A sign from a burrito shop in Phoenix, Arizona, has gone viral on r/MadeMeSmile over its straightforward yet heartfelt request to customers. Shared to the subreddit by ComputerOverwhelming, the sign implored readers to “Please respect our staff,” noting that, for many of their teenage staff members, “this is their first job.” In just a few hours, the sign had already touched the hearts of tens of thousands of online users, many of whom shared their support of the shop’s request.
ComputerOverwhelming didn’t add any additional context to their post, though the sign in the photo pretty much says all that needs to be said. Clearly, the staff at the burrito shop had experienced some negative behavior from customers in the past, forcing management to make the sign. As it says, “It is sad we need to post this, but some people need reminding.”
“Basic human decency should not need a sign,” remarked a commenter, to which thousands upvoted in agreement. “You learn a lot about a person’s character based on how they treat employees in restaurants,” said another. A third added that the fact this sign had to be put up is “heartbreaking,” but it’s ironically a ‘good sign’ that the manager cares about their employees.
Mistreating Food Service Workers Aside, Commenters Expressed How Young Teenagers Should Never Be Harassed
Others added how cruel it is to harass working teenagers as they’re still children, after all. “For real. Not to say you shouldn’t treat adults with respect as well, but I feel like it takes a special kind of [expletive] to be rude to kids,” sighed a Redditor. Dozens chimed in, sharing either their own stories or others’ experiences of being mistreated by customers at work in their early years.
The thought of suffering teenage employees made several commenters express their sympathy for what these children might experience at home and school, only to be further mistreated at work. “Plus, puberty and being so young means emotions are extremely heightened,” pointed out a user.
As another commenter put it, teenagers in today’s age often are easily overwhelmed: “Between cyberbullying, general loss of innocence due to constant internet access, the shift away from respecting education, and the shift towards normalizing narcissism and aggression over the past decade…” In other words, it’s all within every adult’s best interests to make life a little easier for the next generation.
