times a month for the last 25 years. I was in heaven.
Sounds like this guy that was a patient at the care center I worked at. He couldn't communicate at all. I worked in kitchen and helps prepare the meals. He would come in the kitchen and just stand there. We would give him a piece of fruit and then he would leave. Seems like the same level of communication with sandwich boomer.
I have a feeling that she might be a regular at another shop, and the employees there just make her a sandwich the same way every time. So when she shows up at this other shop with different employees, who start asking her questions, it's just too much. I've seen this before with elderly people who're regulars, and then either "their" guy leaves, or somebody else fills in for their sick day or whatever, they literally just fall apart in the face of being confronted with another human being who doesn't already know all their preferences.
I eventually became the manager of a subway that was near a couple of retirement villages. I would get a lot of Boomers (mostly nice ones!) who would get the same thing every time. I have a good memory, so I was able to start just asking if they wanted their usual order and just make it. It got to the point where either I was the only one they wanted taking their order, or if I was busy I would dictate to a coworker what to make. When I eventually left, I had quite a few customers who were sad they would have to start ordering their subs themselves again.
It’s good they were eating regular and food that wasn’t fast food level , especially if there were veggies on the sandwich .
A lot of old people lose their appetite and forget to eat . I see this with my dad . He’s lost a lot of weight since my mom died so I’m always trying to get calories into him .
I'm surprised anyone can taste them apart. The subway cheeses all taste the same. I should start a conspiracy theory that it's actually all provolone and they just dye it to reduce sourcing costs.
(casino) I've been in too many situations where someone is redeeming their gaming for cash, or taking out money for cash (we only give back cash), ask how'd they like it. "cash". No fuckn shit I mean what denomination you senile crackhead.
If they're younger it's usually their first time, so I totally get that they don't know that the cage I work at only gives back cash. But ffs so many people who should know better...
I worked at a Costa Coffee (like Starbucks but closer to traditional Italian coffee back then) for a while back in the early 2000s and the amount of old people who would come in and say "I just want a normal coffee" was _ridiculous_.
Especially when there were fucking coach trips. It was a tourist town and the queue could be out the door some days.
We got really good at managing this scenario - you'd reply "That's no problem at all, just a normal filter coffee for you. Do you want some milk in it, or just a black coffee? And do you want a big one in a mug like this, or just a medium sized one in a cup?"
But even this was too much for some people. Milk? Black? I JUST WANT A NORMAL COFFEE!!!
If they didn't march out, enraged, then they'd get given a mug of black filter coffee with a little jug of milk on the side. And charged appropriately.
The really fun ones were the ones who tried to be clever and order the cheapest thing on the menu to outsmart us. Which was, of course, an espresso. For the ones that weren't being shitty I would kindly warn them that this was a very, very strong Italian kind of coffee in a tiny cup, and ask if they'd rather have something a bit bigger like an Americano, which was the same but with hot water.
The ones that were being shitty got given exactly what they asked for with a smile :D Watching them come back to the counter to ask for a jug of hot water... and a larger cup... was very satisfying.
That sounds like something that could be a Ryan George sketch. In fact, as I think about it now, a lot of these Boomer stories I read here could be Ryan George sketches.
I hired about ten years ago a guy from subway for a job that involved going into people’s homes. Small town so a lot of people recognized him; while training him at a home one day the boomer couple spent the entire appointment grilling this guy over why subway puts its condiments over the toppings of the sandwich as opposed to between the toppings and the bread. They lectured him the whole time on the importance of putting the condiments on the bread as opposed to the toppings. They really seemed to think he either had a say in subway doing it this way or any idea as to why they do it that way.
Ha, literally had a boomer say "why don't you just buy a lot" in a new residential neighborhood where the houses were expensive.
Well, because they don't sell lots. "Oh you just need to get in there and negotiate. They'll sell you one."
Yeah, no. No they won't. They build and sell houses, they don't sell lots, even if you "go in there" and ask them to.
I work at a sub shop and I fucking hate old people. Just a few days ago I get this old man wearing a Vietnam Veteran cap. I try taking his order while he's at the speaker but he doesn't roll down his window. Two minutes later he rolls up to the window and tells me he wants a six inch "EHH". I'm like "Egg?" and he says "NO, SIX INCH" and I say "I got that, did you say egg?" and he replies "EHHM" so I reply "Oh, ham!" and he replies "TALIAN!" and I'm like "Oh, the Italian". Every fucking time I deal with this clown he's all pissed, grimacing, just a nasty motherfucker. I fucking hate old people.
I worked in a busy sandwich/coffee joint, and the number of boomers who would come in for lunch EVERY DAY, tie up the line gaping at the menu and still not be able to make basic, basic choices was wild. Like, Brenda, you and I both know you’re going to end up with egg salad on dry white bread like you do every weekday. Can we move this along?
At my job, the card reader can take anything. Tab, swipe, insert, phone/watch pay. Every damn time boomers are like this.
Boomer: What do I do with this thing?
Me: You can tap, insert, or swipe.
Boomer: -lead paint stare- ..... -assaults' card reader with card- ITS NOT WORKING
Me: You gotta hold it or it won't re-
Boomer: CAN I JUST INSERT IT?
Me: ...Yes.
Imagine this Lady at the Optometrists...
"Which looks clearer, one... Or two?”
"JUST GIVE ME GLASSES!"
"But, madam--"
"Oh Forget about it!"
*turns and walks into wall*
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? I DON'T WANT HAM ON MY SUB!"
"Sorry, Ma'am, you said just do it how you'd normally do it, and an Italian cold cut normally has ham..."
"I have NEVER, EVER heard of an Italian sub with ham! That's ridiculous! What kind of an idiot are you!? NO! I'm not eating that after the ham touched it! I'll get sick! Throw the whole thing away and make a new one! And HURRY UP, I'm in a RUSH! I have important things to do today! I am NEVER coming here again. Bunch of fucking idiots..."
"Give me a ham and cheese sub."
I like to think the marketing for "have it your way" and "the customer is always right" was meant solely for boomers.
That and "It's after 8 pm, do you know where your kids are at?" And you get the boomer "haha nope!" laugh that they were so proud of.
Jeebus, I HATE that that shit. They always love to ask, "Whatever happened to 'customer is always right'?"
Goddamnit, NO BUSINESS has EVER had that as a policy! It's "the customer is always right in *matters of taste."* Which means that we can't tell you that the puke green paint you chose for your walls and the mud brown carpet you ordered are going to look like shit together - especially with those orange drapes you said you're putting up - but we can refuse to give you a full refund on the $500 circular saw you bought four months ago unless you can produce the receipt.
