Most of us haven't been in a position to see what people are really like. Under the right circumstances you can get the opportunity on a near daily basis. Most of us are surrounded by normal people, keeping in mind Jerry Springer guests as a comparison, and are not in an environment that would develop into Jerry Springer situations.
I was a computer salesman/tech in a shop and got to deal with the trash that comes off the street... if you could have seen what I have seen, you would believe. I think my particular situation was slightly different than the typical retail environment. Computer stuff is very expensive, is frequently DOA, customers can't figure out how to get working parts to work, you don't have time to do it for them w/o labor charges that they refuse to pay for, stuff is prone to becoming completely torched by customers... and nobody seems to understand why you don't get your money back if you made the damn thing ignite. You're dealing with lots of angry morons and lots of their money... and you get to see their true colors.
I had someone threaten to beat me to death with a tire iron he had swinging around because I wouldn't unlock the door before the store's opening time. Co-workers threatening to kill customers on occassion... throwing staplers, boxes, pieces from pallets, swinging broomsticks (no joke, I've got a few entertaining stories
) People frequently scream at me Jerry Springer style for 'lying' to them or trying to 'cheat them'... one time it was because someone tried to return something that obviously did not come from my shop... always stupid stuff. Women/people of various ethnicities screaming at me for being 'sexist'/'racist' for not succumbing to their demands... or when I explain something they can't understand and they think I'm treating them like they are stupid (Ironically, if they weren't complete morons they would have easily understood what I was explaining). Lots and lots of physical threats because I wouldn't refund parts they torched or mangled. A lawyer told me this: "You won't be able to type so good after I break your fingers." I learned early on that I had no obligation to help such people, and rather than attempt to reason with them (which I discovered was completely hopeless) I would just walk out the back door and go to the coffee shop as they were yelling (pissing them off in the process ) before things got worse. Consequently, I drank a lot of coffee when I worked there... some co-workers would visit the nearby bar on the clock and the manager's would let them.
If you've ever looked into psychology, there are lists and lists of complexes and disorders that a lot of people fall into. There are twisted people out there, and lots of them. If Jerry had a brand new show every hour of the day, he would NEVER even come close to running out of screwed up people to put on his show. I tend to think that people may act a little different on TV just because they're on TV and want to show off or something. Otherwise, I see the crap that goes on as normal behavior for some people... no surprise at all.
I was a computer salesman/tech in a shop and got to deal with the trash that comes off the street... if you could have seen what I have seen, you would believe. I think my particular situation was slightly different than the typical retail environment. Computer stuff is very expensive, is frequently DOA, customers can't figure out how to get working parts to work, you don't have time to do it for them w/o labor charges that they refuse to pay for, stuff is prone to becoming completely torched by customers... and nobody seems to understand why you don't get your money back if you made the damn thing ignite. You're dealing with lots of angry morons and lots of their money... and you get to see their true colors.
I had someone threaten to beat me to death with a tire iron he had swinging around because I wouldn't unlock the door before the store's opening time. Co-workers threatening to kill customers on occassion... throwing staplers, boxes, pieces from pallets, swinging broomsticks (no joke, I've got a few entertaining stories
) People frequently scream at me Jerry Springer style for 'lying' to them or trying to 'cheat them'... one time it was because someone tried to return something that obviously did not come from my shop... always stupid stuff. Women/people of various ethnicities screaming at me for being 'sexist'/'racist' for not succumbing to their demands... or when I explain something they can't understand and they think I'm treating them like they are stupid (Ironically, if they weren't complete morons they would have easily understood what I was explaining). Lots and lots of physical threats because I wouldn't refund parts they torched or mangled. A lawyer told me this: "You won't be able to type so good after I break your fingers." I learned early on that I had no obligation to help such people, and rather than attempt to reason with them (which I discovered was completely hopeless) I would just walk out the back door and go to the coffee shop as they were yelling (pissing them off in the process ) before things got worse. Consequently, I drank a lot of coffee when I worked there... some co-workers would visit the nearby bar on the clock and the manager's would let them. If you've ever looked into psychology, there are lists and lists of complexes and disorders that a lot of people fall into. There are twisted people out there, and lots of them. If Jerry had a brand new show every hour of the day, he would NEVER even come close to running out of screwed up people to put on his show. I tend to think that people may act a little different on TV just because they're on TV and want to show off or something. Otherwise, I see the crap that goes on as normal behavior for some people... no surprise at all.
I like that one.... 
HeeHee (better?) 
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