Wear A Mask or Go Away

 This is a post where eloquence and a specific turn-of-phrase is not a concern. If you are offended by some salty, sailor language, this might be the time to click off.

Wear a mask!

Specifically, when entering a store where it is required.

Before I get into it, I guess I should make clear these opinions are my own and in no way reflect the attitudes of anyone formally associated with Kohl’s.

We have notices on the doors that we require masks in addition to a big display by the greeter stand, including a large hand sanitizer dispenser, just 15 feet inside the store. For the people who enter maskless, we have a box of disposable masks to hand out. I would say that 90-95 percent of the people that shop wear a mask. Most that enter bare-faced take a mask as they have left them in their car and are happy that they don’t have to return, like on Christmas Eve when a steady rain fell all afternoon.

Then we have the people that so far I put into four categories.

The first is firm in his morals. This guy I actually like. He enters, has it confirmed that masks are a store policy, turns on his heels and utters a variance of “I’ll never spend another dime here,” and peacefully leaves.

Number two makes an immediate left or right turn as to avoid confrontation and goes on his way. We are not chasing him down.

The third guy will gruffly say, “I’m not wearing one,” and sourly go on his way. Again, not chasing down this jerk after we’ve aggressively challenged him.

Quick sidebar, if we were instructed to step in front of people and make them leave, I imagine more than a handful of viral videos would have been on social media by now.

The biggest asshole--to me--falls into category four and is easy to spot. He (or she) will accept the mask with no intention of ever wearing it. Or he’ll turn it into a funny hat-hilarious.

Most of the employees you encounter are seasonal workers. We’re earning money for school; supplementing a day job-there are more than a handful of teachers at my store; retired folks or those working the only job they could find during the pandemic to do what they can to bring a little more income in.

I don’t know about my colleagues, but my customer service for the unmasked is not stellar. I make a point of avoiding you. If you come to our store like that, who knows where else you’ve been or who you’ve been associating with. And if you come in late on Christmas Eve because your planning has been piss-poor, suck it up for half an hour.

Summing up:

WEAR. A FUCKING MASK!