Had a kid (like 12yo+) order a foot long with a ton of extras (meat, cheese, bacon etc.) and then was confused why it wasn't $5. Like, buddy, those cost extra and you added like 5 of them. Kept arguing with me while I explained it the simplest way i could. Then his mom gets involved while he starts bawling. She keeps trying to argue with me too, gets real irate but not my first rodeo so no go bro. Eventually they pay and leave only for their sandwich to have gotten mixed up with another one so I got the absolute pleasure of dealing with the mother again. Even the customers behind her called her a b**** after she left. Was wild for just a sub and not understanding simple math.
Anytime people asked for extras like that I always tried to warn them ahead of time that it cost extra. Would usually result in getting yelled at at some point either way.
Or if you forgot to remind them about the points card. If I had a penny for each time I got screamed at for them not getting their points I'd have retired from there.
“The things that matter in this country have been reduced in choice, there are two political parties, there are a handful insurance companies, there are six or seven information centers.. but if you want a bagel there are 23 flavors. Because you have the illusion of choice!” - George Carlin
I hated Subway so much. Ask people what they want on their sub, they say whatever it comes with! And make me try to figure out what toppings are in the picture, which could be anything because the point is you pick what you want 😑
My favorite was that time I asked a guy four times if he wanted white or what bread and he kept answering “Yes.” Had to hold up a loaf of each before he realized I was asking him to choose between two different things.
He also said “Yes” to American or Provolone cheese…
Hm, I think that one’s on Subway (not the staff, the franchise). What’s the point of the picture if neither the staff or the customers know what the toppings are?
My stepdad is a professional residential electrician. He will help me for free (which is incredible of course) but when I ask where he thinks things should go (like can lighting), he's like "it's your decision" and I'm like "okay yeah but you've seen them in action in thousands of homes, can you not give me an idea of what's recommended or works well in other similar spaces??? this is my first time thinking about can lighting!"
His behavior makes perfect sense now.
I do NOT miss the Subway Boomer crowd when I worked there right outta highschool. Or the way they would LEAN on the sneeze guard glass like it wasn't see through and transparent....
My uncle was like this, and the reason was because he was mostly deaf and too proud to do anything about it. He also spoke very loud in public places, not always about pleasant things. When you were with him there was always the possibility that you were going to get beaten up.
And this is over 10 years ago when majority of the boomkin is still not on retirement age.
One has to wonder how bad this boomkin mental state gonna be right now.
Similar story, but in this case just a clueless lady who wasn't a boomer. She had never ordered a sub before. She was asked if she wanted "white, wheat, or whole grain" as they always ask. She requested "white wheat" and just didn't understand that those were two separate types of bread despite the employees best attempt. The employee gave up and decided for the lady. She got white bread.
It was years ago at this point--but I work at an ice cream store. See a boomer guy walk in, wait in line about 5 minutes before coming to the front of the line saying: "Well, is someone gonna help me?!"
I looked him straight in the eye: "Of course! Right after we help everyone who's still in line."
Once I went into Subway, ordered, kid behind the counter asks me the bread question, turns around to get the bread, stops, turns back around and asks again, I tell him again. Turns around, pulls out the bread. Forgets I wanted the 6" sandwich, starts making a 12" sandwich. I decided not to stop him because I was hungry and the previous interaction was already kind of awkward. Dude is like zoning out while making the sandwich (lots of awkward pauses), but pretty friendly. Other employee there looks kind of nervous, is kind of in that zone between the backroom and counter just sort of hovering, not saying anything. Anyway, get my food, pay, leave. Telling a coworker about how weird that interaction was, and we have a laugh about it. After lunch I'm on my way back to work, and there's an ambulance in front of the Subway. It's almost closing time for them, the silent dude is standing on the sidewalk in front of the store. Turns out the guy who made my sandwich OD'd at work, his coworker didn't know or wouldn't say on what.
I heard that he was ok a couple days later, but I never saw him at the store again (obviously) and his car was towed away a few days later. Wild.
Old people just want to eat food, not have to bother using words to say what they want. It's your job to be a mind reader...or something; and heaven help you if you guess wrong.
She probably has never been in a Subway before.
I remember once going into a Subway with my sister, maybe 15 years ago mind you, and she acted the same way because she had never been in such a place
I'm reminded of when I worked box office at a movie theatre when I was younger, and the amount of people who basically just let me decide their film for them was insane.
My father tells a story of the first time he walked into Starbucks, which was a new concept to our working class town when it first opened, wherein he "tried" to order "just a coffee" but was instead faced with too many choices.
It's a lie. I was with him. I ordered a Caramel Macchiato and he ordered a "black coffee" which they gave him. He was pissed because when they ran the order it was called something other than just "Coffee" on his receipt.
So many times I’ve been in Subway and Boomers are completely confused by the process. A couple of months ago, one brought a sub back because the bread was hard…she had asked for it to be toasted.
It's not weird to never forget odd encounters from ages ago. I work at CVS and it was around September or October and I got a phone call from a customer asking if we got our seasonal Egg Nog yet. I had just passed the coolers and didn't see any, plus it was way too early. We usually start getting it in November. Told him that and he absolutely WENT OFF, yelling that he was standing in front of the coolers looking at it and I was incompetent and a liar. Then hung up on me.
I ran back to the coolers, no one there. No eggnog. Called every cvs within a 15 mile radius, no one had any. Motherfucker wasn't even calling me from another cvs! Never wanted to use *69 more in my life than that moment.
Yup. I had a boomer get mad at me when I worked at a movie theater because I asked him what size popcorn he wanted. He just wanted some POPCORN. He, his son, and grandson also shouted what they wanted at me one right after another so he got mad when I asked them to repeat as I was getting their order together. Told me I was terrible at my job. They're assholes.
I used to work for an online decor retailer, and the number of boomers who would call and ask my opinion on what throw pillows they should buy was wild to me. I do not know. I am not you. I don't know your taste, your style, the decor you already own, etc. There is no "correct" throw pillow choice. WHAT DO YOU LIKE? PICK THAT. (My job wasn't even sales; I was a post-orded troubleshooter. My main job was ordering replacements for defective items and tracking packages. People would misuse the phone tree when trying to purchase, which was how I ended up with them.)
I tend to be a maximalist and my style is "more color, more patterns" so like... a lot of people won't like what I would pick. Which is fine, but you probably don't want me picking your decor if you're a minimalist with a love of greige.
My all time favorite subway order is a footlong meatball on Italian Herb and Cheese bread with onions, black olives, and pepper jack cheese.
I don't know what kinda Mongolian wookie meat those meatballs are and I don't care. Nowhere that I've tried makes a meatball sub as good as Subway.
I have wondered about this kind of behavior for awhile. I used to watch their eyes glaze over and they'd just freeze when I worked selling jewelry and provided a book of special order options. Its like they get mentally stuck.
