The difference between theory and practice

At times, that dissonance is distressingly profound. In theory, people are considerate, responsible, and mannerly. Spend even an hour behind the counter and that illusion is as shattered as an autistic lad at a NAMBLA convention. We all like to think of ourselves as being above boorish behavior. Everyone automatically assumes they are viewing life from the rarefied heights of sophisticated intelligence, even if they cannot spell the same four letter expletive the same way twice.

It’s nothing but pretext. I’ve seen people of every walk of life discard the veneer of civility for as long as it chafes or they think they can get away with it.

Adults are allowed to stockpile and utilize jack-off materials because they are assumed to bear the wit and character to treat it responsibly. Of course, this means that we regularly find DVD cases stripped of their movies and various magazines discarded in our parking lot, plundered to meet the whim of the moment to be valueless immediately afterward. Ignore for the moment the mindless dismissal inherent in such immediate littering, the materials, however wretched in condition they have been left, are still luridly adorned with provocative pictures, still shots of sexual congress, and tightly turgid text.

Doesn't matter if wank fodder is only a store catalog or web search away, tossing it out (in either regard) in the parking lot is not living up to the responsibility that is legally conveyed in taking possession of the items.

The arcade is also a gruesome example. In theory, customers will retire to their rooms, discretely enjoy their choice of cinema, and then leave in a considerate fashion. In reality, our custodian is in eternal contention versus the agents of entropy. Apparently being able to sit quietly on their own is too much for a mature individual as demonstrated by incidence of graffiti, whittling, prying, urination, and occasional defecation. This does not include the normal detritus of paper towels, expended lube packs, or prophylactics that many see no need to deposit in the conveniently placed waste bins.

It's this frankly disgusting disparity between ideal and reality that makes John's job so thankless and reviled. No wonder so many places find it nearly irresistible to let their arcade sections slide into seedy squalor. We're fortunate the guy we do have is so willing to nearly kill himself to keep out store clean and in good repair.

I'm quite sure there are a few people who've cringed at my words above, especially the latter, and sent forth a silent thank-you or instinctive vow to never have worked at an adult store as if this arena is prone to the worst of human behavior. Stop smiling there, Princess. Yeah, we have a few things that are statistically going to happen a bit more than other places, but by and large the more egregious transgressions can happen at any place of business.

Places that are open to and cater to the public must deal with the phenomenon demonstrated by what is labeled the "Fallacy of the Commons." To quickly summarize, things that are looked upon as belonging to the whole are also things that no one feels responsibility for. Everyone wants the benefits, but no one is willing to clean up everyone else's mess nor monitor their use, thus what is common is ultimately rendered value-less or destroyed.

I can't tell you how often some knuckle-dragging meat-sack has scurried out of here from our restroom after leaving it in shambles. It's not their bathroom, so why should they care if the sink is clogged with paper-towels or the toilet is getting ready to over-flow? They feel no responsibility for the mess. Of course, if we don't have a restroom available for their use, we're being horrible, cold-hearted people who don't trust anybody. Perhaps we have reason to be skeptical.

I was present when no less than a dozen pairs of women's panties were dragged forth from a toilet one night. No, it wasn't here. In fact, it was the men’s room of the fast food franchise that began my work history. Disturbingly, it was not the first time they'd had to deal with that type of clog. The mind still quails to contemplate what the guilty party kept doing in that lavatory.

One could hope stories of similar happenings were rare and bizarre. Unfortunately, the evidence to the contrary surrounds us. No one can enter a guest restroom without some form of trepidation as to what they might encounter. Examine a bus, subway, or other form of public transit and there will be signs of disregard. Parking lots, sidewalks, libraries, parks; someone is going to treat it like shit simply because they can. Chances are that no one will ever take them to task for their conduct.

The difference between theory and practice in retail? The presence of sure and consistent personal consequence.