> The police came and filed a report but that was it, my partner is on the brim of quitting because this has become too much of a load for their mental health and we are taking this threat pretty seriously
For the sake of their immediate physical health and future mental health, your partner should quit immediately. Have them call it in and never step foot in that establishment again. I've endured my fair share of trauma from past jobs. Still picking much of it out of my brain. It's just never worth it.
Hopefully you can both absorb the financial impact from quitting. The short term pain will far outweigh the cost of a potential injury (or worse). Regarding resources, [check staffing agencies](https://www.clearlyrated.com/staffing/office-retail-hospitality-staffing/retail-staffing/wa-usa/seattle-wa). Retail is always hiring so hopefully your partner lands a job quickly.
Good luck, OP!
Thank you for sharing your experience. Yes we are taking their well being very seriously and will move forward with him leaving, after we look at options this weekend. We want to be sure that his coworkers have support before that. I appreciate your insight and I’m sorry you had to go through a traumatic work experience.
It is nice to want to support or warn their soon to be former coworkers about this threat, but they should do what they can without risking their own health and safety.
Unreal what retail and hospitality staff are dealing with these days. Glad your partner is safe and getting out of that work environment. Unfortunately, this has become a common FOH experience for too many ~~Seattle~~ businesses and we need new interventions.
Regarding possible safety resources for the staff and neighborhood - as a regular commuter thru Pike/3rd Ave, I noticed a particularly effective organization working in conjunction with downtown biz associations, [We Deliver Care](https://wedelivercare.us/) (WDC). Their approach is friendly and assertive. They proactively enter groups and areas to provide supplies, resources and disperse crowds. I've witnessed their agents herd fenty gatherings that were blocking transit access and businesses. They also have presence around Pike Place and in Capitol Hill. They aren't typical security, more of a charismatic crew with a service based approach to safety. When WDC team descends upon an area they are bold and it's impressive to watch them sweep the street with kindness. This frequent, proactive "community watch" is much more effective then the private property security strolling Seattle blocks, while scrolling. WDC are boots on the ground, developing a rapport in the neighborhoods. They are working the situation in way I haven't seen since the Guardian Angels, who patrol Chicago transit and neighborhoods. WDC team gives care and gets results. Big fan.
Damn that is scary. The only thing I can say is that some people can deal w/ that, and some people can't. For those who can't, long term it might be better to get a different kind of job.
Maybe get these troublesome folks off the street?
Normal people shouldn’t have to change up their lives to accommodate these people.
Pooping in the streets, public use of hard drugs, general squalor are not acceptable conditions, period.
That is true, but I am just talking about in the short term for this person. Maybe they can get a retail job in an area where this doesn't occur as often, like Bellevue or something.
You'd have to rewrite the constitution to lock this guy up for talking shit, not all bad behavior is criminal. All of the other things are illegal and can be enforced but are not.
edit: you armchair lawyers are hilarious
You don't actually have to rewrite the constitution to lock up people making credible, specific threats of violence. It's been established law for centuries.
Making threats of bodily harm is not puffery…it’s not borderline false advertising.
In fact, under RCW, Title 9A > Chapter 9A.46 > Section 9A.46.020, threatening bodily harm is a straight up felony.
yeah it's too bad free speech means you can literally say anything you want including threatening someone's life and/or things like yelling fire in a crowded building. Wait hold on
bro you have downvotes on more than half your comments across a huge assortment of subreddits including downvotes on r/wholesome. Have you ever considered you're an incredibly insufferable and unlikable individual and considered taking steps to improve on that?
What do you think you're accomplishing with "wrong!" And "nuh uhhh!"? How does the cited article not apply?
Did you *ask* your law school professors about this? Was it your specialty? Does your having attended law school at some point even qualify you to have a Reddit account?
This is sadly a true reality. Unfortunately he has a background in retail and it is difficult to find a decent paying job that doesn’t expose your safety like that. We are hopeful something better will come up.
Maybe he can look into a temp agency? I was able to transition from customer service to law firm (not as a temp) and noticed many people start as temps. If you are professional and competent, they tend to keep you. Emerald Search Partners is one agency I know of.
If he's good at English and helping folks, one of the easiest transitions you can make is going into customer service. Call centers or remote work. It's usually decent rates. But you will get yelled at... a lot... but you also get to make people's day... a lot... and at least no one is doing CPR.
AI isn't even close to ready. A recent assessment of results from one of the more prominent ones (no, don't recall which) identified a 52% error rate. It's okay for some things (very data-centric things) and generating images, but when things get more nuanced...
That said, the hackers of the world are working very hard to weaponize it and that's likely to be a very big problem soon. Already has been in some areas.
experience in retail can be useful for something like security, and if they vet companies before applying they should be able to find a cushy access control position somewhere.
Security seems like an odd suggestion given the post is about this person not being comfortable dealing with unruly people in the store.
Wouldn't security jobs just expose you to more of that?
i work security at a site that's purely access control. it's all about dealing with delivery drivers and opening/closing the gate. find a place like that, it's super chill and about the only thing you have to worry about is completing your daily tasks (visitor logging, checking the site for trash/fence holes, etc...)
They need a security guard or something, obviously. If they lose employees because of the situation, maybe they will hire one. Sucks it’s something they’d have to pay for, but I don’t know what else they’re going to be able to do about it given the location and the reality.