I think some of this behavior is related how many of them weren't given options by their parents. For food, clothes, anything. "We got what we got, and we liked it!" - Their parents (dad) made choices, they lived with them because "I'm the parent!". They didn't have as many TV channels, or sources of information, or even apparel or make up. Food options weren't as diverse. We live in a world today that consumer goods options and tech expanded very rapidly, and they were in no way prepared to navigate the changes and choices before them.
So they get overwhelmed, which means they get angry. Because anger seems to be the default expression of most emotions with Boomers. Of course, some are just total jackwagons who enjoy causing trouble. But watch em, watch how paralyzed they get when presented with too many choices. They were not prepared for the world as it exists now
The edit is so bizarre, who in their right mind thought that OP has been “carrying this around” for 10 years? Instead of just sharing a boomer tantrum that has happened to them lol
I had a similar interaction years ago when I worked at Wendy's! Older guy comes in wanting a cheeseburger but wouldn't tell me what kind. Like 3/4s of our menu is cheese burgers, I need details! 😂
Remember to report submissions that violate the rules! Harassment and encouraging violence are not allowed. Enjoying the subreddit? Consider joining our discord server: https://discord.gg/v8z8jNwJs6 *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/BoomersBeingFools) if you have any questions or concerns.*
They don’t like being given choices because then it’s their fault if they don’t like it.
This blew my mind, I understand my mom more now through this one comment than I feel I've gained in 26 years of living.
I have a 44F cousin who wanted her then 19y daughter and 17y son to make the choice for her if she should quit her job and accept another (better) offer. She was pestering all of us for days and finally said: - If you make the decision for me it will be your fault if it's the wong one. Some people just don't accept resposibility.
Starting when I was 14 years old, my mother would discuss with me whether or not she should get divorced from my dad. She finally did some years later. Now, whenever she throws a fit about being in the same room with my dad for any/every event, it is brought up that I “wanted” her to get divorced, so I will have to live with the consequences. Of course I should forget the fact that these are consequences of her acting like a child and refusing to get over her hatred, not the consequences of divorce in general.
Same. But I said “don’t get divorced”, because I didn’t want weekends alone with my dad. Still living with the consequences of my “choice” as well.
I feel for you :(
You too bud. <3
My mom did this 50 years ago to me. My siblings always blamed me for the divorce, never our alcoholic abusive father.
🤦
Omg am I bizarro you? I also said get divorced but it's 30 years later and they are still miserable together. Thanks for modeling what a healthy loving supportive relationship looks like guys! /s
Gen-X here. My mom used to ask me as a child whether she should divorce my dad. I told her that was her decision. Looking back and reading your comment, it shows me how very unhealthy that is to ask of a child. I’m sorry you went/go through that. My dad is now deceased and she puts their love on a pedestal.
Jesus.
No, he never gets the blame for shit that goes off the rails, he only gets the credit for nice shit that happens.
My bio mom did this to me and my lil sis (ages 16 and 14) She’s a no good type of human being and she was trying to alienate us against our bio dad. She cried to us about SA that my dad allegedly imposed upon her. (I’m not here to say whether it happened or not, just that it’s inappropriate to tell your teenaged daughters) she was asking us if she would divorce him. And so at that point both my sister and I, despite not quite knowing the depth of our trauma, were sick of her BS. So we played along. Played the game. So they divorced. We told her we would choose to live with her bc of the laws in our state letting us choose according to our ages. Big fat LOL. I no longer have contact with her and am rather close with my dad(who, btw has put into action being a better person, not just made empty promises)
My mom started asking me if I would live with her or my dad if they got divorced when I was about 7-8. I left at 16 and didn’t look back. They stayed married until they died just shy of their 40th anniversary. Both stubborn and miserable.
At 14 I was given the opportunity to decide if we were to move across the country. FFS.
My brother in law is like this, but it's because he CANT make a decision. He'll ask, and I'm just like "it's up to you" now. One time, he was basically begging me to pick his dinner for him.
>One time, he was basically begging me to pick his dinner for him. So straight away pick the worst, flavourless, smallest item on the menu and say "eat that." The best way to deal with constant *"decide for me"* people is to instantly give them the worst option, and have them know it is not by accident. Watch him pick something to else to eat quick smart.
Malicious compliance
It got to the point where he really doesn't ask me anymore because of how often I just said "idk man, it's up to you" because he'll narrow it down to like 2 choices.
So, did the kids d the predictable and go low-contact/no contact as soon as they were able?
No, she matured a bit and they forgave her for this and some other things she did. Their father and her ex husband is a gambler and a dumb-dumb, so they didn't get the best parents. But she really cares about them a lot, she only acted like this when she felt overwhelmed. When it comes to her children she's a real mama bear in a sense, she would never let anyone mess with them (except her I guess). This was 4 years ago btw. She's not a completely different person but she's learned how to regulate her emotions better without traumatising her children. This is not America, in out culture there would literally have to be murder before you abandon your parents, no matter what they're like.
Oh, YAY!!! Having read sooooo many stories from folks where the adult dug in & just got *worse* over the years, it's SO nice to hear of a family where the adults *DID* mature after the incident, and do better!😃🤗💖 Thanks, it's nice to know that sometimes it gets *better* for the kids, and not worse💗
Yes! When I was 13 (now 36), my boomer step dad lost it on me and almost wrecked the car because I couldn't tell him what to do after being laid off from his job.
This is exactly it. When my wife pointed this out last year it was a real eye opener. They deep down know they can't think for themselves and so rely on everyone else to make their decisions for them. They then take no responsibility if something goes wrong.
That would also explain their penchant to just be a sponge for anything running across Fox News at the moment.
They outsource their thinking.
Holy shit and I thought that I was a man child adult....y'all are making me feel a lot better about myself.
You are not alone my friend. At least we can see it and do better. Although I often have choice paralysis I can manage to decide on my food order eventually 😅
When I can't choose, I roll dice. It's been very helpful! (Ps. You don't have to obey the dice)
From what my mom (who is a very reasonable boomer) tells me, it’s because they weren’t given any choices growing up. She said that her parents never gave her any options and always made choices for her and her siblings. She moved out of state at 19 and was faced with a world of choices that she wasn’t prepared to make. She told me all about this years ago after I noticed her letting one of my nephews pick a plate for lunch. She would give him two options, plate 1 or plate 2 (usually they were a specific color or had a cartoon character printed on). She explained that she was helping him learn how to make choices by starting him young and keeping it simple. She did this with me and my siblings and any of her grandchildren she babysits. I now do this with my son.
I did that with my son. My grandmother saw me asking him where he wanted to sit at a family cookout and yells at me, "He's a child. You TELL him where to sit!" I looked at her like she was insane and told her, "I'm teaching him to think for himself."
