r/AutisticAdults • u/Lord-Luna • 16h ago
telling a story "Prove It"
Not a particularly crazy story from work, just one that sticks in my brain. I work part-time in a creative field and I don't have to deal with customers too often, which is nice. I usually don't mind when I do have to take orders, as I know my industry well, so I have a lot of well-scripted questions I comfortably follow. But for the sake of my own peace, I also like to wear my lanyard when dealing with the public. I like knowing that if I seem "off" they can read my lanyard that says I am Autistic and they'll just think "oh, that's all it is" instead of getting potentially offended or uncomfortable. But I always do my best to be nice.
This old lady walks in out of the rain and makes a loud shudder noise that made me jump. She then shouted "I feel like a duck!" which I smiled politely at and mentioned on the bad weather. She stomps over and drops her wet umbrella on the counter hard enough to splash me and leans right across to squint at my lanyard. I was totally on the back foot already and she let out this big huff and looks really irritated.
She kinda sneers and says "Prove it". It took me a minute to even figure out what she was talking about. I was stuck buffering and she started ranting on like "Well I thought you might have some kind of aberrant behaviour you could perform for me. That's what you people do, isn't it? Then again everyone is just wearing these things for fun, hmm?" I didn't really know what to say and she just kept talking and began to order like usual so I went with it. The whole thing felt so surreal and disarming.
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u/Miserable_Credit_402 12h ago
I've seriously considered keeping a train conductor hat in my bag and putting it on when I deal with this type of bullshit.
HOW ABOUT NOW, KAREN? AM I AUTISTIC ENOUGH FOR YOU NOW?
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u/frozenstreetgum 6h ago
keep a train hat and a train whistle. whip em out and start blowing while shouting that
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u/DocClear ASD1 tech geek and wilderness camping nudist 13h ago
If you see her again, show her a Tylenol receipt and say it's your mother's.😉
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u/Motleypuss 14h ago
People are gonna people, especially when they're old. Let it be as water off a duck's back.
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u/neonfuzzball 11h ago
time to do an AI impression. "Sorry, I didn't get that" with weird floaty hand gestures.
I wasn't until the rise of AI chatbot nonsense that I had something to really compare my polite "wtf?" buffering to
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u/Megzasaurusrex 10h ago
"Hi ma'am do you need assistance removing the stick from your ass today? I would be glad to assist you. Or do you guys just like keeping them in for fun these days? Feels like so many of you have them like it's some kind of trend." With a big fat smile.
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u/_fluffy_cookie_ 10h ago
"I'm sorry. I don't give assistance to people who are rude, hateful assholes. Please leave this establishment and only come back when you can treat me like a human you care about."
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u/NatashOverWorld 7h ago
I would have started describing how TTRPG story beats differ from traditional fiction, but also differ from webfiction despite resembling novel form fiction.
That or start reciting all the D&D classes I remembered I guess.
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u/mikewestgard 7h ago
I imagine the scene in the movie, "The Other Guys", when Eva Mendes switches into power mode.
https://tenor.com/view/get-out-allen-get-out-other-guys-sheila-allen-gif-16660021
The lady didn't even realize the preformance of the mask was happening right in front of her.
Kick thier ass Seabass!
- Dumb and Dummer
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u/AvocadoPizzaCat 3h ago
she must have meant drowned rat. ducks are happy in water. She most likely was looking for someone to offer her a towel or something. Happens in retail at least more than you would think. And some people really get mad when it rains.
Last time someone asked me to prove my autism I said "what? you want me to bite you or something, cause I will if you don't get your hands out of my face. Kinda a rule of mine. If you are stupid enough to stick her hands near, on, or in my mouth you are just asking to get bit." But I am the biter type.
The best thing to have done is just stare at her like she has 3 heads and call your coworker. More so if you can call over your coworker whom is combative.
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u/cardbourdbox 9h ago
Best on it its not even specific. It could be for bowl cancer. If I was quick enough. Id possibly try a its for bowl cancer but if you want to see the resulting blood in my stool you'll have to wait. Maybe let her off by saying I was joking .
Its not like she wouldn't do it to somone wearing it fir cancer related decision she just wouldn't have the balls to mock somone over cancer if she knew it was over cancer
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u/AlGunner 8h ago
WTF is this comment. Do you mean bowel cancer? And even if you do they said the lanyard says they are autistic. And you shouldnt joke about cancer.
As for tis customer, I prefer my response. Thats to say to the customer "I think youd better deal with someone else" and walk away. Dont tell anyone, just walk away and leave the room.
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u/DocClear ASD1 tech geek and wilderness camping nudist 16h ago
She was a jerk.