Cranky Old Male Karen Refuses to Leave Grocery Store When There's a Fire

Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor

Sep 25, 2022 1:00 PM EDT

You know it's time to quit when there's a fire in the grocery store and you're made to stay because a cranky Karen needs their chicken stock!

This thread was posted to Reddit's r/EntitledPeople subreddit by u/ThePathUntaken, who recalled that time when not even a literal fire could stop this male Karen from being a Karen. This 70-year-old man named Gerald insisted on having his seven items rung up despite the manager telling everyone to evacuate the store (question: are people named Gerald and Ethel always called that before they become senior citizens because I have never met a teenager named Gerald?).

Anyway, the Redditor didn't want a fight to escalate, so he rang up the items as smoke filled the aisles. You know there's a problem with workplace dynamics when you feel the impulse to listen to crazy customers instead of prioritizing your safety. Eventually, the Redditor got his manager to intervene since Gerald still wouldn't leave. Even when the manager let Gerald bypass paying so he could GTFO with his items, Gerald still made a point to say that his customer service experience was subpar. Do you know what's also subpar? Having to ring up someone's items while a fire spreads around you.

For more wild work stories, check out this post where an employee was fired because he only would work 6 days a week. Keep scrolling below for the full story about good old Gerald!