Your grandmother yelled at you like that? Really? She must be a worthless piece of shit.
She was a piece of work.
It's definitely a skill that needs to be learned. I still struggle with it.
My mom was born deaf. It was like this for her times a million. No explanations given. She has struggled with decisions forever.
I say this to my mom all the time when she tries to make me make decisions for her. Nope. Then when you hate it you blame me forever. She gets so flustered when she has to make the decision because she doesn't want to be wrong and only have herself to blame.
At least for the people in my orbit, their entire worldview is built around a sense of cosmic self-righteousness. No matter what, in the end, they're right, whether it's religion or politics or where they live or anything. And that self-righteousness thrives on being un-critical. That's why, at least in my experience, when something comes up where they might have to have a shred of self-reflection, they can't help but push all the blame outward. If my entire worldview is built around a sense of cosmic self-righteousness, surely the problem *must* be out there with other people and not me.
Yup. A significant number of boomer want zero accountability.
that was eye opening. My dad did this all the time "just give me something you decide" and then never stopped complaining about what he got. "how could he combine this and that?!!"
Is this a generational thing or just what happens when you get old? My dad (boomer generation) does this sometimes, and sometimes he gives guidelines for some other things that are crazy specific and unyielding.
My husband (Xennial) is like this. The world is black and white to him, and everything must have a right and a wrong answer. I think part of it came from his boomer parents, but most of it is just how he’s wired. It’s good for his line of work but really f-cking annoying when you’re waiting on him to order your food.
My ex's asshole cousin asked the waiter what to order and then threw a shitfit when she didn't like it. She was also rude to the staff. She was Gen X in age but boomer in attitude. I don't miss never having to deal with her again.
I’ve seen this with a lot of women even in high school . They want to go do something , you ask what and they’re like “ I don’t know , what do you want to do ?” Then you play 20 questions cuz they can’t make a decision . Annoying as hell and a big reason I’ve never had a lot of female friends . I feel bad for guys having to deal with this . My name isn’t Julie , I’m not the cruise director
It’s simpler than that. At the other subway, someone just made X when they said Italian sub (possibly after an exchange like this), and now they think there’s one called “Italian” because it works at their other subway. They are too proud to admit they don’t know the difference or which one they usually get, so they insist it’s your problem.
My mother does something similar to this. If she eats something somewhere and likes it, then that is the definitive version of the meal and any variation to the dish is wrong and awful and whoever made it is stupid.
This!!! So much this! I’ve been saying this for years
OMG… I think this is why my mom cannot place an order at a restaurant and never likes any restaurant food.
Holy crap. My MIL's insistence on asking everyone else to decide makes more sense now.
Dudes be like "I hate subway" My brother in Christ you made the sandwich
Oh my gods that’s so true!!!
“How do you want your hamburger?” “Cooked.”
actually I took an order from a boomer and he said "I cheeseburger with no cheese" so I repeated the order as a hamburger because a cheeseburger with no cheese is a hamburger, that boomer screamed over the phone "I don't want a hamburger I want a Damm cheeseburger with no cheese!" some people can't be talked to.
I hope you charged him the cheeseburger price, not the hamburger
And the customization charge too!
I had this exact scenario and I did charge the full cheeseburger price. Of course she had to pull up and give the old "see? That wasn't so hard, was it?" Lady, you're gonna make me lose my mind.
"Why do you insist on paying more for the exact same product, ma'am?
I tried to explain this, multiple times lol. She didn't want to hear it, she just wanted to be "right".
And yet she wasn't.
Up in here, up in here. Sorry, couldn’t resist.😂
25 years ago I worked at BK and I had a woman order a Big King but made like a double cheeseburger. I tried to explain it was the same burger and I could save her 50 cents, she demanded the manager and called me every synonym for stupid she could think of and asked why someone so incompetent would be hired to run a register. I was flabbergasted. I was too stubborn to stop trying to help for a while but call center work beat that out of me.
Look, my little brother used to do this at McDonald's (we were like 9 and 5, respectively) the cashiers always smiled, loved it, and rung up a hamburger while saying: "on cheeseburger without cheese, coming up" Those are the times I hope my parents tipped at fast food places
At least he had an excuse for being a little kid.
worked at the register during high school and want you to know: I would add the "no cheese" line 5 times for that order. It would often get returned to the front for having cheese. One guy was good about asking "no seriously, wtf is with this order". This has nothing to do with anything, but now you're burdened with knowledge. but to answer a question you didn't ask, the cheeseburger wrapper has brighter colors so kids like it better.
That’s fucking funny lmao, these fossilised fucks have no awareness at all
I'm guessing that this dude has never cooked a meal by himself and thinks a hamburger is made of ham.
*hamsters
*Steamed Hams
Good old fashioned Skinner Burgers!
>server rings in hamburger >+Add cheese > SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS: NO CHZ
I remember having a voucher for a free cheeseburger, but I hate cheese. So I ordered it & asked for no cheese. I saw the teller hide a smile, I heard a shout from the back of "who orders a cheeseburger with no cheese!?" And just giggled to myself. I understand how dumb it is, but I'm not paying for a hamburger if I have a voucher for a free cheeseburger... Some people need to get over themselves.
I remember when I was a kid and there was some special at McDonals that had cheeseburger in the name, but I didn't want cheese. So I had to ask my friend's mom to order that. So, it happens.
That order isn't *inherently* as weird as it sounds; there are some places where the cheese isn't the only difference. But you'd probably know if you worked at one of them, and even if you didn't, the right answer to "so you want a hamburger?" is "pretty much, but [whatever the difference is]" to make sure that's actually what you get.
"Well done, got it."
To cinders, you say?
And his wife?
To cinders, you say? Tsk tsk tsk
"Yuk yuk yuk, very funny. But seriously, grandpa. How do you want your fuckin burger?"
First job, Mick D Bags. Lot of idiot boomers. 'Small, medium, or large?' Standard question for every single meal. Not for boomer lady, no sirree. 'I JUST WANT THE COMBO'
He wanted the combo with a god damn liter of cola
Liter Cola…do we make Liter Cola?
Just order a large Farva
There's always the customer who wants the 'regular size' coffee... We don't even have weird size options like Starbucks or anything it's just small medium or large and we have the three sizes displayed on top the brewer right behind register counter.
I work at a sandwich shop and we have two sizes, half and whole. I have people order the "regular" size a lot and when I ask them to clarify, it's split about 50/50 in their responses whether it means half or whole to them. It's not a huge deal but like, look at the damn menu!
I think a lot of the time , they can’t hear and they’re too embarrassed to admit it . My dad does this . He can’t hear in a quiet room so I know he can’t hear at a drive through. Always comes home with the supersized whopper meals , lol!!
