Soapbox #1

I have an assignment for all my 5 readers!

Next time you are at a store and the cashier asks to see your ID ... smile and say, "Thanks. I really appreciate that you ask." ... and show your ID.

I started responding this way after hearing a cashier get screamed at by the person in front of me when they asked to see ID. The customer was irrate, with a purple face, and blood vessels pulsing in rhythm under their skin.

It was pretty disgusting actually. The poor abused cashier tried not to crumple under the embarassment and in a small voice tried to explain the benefits of the store policy.

By thanking the cashier who asks to see your ID, you will hear back pretty much the same answer every time ... it will be a combination of one or more of the following:

• Wow. Most people yell at me when I ask.
• No one has ever thanked me before.
• I usually get into an argument with the customer over this, and I have to try to convince them that I'm asking for their own personal safety.
• People usually get mad, but if they knew how many stolen cards I alone have come across!

And they will smile, and tell you to have a REALLY, REALLY, REALLY good day. And you can leave feeling that you've made a difference in someone's life ... or at least in their outlook on that day.