Also, when I smile, people frown and yell back

One time I was cashiering at a grocery store on Thanksgiving, only one to show up. There was a huge line of people buying a lot of stuff each, so even though I was the fastest cashier, it was a losing battle. Still, I kept my smile on and engaged each customer while working my hardest.

Then some asshole ten customers away started yelling things like “This is ridiculous, why aren’t there more cashiers? Hey! I’m talking to you! Answer me!” Like I had any pull on the people who didn’t show. He should have been yelling at my manager who was hiding in the back.

Decide to ignore him since no good would come of it. Then I hear “Stop smiling!”, which was so abrasive it literally stunned me. I looked at the line to see who was going to tell him to calm the hell down, and every person there was nodding along like “Yeah, I can’t believe this cashier has the gall to smile when we want to make him feel small.”

And just like that, suddenly I was in no hurry. Slowed down to about 1/4 speed and just glared at each person with no conversation whatsoever. Rude guy gets up there and starts in on some nonsense and I tell him “I’m a highschooler. I don’t have to pay rent. One more word out of you and I walk out on this job right now. No one else is here to check you out, but security is still here to keep you from leaving with anything today.” Still clearly upset, but he shut up.