Russ's Ravings: Grocery Store Employees Are Real Frontline Heroes

Editor's note: The following is Patch Field Editor Russ Crespolini's, hopefully, weekly column. It is reflective of his opinion alone.

For the last...how long has it been 20 weeks? 20 years? That we've been gripped by this pandemic we have called out completely justified and appropriate praise to our front line heroes.

Our first responders like our police officers and firefighters and medical personnel. Those who are out there every day risking their lives providing essential services and keeping us all safe. In fact, during some of the early days of the pandemic Patch launched an initiative to help highlight the work of these local legends.

And we got some great responses. We've since retooled it and are now looking for heroes of all types. In fact, Patch has partnered with Ring to shine a spotlight on the neighborhood heroes who are making a difference in their communities, whether it's the clerk at your local grocery store who went above and beyond to help you, the nurse who tended a sick family member or the stranger who showed you a moment of kindness.

And that first bit is what got me thinking. The clerk at my local grocery store. These are not doctors or police officers. These are not people with pensions and incredible benefits. These are often times young kids in our communities working for gas money and book money and tuition money.

But here they are, day in and day out, dealing with people coming into their store for vital goods we need to survive. And as conditions change and evolve, so have they. And on the literal front lines and the view isn't always pleasant.

These are the employees that take the brunt of the mask abuse. They are the ones being asked to tell customers to wear their face coverings. They are the ones being asked to make sure they are wearing them properly and not as chin straps.

And they do this without any authority of respect of office to back them up. They don't have guns. Or badges. Or handcuffs. Hell, half of them don't even have driver's permits yet.

But they are expected to be at their best in a society that has been pushed to its worst.

I was at my local ACME on Saturday and there were customers haranguing a stock boy about there being no food in the frozen section (Tropical Storm Isaias had robbed them of power for days). And just as I was getting ready to leave the store, the power went out again.

The shudder and sigh that went through the employees was disheartening. Angry people trying to get their debit cards to work as the system struggled to reboot under generator power, the scramble to get the automatic doors open so patrons like me could leave. The concern that the food they were trying to restock would spoil again. All laid bare.

And these are the people that take the force of our collective frustration.

Here is a fun tidbit from the area from the Hanover Police:

At a Morris County Quick Chek this week a customer, John Dedolce, 42, of Randolph, was asked by an employee to adjust his mask so it covered his nose and mouth. He refused and the employee said if he didn't, she would cancel his order at the register.

Guess what? He refused. So she canceled his order.

So according to police he then threw the food he was attempting to purchase on the floor and then tossed hot coffee on the employee, scalding her legs.

And this incident is far from isolated.

I have seen plenty of circumstances of this in retail stores as things have slowly began to reopen. And I have to say, it is disheartening to say the least.

And while the majority of my readers will not throw temper tantrums over mask wearing or treat retail employees like subhumans I am going to ask that you all try something for me.

Thank them this week.

We cannot give them the healthcare plans and pensions of police officers or the salaries of doctors. But we can give them the respect they deserve at the very least.

And the appreciation they earned.

Russ Crespolini is a Field Editor for Patch Media, adjunct professor and college newspaper advisor. His columns have won awards from the National Newspaper Association and the New Jersey Press Association.

He writes them in hopes of connecting with readers and engaging with them. And because it is cheaper than therapy. He can be reached at russ.crespolini@patch.com