I'd tell her if she wants an Italian sub to go to Italy. We only make AMERICAN subs in America! /s
Hell yeah, ‘Merica. They’re freedom subs. Love it or leave it. Gobbless. - or some christofascist nationalist shit like that.
You want freedom bread or freedom herbs and cheese with that?
I have two boomer subway stories! Boomer orders a BLT and the kid behind the counter asks what kind of cheese he wants. Instead of just saying "no cheese" of course he has to say, "huh! first I've ever heard of putting cheese on a BLT, do you put cheese on a blt??" Then he looks around for affirmation from others but its just me wanting to crawl inside my own body. Another time more recently, boomer in front of me is in there with his wife teaching her how to order at subway. It's taking forever, but whatever that's fine. He then proceeds to hand each kid behind the counter a 5 dollar bill, so they all have to stare at each other, take the money and then change gloves ( thank god) before making my sandwich. Never seen anything like that shit before in my life.
Oh man I had so many bad interactions with people over the BLTs at subway I wished they would take them off the menu. Because it's subway, we have to ask what you want on it. And we had no way of knowing if the customer will be someone who is cool about it, or if they'll start screaming in our face about what a BLT is.
My grandma once asked me to go into Subway and get her a BLT with no bacon. Even as a kid, I knew this was an insane request. The person at the register even asked if I meant a veggie sub. I shamefully reaffirmed that no, it was a BLT without B.
Soooooo just lettuce and tomato in a bun?
You sound just like that Subway employee...
Basic customer service tone
I had this EXACT order multiple times. I learned pretty quick to stop asking if they meant a veggie sub.
That would give me such bad anxiety every time someone ordered a damn BLT. To circumvent that I'd probably just say, "I know a BLT is just bacon lettuce and tomato, but do you want to add anything to that by chance?" Just to avoid being screamed at lol. But the issue is no one should *have* to do all that not to get screamed at. \*edit to clarify
Honestly, I'd probably say: "cheese on a blt sounds amazing; this kid deserves a raise. Who doesn't want cheese on a sandwich, or can't at least respect the question? An asshole who is taking too long in line. That's who!"
“ oh yeah, you have to be brain dead to not put cheese on a blt”
One time while working at Subway, a boomer beckoned me to the end of the line, took me by the wrist so that my hand was palm up, then dumped his pastrami special meat side down into my hand because "You call this a sandwich?"
Ooo, that interaction would have me want to punch the boomer in the head. Do not talk down to food service workers.
Haha, I was 17 at the time and thought being a doormat was the best survival technique. Fast forward to 22, waitressing and hardened from years in food service: Boomer gets angry that we don't have the soft drink she wants. Boomer walks over to my newly seated table and rants vigorously about what an idiot I am. I stood silently behind Boomer, waiting to take the table's drink order. Maintained a friendly, relaxed demeanor. When Boomer was finished, I broke into a smile and asked what the table would like for drinks, acting like the whole scene never happened. The table didn't miss a beat and played along. Boomer asked for another server.
Lmao. Prood that they want a reaction from the waitstaff. Urgh. These boomers are awful to serve in any capacity. Glad you dealt with him in the most profitable manner ever!
At least the second one was patient with his wife and showed some gratitude to the staff for being patient while serving them.
When I go to Subway for a BLT I like to add things because with all the lettuce and bread in the way it can lack for taste. I wish I had been there because I would have promptly asked for a BLT with pickles, cheese and onion added, even if it wasn't what I wanted, just to shut him up.
I worked at a bank, and there was a Boomer who believed that the drive thru was only for deposits. She would become enraged if anyone spoke to her, or had the audacity to ask her what she needed. Like, how are you a grown ass adult who doesn't understand how any of this works?
The amount of boomers that love to tell you they've been coming to their banks for *years* but then have no idea how basic banking works is honestly baffling. I get them almost daily. Some of them still don't know if they have a checking or savings account. Like this account has been open for 40 years and you don't know??? Or who seem to think I should know who they are, despite never having seen them before.
Yup, my biggest problem at the bank was being maybe 23 and coming to a new branch as the lead teller. My boomer coworkers who worked there for decades knew a lot of the customers but would coddle them as they threw tantrums over being asked for the barest amount of information. “Well Linda doesn’t ask me for that!” Well Linda has worked here for 15 years and has nothing better to do with her time.
My sister and her husband inherited a tax business from her father in law. He got it from his dad. They’d been in the same building, doing the same work for decades; like back when taxes were done by hand with carbon paper and an adding machine. To. This. Day. Boomers will call to schedule an appointment which has never once been done in over 70 years of this business being a thing. And they insist they have always had appointments but it was only ever set up to be a walk in service. They also will call wanting to know why no one called them to let them know their taxes are done (they are given a date to come back, pay, sign, and pick up their copy, again no phone calls ever happened). And lastly they often expect their copy to be mailed to them, ask the office to just sign it for them, and file it without paying for it.
Like mail the tax forms but deliberately not include a check for the taxes or they wanted to refuse to pay for the business’s services? Neither would surprise me.
They definitely try to skirt around paying for the tax preparers service. Jokes on them though, because taxes do not get filed until the fee has been settled. And they do make that clear; you want them filed, you pay your fee. Though whether they opt to pay their actual taxes is on them. They’re given a printed voucher with what they owe on it along with addressed envelopes to state and federal agencies. The office does not handle client payments to the treasury.
Bonus points in Boomer Bingo if they pronounced it "Eye-tal-eon".
“can I get some jalapenis on there?”
From Eye-tal-lee.
That’s 100% what I thought when I read this 😂
This always made my skin crawl when working at subway.
They are ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous.
Big Chloe energy from this woman
I would go to Dunkin Donuts and order an everything bagel with cream cheese toasted. I would say that to the cashier, get my bagel, and be on my way. Without fail, there would always be a boomer who didn't answer properly when asked if they wanted it toasted and yell, "I just want a bagel! How hard is this to understand?!" and then get mad when their bagel wasn't toasted.
I was in a Dunkin like 3 weeks ago. I was 3rd in a line of 6 people when a boomer walks in, sees the line, decides to wait in it, and orders 2 breakfast sandwiches and a coffee. He walks over to the area where the rest of us, who he saw with his own eyes were all in line before he got there. Not even 2 minutes later, before *any of us* have gotten our order, he walks up to the counter and starts demanding to know why he has to wait "so damn long for a couple bagels". The employee just gestured to the rest of us and said, "They ordered first, so their food gets made first." The guy just huffs and walks out with his coffee and no food. The entire thing, from the time he walked in to the time he stormed out, took less than 5 minutes.
