The Dreaded Turnstile...and a Chapter Review

Ah the turnstile. If you don't know what one of these contraptions is, they are the spinning metal bars you go through at theme parks, subways, and bus stops...

...and Bass Pro Shop.

One of my many jobs is that of a substitute greeter/part time cashier at the local Bass Pro. Hey, you gotta do whatcha gotta do to make money, and if that means saying "Hi" to all the people that walk through the doors of an outdoor store, then by God I'm going to do it! Times are tough, and you have got to suck down your pride to get by.

Anyway, we have these to count the amount of people that come into Outdoor World every day, taking down the totals and adding them every hour. For some odd reason, people have an extreme aversion to entering the store through these things. A customer will walk up to the turnstile and hesitate, as if this is some huge obstacle they need to tackle. Some I've seen even take a deep breath, as if they are on the precipice of a cliff dive into the ocean. Often people will come up to my podium and ask, "Is there a fee?"

Being of a cynical nature, I am often tempted to say yes and charge $5 entry fee, but I withdraw from such sarcasm due to the hovering managers and the fact that I don't want a complaint on my record.

There is a gate waaay to the right for handicap people and those with strollers, and many customers would rather go out of their way and 15 extra feet plus through a gate to avoid these turnstiles. I have to dash over and catch these slippery customers so I don't get off of my precious count.

And the really strange thing is that people practically leap to EXIT through these things. They will come all the way from the registers--which have automatic sliding doors directly in front of them that have "Exit" plastered on them--to the turnstile gates and will try to exit through these.

A conversation will often follow this route: "Sir, you cannot exit through here."

"Why?"

"The exit is down there by the registers you just came from."

"Oh...well, those doors have "EXIT" written above them! That means I should be able to leave through here. You shouldn't trick people like that."

"I'm sorry sir, but due to federal fire safety codes we have to place exit signs above every door in the building."

There is a pause. "But why put 'Exit'?"

"Because of fire safety codes."

After some sort of conversation like this, the person will eventually wander to where they are supposed to go. But every now and then I will get an extremely tempermental customer that will rage at me.



"But I parked right there!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you through."

"Fuck you! I'm reporting this to Bass Pro headquarters."

"Do you want their phone number sir? I don't mind giving it to you, seeing as they will tell you the same exact thing."

After more explicatives and spittle, the customer eventually turns and leaves. I even had one report me to customer service, complaining that I gave her a hard time and lied to her about the exit. It was then that my dear manager pointed out the 2 signs on the gate that said "No Exit: Please use the doors by the front registers to leave."






And on to a completely different subject! I just finished reading the 97th chapter of the manga Full Metal Alchemist and was thoroughly satisfied. Many things wrapped up in this chapter, plus a few surprises.

All I can say is that Hohenheim is starting to surpass Roy Mustang and Alphonse Elric as far as being my favorite character. Everything about his personality and history has made him that much more awesome. All I can say is that if I heard 560,000+ voices in my head for 400 years, then I would definitely go insane. This showdown between Father and him is insane, now that Father has some sort of weird true form.

Also, King Bradley is back! And he's slicing up tanks like Raiden in Metal Gear Solid 4: Singlehandedly with swords and kicking ass. The chapter ended rather suspensefully with Greed stepping back into the picture. This fight is going to be wonderful to see.

On another random note, happy birthday Tesla!