I can’t think of anything more inconsiderate. Here in Journal Square, where my office is located, there’s a Western Union (among other knick-knack shops and fast food establishments). Twice in the past two weeks, I’ve walked by at 9am, and the door has been closed, and the lights off with a sign on the door that says
Mon – Friday: 8am – 6pm
Sat: 10am – 6pm
Sun: 12pm – 4pm
This means that it’s an hour late in opening. I can’t think of a more important place to require being open than a western union — “The fastest way to send money.” Today, it struck me as particularly depressing, as I noticed a man peering into the windows, seemlingly very frustrated. Imagine, you need money for x, y, or z reason and your family member wires you $500 and you can’t get it because someone at the Western Union decided not to show up for their shift (or is an hour late in arriving to work). How inconsiderate!
I think of the time(s) when I was in France and was in desperate need for some extra money for whatever reason, and my mother was so kind as to make a deposit into my account. This would take a few hours for it to get there, but, imagine if she was unable to make the deposit because the bank was closed before she went to work because someone overslept? Or if one of my other Franco-American friends needed some money, fast, so that they could get a deposit down on their ACOBHA? Or if an airline happened to lose one of these Franco-American’s luggage, and the person needed some fast cash from the family to be able to afford a short-term clothing/toiletry solution — and the Western Union was closed for an unexplicable reason. Uncalled for.
Once, while working at Best Cellars, my manager (who would open and unlock the store) was 45 minutes late. Granted, this is for a wine shop and who is DESPERATELY looking to buy wine at 9am. Things happen, I agree. I’ve overslept, my girlfriend
Whew. Glad to have that out of my system.
Woah. Lost my icon for a while. That feels much better. :)