Down here at the pawn shop

[slang]

Pawn Stars Philli

This is a great thread. I can almost see the people coming in the shop and hear you politely tell them their stuff is useless and of no value.

Pawn Stars Vegas has Chum-Lee. Pawn Stars Philli has the Undertoad.

[Undertoad]

Well put-together woman (to me): arrtig muh namma .. p I can't - I can't -
Me: Take your time
Woman: I cann talk - I used to have those kynna camera - I work with these people have this big camera -
Me: Like a film camera?
Woman: No the first camera I had - I'm givin’ away my AGE here - a Pentax
Me: Yeah, an old film camera. We don't even take those here.
Woman: No but I'm saying, I like one of those big cameras? Not like Ashton Kutcher. I hate those Ashton Kutchers.
(Toad's note: she means the Nikon Coolpix point-n-shoots that Mr. Kutcher advertises.)
Me: Oh right, you like the bigger professional cameras.
Woman: Yes, I work with people who have those, what they called - not those camera but a different camera -
Me: A DSLR?
Woman: Yes. Because time goes so fast, you know, sometimes you see a picture of yourself with a funny face and you say, when was that? What was I doing? Like on 9/11. Time goes so fast.
Me: Oh I know. I'm 49 and for me, every year of my life takes about three months.
Woman: I'm 39! I'ma be 40 next month. This is my momma.
(Toad’s note: they both look 10 years younger than their age)
Me: She's the one who’s gonna turn 39. You're gonna turn 19. You aren't fooling me.
Woman: No haw haw haw

After some discussion, the shop decided that she was on benzos. Xanax. Couldn’t even speak at first, but got it together enough to have a conversation, which went from topic to topic really fast and had no actual point.

[Griff]

This is looking more and more like a Nuthouse training job.

[footfootfoot]

I wonder in what (in)capacity she works with people who use DSLRs?

[Undertoad]

Things went crazy this morning when there was a triple witching hour:

- It's Friday
- It's the 1st of the month
- A shop down the street that normally does money orders had their machine go on the fritz this morning

The first two mean people got their pay and their checks and are coming in to get money orders to pay their bills. The last means we got double the money order people on a busy money order day.

So the morning was so busy that we had everyone working full-speed at the same time. It was pretty amazing and the day does go faster when there is a lot of shit going on.

The good thing is that when people have money again, they are generally happy. They are coming in and retrieving their items, and the stories turn positive. Despite a busy day, there have only been two rude people so far.

~

I think I have remarked on the terrible hygiene of the ghetto people. There's no way a germophobe could ever work here. Here's a new level: the other day a woman could not get her rings off her finger to pawn them. So she stuck her entire finger in her mouth and SUCKED THE RINGS OFF HER FINGER. And then she proudly handed them to me to pawn.

I don't care, I just go wash with the anti-bacterial soap. But you always have to keep track of when you need a scrub-down. Like, before eating a sandwich for lunch. This is the only place I may wash my hands BEFORE going to the bathroom.

[glatt]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

The first two mean people got their pay...

Mean people suck.

[jimhelm]

yeah today is pretty fucked up here, too.

understaffed because everyone worked their day off during the week...

and Duke's an asshole.

[footfootfoot]

Originally Posted by glatt

Mean people suck rings off their fingers.

[orthodoc]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

I don't care, I just go wash with the anti-bacterial soap. But you always have to keep track of when you need a scrub-down. Like, before eating a sandwich for lunch. This is the only place I may wash my hands BEFORE going to the bathroom.

And train yourself to never, ever touch your face. While at work, anyway.

[footfootfoot]

Like the 3 rules of plumbing:
1. Water runs downhill
2. Payday is Friday
3. Don't put your fingers in your mouth

[DanaC]

I thought the first rule of plumbing was don't talk about plumbing...?

[footfootfoot]

That's plumbing club

[jimhelm]

SSSSHHHHHHH!!!!!!

[ZenGum]

I think I have remarked on the terrible hygiene of the ghetto people. There's no way a germophobe could ever work here. Here's a new level: the other day a woman could not get her rings off her finger to pawn them. So she stuck her entire finger in her mouth and SUCKED THE RINGS OFF HER FINGER. And then she proudly handed them to me to pawn.

"Ma'am, with skills like that, the pawn shop is not your only option..."


Hygiene wise, that job is high risk. I used to work as a desk clerk at a uni library, and would have snotty sneezing undergrads borrowing books quite often. One obviously had a cold, was carrying the book in one hand, and her handkerchief and library card in the other. Sniff, wipe, hand card.
The next person in the queue had a short wait while I went and washed.

[Sundae]

Working with junior school children carries a similar risk.
But bloody hell, I wish I was back there.