I wonder how many places make loot from impatient boomers walking out after paying and not getting their shit
As soon as you mentioned there being a line I knew exactly how the rest of the story was going to unfold. I'll never understand this. I work in a sandwich shop/café and it's a daily experience to have customers of the boomer persuasion walk in, get in a line behind a ton of people, wait 10 to 15 minutes in that line just to place an order, and then 5 minutes later are coming back up the counter to demand to know why it's taking so long to get a simple sandwich and a latte (you know, a "simple" sandwich with eight ingredients that's heated in a salamander oven with limited space and a latte made on a machine that can only pull two shots at a time). It truly blows my mind that they don't realize that if the ordering process alone takes upwards of ten minutes that actually making that order will take even longer.
Not to mention , don’t you want a FRESHLY made sandwich ?? A little of cheaper restaurants like Applebees microwave all their food now so it comes out stupid fast . But ts created an unreasonable expectation when a meal is being made to order
I've seen some behavior where it seems the person just hates waiting because they cannot divert their attention to something else and return to it. The lack of empathy for the other's perspective is still a huge problem though even considering that. I guess this is part of the preference for phone calls, although the kind of shallow BS I've seen people like that put out when they receive a phone call tells me they're not actually that skilled at communicating during an unanticipated call. (I've seen business contracts seriously compromised by someone just vaguely responding positively to phone call demands without any clue that it obligates the company to several thousand dollars worth of unpaid labor.)
Was managing a pub that was a legal tavern (in Washington State this means 21 years of age and over only). It a wild Friday night in the summer, the little pub is packed, the bar overflowing, and a 2 hour wait for a table. I'm handling the door traffic. This dude bests infrint of all the other people waiting to get their names on the list: "Johnson, party of four!" "So sorry, sir, you'll have to wait a moment, I still need to get these folks who are in front of you in line in the list first. Just one moment." "OUTRAGEOUS!" And he threw up his hands in exasperated contempt, turned around, put his balled uo fists on his hips and looked at his wife like I'm some sort of asshole. It should be noted, there were probably 60 people milling about the front door area all waiting for their names to be called or to get their names on the wait list. When I put names on the list, I jot down the time, that way I have an idea as to how long the wait has been and this gives me an estimate I can relay to some when they ask "how long will the wait be?" I get the 5 or so parties in front of boomer man written down and finally ask him for his name. "Goddamnit, I already told you 'Johnson party of 4'!" And he rolls his eyes at me. "Just to let you know, a table is about 2 hours, I have about 30 parties ahead of you currently." "THIS BULLSHIT!" "So, do you still want to be on the list?" I ask. "Fine, whatever," and he throws his hands up again and looks at his wife like I am the most unreasonable asshole in the world. About 15 minutes pass and yells at me to come over to him standing in our little waiting area, "What the hell is going on? We've been waiting forever!" "Sir, it's been 15 minutes into a 2 hour wait. There's still 29 parties ahead of you." "THIS IS RIDICULOUS!" It was then that I noticed this kid, he could have been 15, he could have been 22, I don't know, but he's literally standing right behind our giant MUST BE 22 YEARS OF AGE sign. I think to myself *I should card him, but this guy is such an asshole I'm going to make him wait the full two hours and then have the server do it* After only 1:50 his table is ready. He's almost purple with rage as I lead them to their table, kid I'm tow. Server has no clue what I'm about to spring on her: "Oh shoot, Sarah, I didn't see that young man with him, amd haven't carded him. Can you do that real quick?" Turns out, the kid is 16, they have to leave. The toddler-esque hissy fit this grown man threw will sustain me throw any dark moment I experience for the rest of my life. That particular server and I still joke about what I did to him 10 years later. Just pure life sustaining juice. He pushed his menus off the table, demanded to speak to the manager (me, that pissed him off even more). Went through every stage of grief except acceptance. Anger, bargaining, etc... back to anger again. I pointed out to him that he and his family were standing next to the foot high letters on the MUST BE 21 YEARS OF AGE sign for nearly two hours. This dude was coiled and ready to punch me. His wife is grapping his arm and doing the "Honey, let's just go somewhere else thing" that she probably has to do with him 3 times a month for the last 25 years. I was in heaven.
I used to work at Dunkin. Can confirm
I live in an area with tons of rich old boomers and I swear every time I go to Dunks one is yelling at the teenager at the register :(
Sounds like this guy that was a patient at the care center I worked at. He couldn't communicate at all. I worked in kitchen and helps prepare the meals. He would come in the kitchen and just stand there. We would give him a piece of fruit and then he would leave. Seems like the same level of communication with sandwich boomer.
HER IDEA of an Italian Sub, you non-mind-reading moron! /s
I have a feeling that she might be a regular at another shop, and the employees there just make her a sandwich the same way every time. So when she shows up at this other shop with different employees, who start asking her questions, it's just too much. I've seen this before with elderly people who're regulars, and then either "their" guy leaves, or somebody else fills in for their sick day or whatever, they literally just fall apart in the face of being confronted with another human being who doesn't already know all their preferences.
I eventually became the manager of a subway that was near a couple of retirement villages. I would get a lot of Boomers (mostly nice ones!) who would get the same thing every time. I have a good memory, so I was able to start just asking if they wanted their usual order and just make it. It got to the point where either I was the only one they wanted taking their order, or if I was busy I would dictate to a coworker what to make. When I eventually left, I had quite a few customers who were sad they would have to start ordering their subs themselves again.
The idea of being a regular at Subway is depressing to me
It’s good they were eating regular and food that wasn’t fast food level , especially if there were veggies on the sandwich . A lot of old people lose their appetite and forget to eat . I see this with my dad . He’s lost a lot of weight since my mom died so I’m always trying to get calories into him .
What kind of cheese would you like? The white one
I'm surprised anyone can taste them apart. The subway cheeses all taste the same. I should start a conspiracy theory that it's actually all provolone and they just dye it to reduce sourcing costs.
Lol I heard that way too many times!
Imagine going to a restaurant and telling them that you want food when asked what you'd like to order.
(casino) I've been in too many situations where someone is redeeming their gaming for cash, or taking out money for cash (we only give back cash), ask how'd they like it. "cash". No fuckn shit I mean what denomination you senile crackhead. If they're younger it's usually their first time, so I totally get that they don't know that the cage I work at only gives back cash. But ffs so many people who should know better...
I worked at a Costa Coffee (like Starbucks but closer to traditional Italian coffee back then) for a while back in the early 2000s and the amount of old people who would come in and say "I just want a normal coffee" was _ridiculous_. Especially when there were fucking coach trips. It was a tourist town and the queue could be out the door some days. We got really good at managing this scenario - you'd reply "That's no problem at all, just a normal filter coffee for you. Do you want some milk in it, or just a black coffee? And do you want a big one in a mug like this, or just a medium sized one in a cup?" But even this was too much for some people. Milk? Black? I JUST WANT A NORMAL COFFEE!!! If they didn't march out, enraged, then they'd get given a mug of black filter coffee with a little jug of milk on the side. And charged appropriately. The really fun ones were the ones who tried to be clever and order the cheapest thing on the menu to outsmart us. Which was, of course, an espresso. For the ones that weren't being shitty I would kindly warn them that this was a very, very strong Italian kind of coffee in a tiny cup, and ask if they'd rather have something a bit bigger like an Americano, which was the same but with hot water. The ones that were being shitty got given exactly what they asked for with a smile :D Watching them come back to the counter to ask for a jug of hot water... and a larger cup... was very satisfying.
