I wanted to make a nice post between Riezz and the Flowergirl, but after something that happened just a few minutes ago, I must write something else, because this is pissing me off so bad.
My dad and I were at Courts, because I was looking for some long earphones or something to buy Wesley, or at least those earphone extensions etc.
Two of us split up (He has to buy an optical mouse) and I look for my earphones. After a while, he meets me and finds out I'm not sure where the earphones are. He points and we head there, and look around through the earphones area. Longest was a 1.2m. How long was that in comparison to normal iPod earphones? Hmm, neither of us knew. Easiest way? Ask.
Two of us head over to a sales assistant walking around on the phone (No.1), and my dad decides to ask him. He points to two others at a side sitting down at some counter. My dad is damn pissed, going on about "What kind of service attitude is this?!"
But we head over to the two fellers anyway. They ask what we need help with, and my dad tells one of them to "go to him" (Him being me of course), and meanwhile scolds the other (No.2) about their bad service attitude, wanting to see the manager and all that. I couldn't care less.
(He's been doing so before, and a number of times with the whole family around. Everyone's shown some dislike towards his actions, but he goes on anyway. I really didn't expect for him to do this in the short few minutes where we would just go to Courts for such a short while. =\)
Meanwhile I ask the other feller (No.3) about earphones, the normal iPod earphone lengths, and about extension cords linking the iPod to the earphones. He tells me that the normal iPod earphone is around 1.5m long, and 1.2m is just too short if I want anything longer than an iPod earphone. Darn. I ask about the extension cords, and he tells me that you can buy them in Courts as well. Huh? I ask where they are, and he brings me to them. All this somehow without me getting pissed, or him doing anything remotely close to being deserving of me getting pissed. Maybe it's because I SMILED AND ASKED QUESTIONS NICELY.
As we walk over to another corner of Courts, I turn my head and see my dad talking to No.1, No.2, and the manager. I overhear No.1 apologizing and explaining that he is explaining some stuff to another customer on the phone. I overhear my dad not caring, and continuing to complain to the manager on the apparant shit that the company provides.
Me: Sorry. My father's kinda like that.
No.3: Haha......
He shows me the cords, some being 5m, some being 2m, and the one I picked was 1.2m. Nifty. My dad comes over, pissed, and asks No.3 about how the lengths of the earphones are. I tell him that it's 1.2m in addition to the 1.5m the iPod earphones already have; certainly more than enough.
He decides to ask another random sales assistent as to where the counter is, as if just to try and have more things to scold the manager for. He points his finger in a painfully obvious way, and my dad realizes that the counter was in bloody plain sight. Even I could've told him that. We head to the counter, and he particularly apathetically pays up with his card, etc. I don't really see the cashier being too pleased with such behaviour either.
As we are done, we begin to head out. But my damn father says "Wait a minute, I need to talk to the manager" and goes to the manager AND COMPLAINS SOME MORE. I don't know how long he took. I don't know how much time was spent with me asking No.3 nicely about earphones, but I know sadly all that time he's been scolding No.1 and 2, and the manager.
No.3 and I look at each other. I sigh and shake my head in resignation. He laughs silently. We move away from the commotion.
After a while, he comes to me, and tells me that we're leaving. At the exit is a security guard bowing and saying "Thank you for shopping" to people leaving. He says that to my dad, and he just waves his hand at him indignantly. He bows to me silently, and I bow back. He looks at me, and smiles. I smile back.
We enter the car. I am pissed.
Me: Dad, can you not do that next time?
Dad: Why not? It is my right to expect good service. As a customer I have to be treated as such.
Me: Did you have to go and shout at a person who unfortunately was on the phone attending to ANOTHER CUSTOMER, call for the damn manager, make such a big fuss out of the entire thing?
Dad: Why not? They provide such shit services. And they talk about Singapore wanting to have better standards of service!!!
Me: Do you seriously think that shouting at them every single damn time they make a mistake is going to improve bloody service standards?
Dad: WHY NOT? WAKE THE WHOLE COMPANY UP!
Me (Oh, my gosh. This guy is braindead.)
Dad: You must know your rights. You don't be foolish like that. You see like that, Singapore how to bloody improve their standards?
Me: Maybe think for a while and realize perhaps that you may very well be the cause, and not the consequence.
*We meet up at minor traffic jam because of some weird thing going on*
Dad: See lah! Another zhar bo!
Me: Then go! Shout at him all you like! Go!
*Traffic jam ends*
Dad: You don't know your rights.
Me: You don't know that I had to apologize for you.
Dad: APOLOGIZE FOR WHAT?
Me: Because you were bloody embarrasing me!
Dad: Look, what right do they have to make you apologize?
Me: It wasn't a right! It was an obligation! I WANTED to apologize!
Dad: You don't be foolish. You think by being divine like that will work? Like that Singapore's service standards will never improve!
Me: Do I have to apparently be this divine being that you think I am? What if I just wanted to bloody save face?
Dad: WHY IS THERE A NEED TO SAVE FACE WHEN YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT?
Me: There is a damn difference between right that is legal and one that is moral! I don't care if you're only concerned about the legal part, BUT I CARE ABOUT THE MORAL PART!
Dad: I don't
Me: DO UNTO OTHERS WHAT YOU WANT OTHERS TO DO UNTO YOU. You shouted at them back there, and I'm shouting at you right now!
Dad: OK! I'M PERFECTLY FINE WITH THAT!
Me: ...glad to hear that... (No he didn't hear that)
Dad: But I tell you this now, you had no reason to do that. Remember that YOU are MY son. What moral was there? Huh?
Me: So it's wrong to apologize to someone because...argh. (I just couldn't take it. I was beginning to cry.)
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At home:
Dad: Are you still angry?
Me: YES.
Dad: You don't have to be angry, y'know.
Me: ........................................
Dad: It's just that small thing
Me: It's not just that, Dad. I've been angry at you for years. This is
Dad: What?
Me: NEVER MIND.
Then,
Dad: Ok, you listen. I explain. It's against company law to use a handphone at work. That guy was calling his friend and making personal phone calls, then I wanted to ask him a question, then talk to him and tell him that is not allowed. But he had the cheek to just shove me away and refer me to two other people to answer my question, you get what I mean anot?
Meanwhile I stare at the computer screen. Whatever he has said has not been enough to justify what he has done.
Now:
Dad: Son, listen to me.
Me: *Looking at computer screen*
Dad: Listen to me.
Me: Yes, I'm listening.
Dad: Then look at me. That is the basic minimal courtesy.
Me: And this is the minimal courtesy you provided for those other people.
Dad: Then what about the courtesy that the man provided me with?
Me: (Can't argue with that) *Turns around* Ok, I'm looking at you now.
Dad: So?
Me: ...now you don't even care about the basic courtesy.
Dad: ...look son, you have a right. But I have one too. I was going to say that if you really wanted to, I would go and stop doing such things in front of everyone when you are around. I was going to.
Me: Then why weren't you?
Dad: Because
Me: Because I turned my head around?!
Dad: *pissed, turns his head around*
Good riddance, Dad. Good riddance. Just please, stop trying and pretending to be so noble. You. Are. Not.
Someone help me.
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