posted
So I worked all day at Jazzfest yesterday, and then I had a night show downtown.
Everything was actually going pretty well, aside from the parking nightmare. It took me about an hour to find a spot. But I got in there, and the manager was really nice and showed me where they'd set up a table for me to put out the CDs I was selling. The table was empty. There was some kind of cardboard thing with some shirts stuck to it, but it was way in the back, and it looked to me like someone might've forgotten it there the night before.
Oh, and by the way, Matt Groening was hanging out outside the club. He might've come in at some point; I'm not sure.
Anyways, I set to work putting together this ridiculously neat, elaborate display. As I was finishing up and making price tags, this guy walked in the door and noticed what I was doing. Now, people had been walking by and wondering what I was doing the whole time, so I didn't think much of it. He kind of grinned and said something like, "Oh, what the hell, I already set up all of this..." Blah blah blah. He had a laminate around his neck, so I figured he was some band guy kidding around with me or something, and I gave him kind of a half-assed smile and went back to my price tags.
Then he brought a woman over. They stood in front of the table, and he spoke with her in a very animated fashion. But he didn't say anything to me, so I just shrugged it off.
Then he came over, got in my face, and said, "Look, you need to move your f'ing s***. This is so unprofessional. If you're going to do merch, you need to show up EARLY, at LOAD IN. [The guy I was working for] should know better." And so forth, in a very angry, insulting manner.
Ooooohkay. I've taken enough abuse at Jazzfest already. So without a word, I pack everything up and put it back in my backpack. By this point, I'm starting to cry. There's a limit to the amount of this kind of thing I can take, and for some reason, everyone associated with Jazzfest this week has treated me like scum. That was sort of the last straw.
So I pack everything up and run to the bathroom. On my way out, I passed by the table, The guy was finally actually putting together his display. He looked at me, and I asked, "Was it really necessary to get in my face and insult me over this?"
Well, that did it. Again. He started screaming at me. Except this time, he was telling me that he didn't want to get personal with me. And at the same time, he THREATENED me. Something along the lines of, "I don't know what you want me to do, but you DON'T want me to come over there..." And something, I don't know. Anyways, the gist was clear. So I told him that was crap. Then he told me that he offered to give me some space on the table, and apparently I refused. I do not remember this refusal, but honestly, by this point, I wouldn't have shared the table with that guy for a million dollars. Okay, maybe for a million dollars...
It just doesn't make any sense to me. If he'd come up to me and introduced himself and said, "Hey, I'm setting up the merch for Band X; is there some way we can share this space?" I would've been more than happy to do so. But I honestly didn't think he was serious the first time he talked to me. And he went from joking around to IN YOUR FACE CURING MAD with no in-between stage.
Anyways, the whole thing was just incredibly upsetting. I was going to leave, but I had to wait for someone to walk me to my car. And by the time that could happen, I felt guilty about leaving the show. So I said that I would set up somewhere else, as long as I didn't have to deal with that guy.
It actually turned out okay for me, before I started puking everything that I put in my stomach, even ginger ale. The woman that the guy brought over came up to me and basically told me that she'd told him that he was full of it. And she gave me her business card...apparently, she helps put together the festival shows and stuff in Texas. She was a really nice lady.
Except then I got sick and almost ended up going to the emergency room last night.
So, urgent care clinic this morning, it is. Someone needs to fix me!
posted
Good golly! What an awful experience. That rude and obnoxious guy may have been in some kind of drug-induced state that altered his normal discourse. You know -- band types.
Good luck at the clinic, I hope you are feeling better really soon. Just lay around and watch videos and get rest and then when you are feeling better, you can connect with the Texas business card lady and talk over what happened and what you can do to avoid such nonsense again in the future.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< pH >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> What a jerk! That guy has serious anger management problems.
You don't let anybody treat you badly! You hear? All of hatrack will come and beat them up! Slash will come beat them up! Then they'll behave, I bet. You have the inalienable right to be treated in a professional and courteous way by everyone you work with. Jerky people tend to vent at those they perceive to be powerless, like the young, females, or those in menial positions. It's absolutely a rule of nature among jerks and bullies that they are polite to those in power and horrific to those they perceive to be beneath them.