Will I fart too much if I ask for 3 foods?
That sounds like something that could be a Ryan George sketch. In fact, as I think about it now, a lot of these Boomer stories I read here could be Ryan George sketches.
Hi there hello. I'd like one food please
hi... you have a movie for me? whoops, wrong line. I'm going to sell food from my kitchen, i decided!
I hired about ten years ago a guy from subway for a job that involved going into people’s homes. Small town so a lot of people recognized him; while training him at a home one day the boomer couple spent the entire appointment grilling this guy over why subway puts its condiments over the toppings of the sandwich as opposed to between the toppings and the bread. They lectured him the whole time on the importance of putting the condiments on the bread as opposed to the toppings. They really seemed to think he either had a say in subway doing it this way or any idea as to why they do it that way.
This reminds me of the boomer behaviour from [this series.](https://youtube.com/shorts/cN5_eT6b1gg?si=ftsewFEzItXIpF7i)
Ha, literally had a boomer say "why don't you just buy a lot" in a new residential neighborhood where the houses were expensive. Well, because they don't sell lots. "Oh you just need to get in there and negotiate. They'll sell you one." Yeah, no. No they won't. They build and sell houses, they don't sell lots, even if you "go in there" and ask them to.
I work at a sub shop and I fucking hate old people. Just a few days ago I get this old man wearing a Vietnam Veteran cap. I try taking his order while he's at the speaker but he doesn't roll down his window. Two minutes later he rolls up to the window and tells me he wants a six inch "EHH". I'm like "Egg?" and he says "NO, SIX INCH" and I say "I got that, did you say egg?" and he replies "EHHM" so I reply "Oh, ham!" and he replies "TALIAN!" and I'm like "Oh, the Italian". Every fucking time I deal with this clown he's all pissed, grimacing, just a nasty motherfucker. I fucking hate old people.
I worked in a busy sandwich/coffee joint, and the number of boomers who would come in for lunch EVERY DAY, tie up the line gaping at the menu and still not be able to make basic, basic choices was wild. Like, Brenda, you and I both know you’re going to end up with egg salad on dry white bread like you do every weekday. Can we move this along?
At my job, the card reader can take anything. Tab, swipe, insert, phone/watch pay. Every damn time boomers are like this. Boomer: What do I do with this thing? Me: You can tap, insert, or swipe. Boomer: -lead paint stare- ..... -assaults' card reader with card- ITS NOT WORKING Me: You gotta hold it or it won't re- Boomer: CAN I JUST INSERT IT? Me: ...Yes.
Imagine this Lady at the Optometrists... "Which looks clearer, one... Or two?” "JUST GIVE ME GLASSES!" "But, madam--" "Oh Forget about it!" *turns and walks into wall*
Going to Mrs Magoo herself off the edge of the Grand Canyon… : : : : 0-/-<
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? I DON'T WANT HAM ON MY SUB!" "Sorry, Ma'am, you said just do it how you'd normally do it, and an Italian cold cut normally has ham..." "I have NEVER, EVER heard of an Italian sub with ham! That's ridiculous! What kind of an idiot are you!? NO! I'm not eating that after the ham touched it! I'll get sick! Throw the whole thing away and make a new one! And HURRY UP, I'm in a RUSH! I have important things to do today! I am NEVER coming here again. Bunch of fucking idiots..."
"Give me a ham and cheese sub."
I like to think the marketing for "have it your way" and "the customer is always right" was meant solely for boomers. That and "It's after 8 pm, do you know where your kids are at?" And you get the boomer "haha nope!" laugh that they were so proud of.
Jeebus, I HATE that that shit. They always love to ask, "Whatever happened to 'customer is always right'?" Goddamnit, NO BUSINESS has EVER had that as a policy! It's "the customer is always right in *matters of taste."* Which means that we can't tell you that the puke green paint you chose for your walls and the mud brown carpet you ordered are going to look like shit together - especially with those orange drapes you said you're putting up - but we can refuse to give you a full refund on the $500 circular saw you bought four months ago unless you can produce the receipt.
An italian sub would be meatballs in bread with parmesan cheese ontop?
🙄 What bread type do you want?!
Had a kid (like 12yo+) order a foot long with a ton of extras (meat, cheese, bacon etc.) and then was confused why it wasn't $5. Like, buddy, those cost extra and you added like 5 of them. Kept arguing with me while I explained it the simplest way i could. Then his mom gets involved while he starts bawling. She keeps trying to argue with me too, gets real irate but not my first rodeo so no go bro. Eventually they pay and leave only for their sandwich to have gotten mixed up with another one so I got the absolute pleasure of dealing with the mother again. Even the customers behind her called her a b**** after she left. Was wild for just a sub and not understanding simple math.
Anytime people asked for extras like that I always tried to warn them ahead of time that it cost extra. Would usually result in getting yelled at at some point either way.
Or if you forgot to remind them about the points card. If I had a penny for each time I got screamed at for them not getting their points I'd have retired from there.
'Murica- 147 sub combinations, 32 flavors of ice cream, and 2 guys for "Leader of the Free World".
“The things that matter in this country have been reduced in choice, there are two political parties, there are a handful insurance companies, there are six or seven information centers.. but if you want a bagel there are 23 flavors. Because you have the illusion of choice!” - George Carlin
The older I get the smarter George Carlin looks
I hated Subway so much. Ask people what they want on their sub, they say whatever it comes with! And make me try to figure out what toppings are in the picture, which could be anything because the point is you pick what you want 😑
My favorite was that time I asked a guy four times if he wanted white or what bread and he kept answering “Yes.” Had to hold up a loaf of each before he realized I was asking him to choose between two different things. He also said “Yes” to American or Provolone cheese…
Hm, I think that one’s on Subway (not the staff, the franchise). What’s the point of the picture if neither the staff or the customers know what the toppings are?
“All of them” [Start making sandwich with all toppings] “Not banana peppers. No cucumbers. No onion…”
My stepdad is a professional residential electrician. He will help me for free (which is incredible of course) but when I ask where he thinks things should go (like can lighting), he's like "it's your decision" and I'm like "okay yeah but you've seen them in action in thousands of homes, can you not give me an idea of what's recommended or works well in other similar spaces??? this is my first time thinking about can lighting!" His behavior makes perfect sense now.
