S.O.S. Mayday, Mayday, Mayday

So I have been pushed to the main teller line by the fact that one of our tellers has departed for good. It’s annoying, because I’m still the main operator of the drive up station, which is at the other end of the teller line, primarily because the other tellers I work with are lazy ass shits. They will act as if the tube has not just crashed to Earth behind them. Even if all four of us are helping clients, no one else will make a move to help the drive up client after they finish, even if they finish before me. There are a few random exceptions, most notably if there is a more undesirable client next in line in the lobby.

Jean is no help. She is like someone’s crazy old grandmother, hitting people with shoes and cackling madly at jokes that only she gets (like randomly quoting Joss Ackland from Lethal Weapon 2 out of context; "Diplomatic Immunity. Ha ha ha ha ha.")

And Caroline? I look at her every once in while, sitting behind her desk. She looks as if she opened her eyes and suddenly discovered she was in someone else’s place of business with no idea of how she got there. Literally. She’s looking around, her eyes narrowed, scanning the place as if trying to recognize her own branch.

I am starting to feel like I crash landed on the planet Idiot.

I am officially requesting rescue.

We Don't Take Kindly To Your Kind Here, Ma'am

The lobby is bustling today, with a line stretching to the door. We are down a teller. The ones we have are not really doing a great job dealing with the stress. I see a woman walk into the lobby, look at the line, and then walk back out. A few seconds later, at the drive up camera, I see the same woman walk up to the tube and put a transaction in. The tube crashes down into the receptacle behind us, and every client in the lobby suddenly realizes that this woman is trying to circumvent them.

In layman’s terms, she’s a dirty little line cutter.

One of the young tellers begins to get out of her chair, saying something about the woman’s ridiculous attempt to butt ahead of people.

“Leave it,” I say, “I’ll handle this.”

I let the woman wait a few moments. The teller call alert sounds out. Her highness is beckoning.

“Yes?” I say pleasantly into the microphone.

“I’m on lunch,” the woman says.

“Yes, ma’am, I’m sorry, but we generally do not accept walk ups to the drive up lane. It’s a safety issue. I will make an exception this time, but you’ll need to be patient while we help the customers at our stations.”

“I’m on lunch,” she repeated nastily.

“I understand that,” I replied calmly. “We’re very busy at the moment.”

“I’m in a rush!” she said, screeching like a Skexie from the Dark Crystal.

“I gather that,” I replied, “but so is everyone else in the branch, and their time is just as valuable as yours, so you’ll need to wait your turn.”

The next client I helped shook my hand. : )

I hope she wasn’t as important as she thought she was, or I’m gonna be out of a job.

Teller I'll Be Back

I have once again found gainful employment within Southern Star Bank, this time at the Riverhead branch. My new manager, Caroline, and my new assistant manager, Jean (who did most of the interviewing), have made me feel very welcome. I am only working 11–3 every day, which is weird, but until my back is 100%, my doctor won’t clear me to work full time. Which is okay, I could use some time to get back to 100% speed before I am thrown into closing again. I am located at the drive up station, which benefits me because it is a low chair and allows me to sit with my feet firmly on the floor. I am occasionally thrust into a more prominent station when another teller is out sick, but so far, things are going OK.

At Least I Never Did Drugs After Starring In Less Than Zero

I have at last been cleared to work. It’s only part time until my back is completely better, but at least I can get back into the rhythm of working again. I went into the Manorville branch and used one of the computers to apply for open positions, and happened to notice that there was a teller opening right there in my old branch. My manager did not say anything to me about it, however.

I felt really awkward and uncomfortable being there after that. If they hadn’t filled my old position, why wouldn’t the manager have let me know there was still an opening unless there was some sort of issue? Now I wonder if there were other issues that I would have faced had this accident not happened. Did Diana have an issue with me that made her not want me back?

I feel bad because Diana never got to see me at my best. Between my father dying, my illness, and the almost nervous breakdown due to insomnia and stress, I’ve been a train wreck since before she got here. Now you add in the factor of this car accident, and I’m like Robert Downey Jr.; damaged goods. No wonder she’s just gonna let me slip away. She doesn’t know that when I am 100%, I’m worth keeping.

Disabili-teed Off

Physical Therapy has begun in earnest. I am rehabbing my back with electro-stim, massage, heat, ultra-sound, acupuncture, and a barrage of strength and conditioning exercises that make me feel like I’m in boot camp. I can feel the rest of my body getting stronger, but my back still hurts a lot. I hope that whatever branch I end up in allows me to sit down while I am doing my job.