The thing you have to learn to do (and it's horrible that you should even have to learn this, but to get by in that world, you may) is to show them that they've made a bad mistake in thinking that you are powerless. You can do this by your inability to be ruffled, by your stillness and silence, and by your withering scorn. One of the things that often works is to blink at the person making a huge ass of themselves with calm incredulity and ask "I beg your pardon?" in a haughty or surprised-amused voice. If all that fails, and if they physically threaten you, then feel free to pick up a nearby pole or two-by-four, or anything handy, and wale them with it.
To be completely proper, it's considered nice to apologize to them once they're on the floor, and ask if they're okay, and say "You scared me, I acted out of instinct, I hope I didn't hurt you." That is what I would do if I had to work with that person again, in other words. It's much better that way than to treat it as an assault that you successfully fended off, because no police are needed, and nothing official, which would hurt your career. It's much better to carry the power with you in your own person, in other words, and not have it depend on any authority to enforce.
posted
I was at the doctor for a good six or seven hours. They hooked me up to an IV and gave me the good drugs. I had to call one of my friends to pick me up. Apparently, he was doing some work thing because he showed up in his police uniform, driving his patrol car. I wasn't entirely conscious when he got there. He had to take me to the hospital to get an ultrasound, and I kept falling asleep in the ultrasound room. I'm going to call the GI doctor that the clinic doctor suggested when his office opens tomorrow.
And when I got home, I passed out and had interesting dreams. I'm using the fact that I can't really feel my stomach as an opportunity to put a few calories into it. I think I've reached my food limit, though. I probably won't eat much again for a few days.
I'm definitely going to call the business card lady. Or maybe email her so she can't tell that I'm still kind of out of it.
posted
Well, it's not my gallbladder or my spleen or my kidneys, so says the ultrasound...the last time I went, they told me it was gastritis. If they told me anything different today, I don't remember. But I have to see a specialist, so maybe he'll be able to tell me more.
posted
Well, keep us posted. I'm all for your waking up tomorrow feeling great, and never really knowing what the problem was.
Posts: 16059 | Registered: Aug 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I'm still alive, and I'm feeling much better! I'm eating real food! And also, I got a trial pair of those Pure Vision contacts today. TV tells me that I will now be able to see the lions on the hood of my car in HI DEF TO THE XTREME!!!!!!!!
And I so need my lions to be in hi def.
My boyfriend took yesterday off work (his first day off since Fat Tuesday) and took me out on a date.
posted
Oh, I forgot...I got a rash at the point on my arm where they put the IV in. Two bands of it looked like they were from the bandage they put on it after, but there is a small blister where they inserted the needle. Usually, I just get some nasty-looking bruises from needles. I went to student health, and they gave me cortisone cream and said I was probably allergic to the adhesive or the plastic or latex or else the IV had just irritated my skin.
Well thanks, student health. It's good to know that oh, you may be allergic to latex or something, but we're not sure, so here, take this nice cream and be on your merry way.
It's clearing up, though. The red bands on my arm, anyway. The blister looks pretty much the same but less red.
posted
Glad you are feeling better. If you are allergic to latex, you should know that you are not only allergic to medical gloves but also party balloons and condoms. Just so you know.
And for the rash thing on your arm, I don't know what they could do for you besides give you some cortisone cream and send you on your merry way. What were you hoping they'd do?
And if you have gastritis, you should see a specialist to find out what is causing it. Sometimes it is caused by a tricky little bacteria, Helicobacter Pylori (H. Pylori, to friends). Antibiotic treatment can clear it up. And some stomach medicine will make you feel better, too.
Good luck with the business card Texas lady.
Posts: 10397 | Registered: Jun 2005
| IP: Logged |
posted
I was hoping they would at least refer me to someone who could help me figure out if I had developed a latex allergy or not. I think it's kind of important to know.
They tested me for that H. pylori bacteria; they drew a bunch of blood, and the clinic has a lab in it. I'm definitely making an appointment for the specialist.
It looks like another blister is trying to form on my arm. I am rather concerned.
Business card lady has already emailed me back; she seems very cool. She's asking about my work experience and such. And I have learned that although I don't feel like I've done much of anything, apparently I've actually gotten somewhere, music industry wise, for a 21-year-old.
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