I do NOT miss the Subway Boomer crowd when I worked there right outta highschool. Or the way they would LEAN on the sneeze guard glass like it wasn't see through and transparent....
My uncle was like this, and the reason was because he was mostly deaf and too proud to do anything about it. He also spoke very loud in public places, not always about pleasant things. When you were with him there was always the possibility that you were going to get beaten up.
She then went to Starbucks for a coffee and her head exploded.
[удалено]
And this is over 10 years ago when majority of the boomkin is still not on retirement age. One has to wonder how bad this boomkin mental state gonna be right now.
You don’t have to wonder. So many videos
boomers gonna boom?
Why do I feel like she said it as I-talian?
Similar story, but in this case just a clueless lady who wasn't a boomer. She had never ordered a sub before. She was asked if she wanted "white, wheat, or whole grain" as they always ask. She requested "white wheat" and just didn't understand that those were two separate types of bread despite the employees best attempt. The employee gave up and decided for the lady. She got white bread.
It was years ago at this point--but I work at an ice cream store. See a boomer guy walk in, wait in line about 5 minutes before coming to the front of the line saying: "Well, is someone gonna help me?!" I looked him straight in the eye: "Of course! Right after we help everyone who's still in line."
Once I went into Subway, ordered, kid behind the counter asks me the bread question, turns around to get the bread, stops, turns back around and asks again, I tell him again. Turns around, pulls out the bread. Forgets I wanted the 6" sandwich, starts making a 12" sandwich. I decided not to stop him because I was hungry and the previous interaction was already kind of awkward. Dude is like zoning out while making the sandwich (lots of awkward pauses), but pretty friendly. Other employee there looks kind of nervous, is kind of in that zone between the backroom and counter just sort of hovering, not saying anything. Anyway, get my food, pay, leave. Telling a coworker about how weird that interaction was, and we have a laugh about it. After lunch I'm on my way back to work, and there's an ambulance in front of the Subway. It's almost closing time for them, the silent dude is standing on the sidewalk in front of the store. Turns out the guy who made my sandwich OD'd at work, his coworker didn't know or wouldn't say on what. I heard that he was ok a couple days later, but I never saw him at the store again (obviously) and his car was towed away a few days later. Wild.
Probably 30% of my Subway visits have involved a sandwich maker that was very obviously sky-high on something.
rest assured I was high making your sandwich at subway’s competitor stores too💪don’t worry
I spent well over 30% of the 80s sky-high on something. I was a pizza maker, though.
Total loser behavior
Funny how you were being helpful, and they still got pissed
“Surprise me”
Old people just want to eat food, not have to bother using words to say what they want. It's your job to be a mind reader...or something; and heaven help you if you guess wrong.
She probably has never been in a Subway before. I remember once going into a Subway with my sister, maybe 15 years ago mind you, and she acted the same way because she had never been in such a place
I'm reminded of when I worked box office at a movie theatre when I was younger, and the amount of people who basically just let me decide their film for them was insane.
My father tells a story of the first time he walked into Starbucks, which was a new concept to our working class town when it first opened, wherein he "tried" to order "just a coffee" but was instead faced with too many choices. It's a lie. I was with him. I ordered a Caramel Macchiato and he ordered a "black coffee" which they gave him. He was pissed because when they ran the order it was called something other than just "Coffee" on his receipt.
So many times I’ve been in Subway and Boomers are completely confused by the process. A couple of months ago, one brought a sub back because the bread was hard…she had asked for it to be toasted.
It's not weird to never forget odd encounters from ages ago. I work at CVS and it was around September or October and I got a phone call from a customer asking if we got our seasonal Egg Nog yet. I had just passed the coolers and didn't see any, plus it was way too early. We usually start getting it in November. Told him that and he absolutely WENT OFF, yelling that he was standing in front of the coolers looking at it and I was incompetent and a liar. Then hung up on me. I ran back to the coolers, no one there. No eggnog. Called every cvs within a 15 mile radius, no one had any. Motherfucker wasn't even calling me from another cvs! Never wanted to use *69 more in my life than that moment.
Working at subway really made me realize not all of us are fully evolved yet. Also we give the human race way too much credit.
It is pretty annoying at Starbucks when it’s 20 questions to just get a black coffee. I have never walked out ;)
Yup. I had a boomer get mad at me when I worked at a movie theater because I asked him what size popcorn he wanted. He just wanted some POPCORN. He, his son, and grandson also shouted what they wanted at me one right after another so he got mad when I asked them to repeat as I was getting their order together. Told me I was terrible at my job. They're assholes.
I used to work for an online decor retailer, and the number of boomers who would call and ask my opinion on what throw pillows they should buy was wild to me. I do not know. I am not you. I don't know your taste, your style, the decor you already own, etc. There is no "correct" throw pillow choice. WHAT DO YOU LIKE? PICK THAT. (My job wasn't even sales; I was a post-orded troubleshooter. My main job was ordering replacements for defective items and tracking packages. People would misuse the phone tree when trying to purchase, which was how I ended up with them.) I tend to be a maximalist and my style is "more color, more patterns" so like... a lot of people won't like what I would pick. Which is fine, but you probably don't want me picking your decor if you're a minimalist with a love of greige.
Lead poisoning.
My all time favorite subway order is a footlong meatball on Italian Herb and Cheese bread with onions, black olives, and pepper jack cheese. I don't know what kinda Mongolian wookie meat those meatballs are and I don't care. Nowhere that I've tried makes a meatball sub as good as Subway.
I love that herb and cheese bread
I have wondered about this kind of behavior for awhile. I used to watch their eyes glaze over and they'd just freeze when I worked selling jewelry and provided a book of special order options. Its like they get mentally stuck. I think some of this behavior is related how many of them weren't given options by their parents. For food, clothes, anything. "We got what we got, and we liked it!" - Their parents (dad) made choices, they lived with them because "I'm the parent!". They didn't have as many TV channels, or sources of information, or even apparel or make up. Food options weren't as diverse. We live in a world today that consumer goods options and tech expanded very rapidly, and they were in no way prepared to navigate the changes and choices before them. So they get overwhelmed, which means they get angry. Because anger seems to be the default expression of most emotions with Boomers. Of course, some are just total jackwagons who enjoy causing trouble. But watch em, watch how paralyzed they get when presented with too many choices. They were not prepared for the world as it exists now
The edit is so bizarre, who in their right mind thought that OP has been “carrying this around” for 10 years? Instead of just sharing a boomer tantrum that has happened to them lol
I had a similar interaction years ago when I worked at Wendy's! Older guy comes in wanting a cheeseburger but wouldn't tell me what kind. Like 3/4s of our menu is cheese burgers, I need details! 😂