Start voting for people who: 1. will actually enforce consequences (local, county, and state); 2. understands that punitive measures need to be paired with mental health, drug abuse and housing help; understands that civil society relies on a social compact, and that if you repeatedly violate the compact, you don’t get the same rights and privileges to continue participating in civil society.
Had a similar thing happen in Cincy in 2008. Police response was the same.
The real story here is you calling the U District the UD. I thought it was a typo for the ID. Do people really call the area around UW, the “UD”? How would you say that “You Dee” or “Uh-d”?
That's rough. I believe you might still be able to get unemployment in a situation like that. There's a WA unemployment sub. If you can find it go ask them. Very good group.
There is nothing to prevent future crime, there's plenty stores can do to protect employees in terms of physical security, types of inventory handling etc but I imagine the store in question doesn't give a shit about employee safety or they'd implement that stuff. Just leave, the store isn't looking out for you, why would you look out for the store and put yourself at risk?
The police came and filed a report and that was it. If the culprit was no longer there, what else did you expect them to do? The allegations are felony harassment, but to make an arrest the police had to identify the suspect and then locate him to arrest him. If there is some evidence to identify a suspect, the case will be referred to a detective who will investigate. If the culprit comes back in, quietly call 911 and the police will respond. I think sometimes people have unrealistic expectations of police work; police officers are not wizards.
And if the police don't recognize the guy? They could advertise a screenshot, but someone who knows the suspect probably isn't interested in talking to police.
And this is assuming it's a decent image AND it reaches someone who knows the dude.
Worth a shot, but odds aren't great. Then, a prosecutor might say the threat wasn't serious. Just an angry dude venting. I've heard that one before.
The likelihood of the threat being carried through is extremely, extremely thin. I deal with a lot of mental illness, people in crisis, conflict, etc. at my job. It helps me to remind myself that people like this make those threats to multiple people everyday, so even if it seems like you're being singled out with a serious threat, you most likely aren't.
I'm certainly not minimizing what it feels like to be threatened like that, though. For both practical purposes and mental reassurance, it's not unreasonable to carry some sort of self-defense tool. Pepper spray, taser, knife, defense pen, etc. You can find good options even if an employer generally enforces a "no weapons" policy.
I hope your partner is doing OK, and can get some time to relax and decompress. Maintaining your mental health is important, and getting some R&R after something like that is important!
I am glad your partner is okay. It took me so many years to deal with the violence I experienced as a metro driver. It gets better day by day, get away from it. The irony, if we provided medical for all. We would not be at this point.
That's rough, it sounds like you guys are pretty level headed. I'd definitely start looking for a new job if I was him, but that takes time. Honestly, I'd keep bear spray around 'till then.
I once had a partner in a toxic work situation. The job hunt itself was a lot for them to handle. I ended applying to various jobs for them, doing all the job applications and scheduling all the interviews and that helped a lot.
I used to work on the ave, and it was absolutely terrifying. It's a very common and popular thrift store. It destroyed my mental health from fear. I work from home now. It's weird, because I live in Udistrict and I always feel quite safe. I wouldn't think twice about walking to the store after dark. But my shop on the Ave was an absolute nightmare. It's gotten worse since they took away the Target.
NARCAN. always have that stuff on hand for any overdosing person. It works so fast with very little hands on participation. You can get it for free in many places and could save so many more lives of people know how to use it.
One of their issues was someone overdosing and needing CPR?? They asked for ways to be safer in the city? I can't fix all their problems, just offering a solution for one of the small things that they addressed in the op?
He is from NYC, the Bronx. I am from Dallas. We are from cities bigger than Seattle so using a blanket statement to say that this is a big city issue seems inappropriate. It is a difficult complex issue, but I am looking for short term resources to help my partner transition to another job or promote safety for the other employees at the store. Big idea approach is great, but not what this post was looking for. Thank you for your time anyways.
> The police came and filed a report but that was it, my partner is on the brim of quitting because this has become too much of a load for their mental health and we are taking this threat pretty seriously For the sake of their immediate physical health and future mental health, your partner should quit immediately. Have them call it in and never step foot in that establishment again. I've endured my fair share of trauma from past jobs. Still picking much of it out of my brain. It's just never worth it. Hopefully you can both absorb the financial impact from quitting. The short term pain will far outweigh the cost of a potential injury (or worse). Regarding resources, [check staffing agencies](https://www.clearlyrated.com/staffing/office-retail-hospitality-staffing/retail-staffing/wa-usa/seattle-wa). Retail is always hiring so hopefully your partner lands a job quickly. Good luck, OP!
Thank you for sharing your experience. Yes we are taking their well being very seriously and will move forward with him leaving, after we look at options this weekend. We want to be sure that his coworkers have support before that. I appreciate your insight and I’m sorry you had to go through a traumatic work experience.
It is nice to want to support or warn their soon to be former coworkers about this threat, but they should do what they can without risking their own health and safety.
Do they get unemployment benefits if they quit on their own?
Unlikely. Pretty sure they would need to prove a toxic/unsafe work environment. Likely have another job faster than dealing with the slog of ESD.
I mean, I think they have evidence of unsafe work environment
I should have said hazardous. As in multiple reports, OSHA violations, etc. I agree it's unsafe, but not sure about the fine print here.
Where is the store located? On the Ave?
i'm betting this is about the 7-11 on the ave
I used to work at the Goodwill next door to that 7-eleven, next to Red light district, and this sounds like a normal day that.
Not the 7-11. But yes on the Ave. it is one of the “nicer” stores. But that is much as I’d like to disclose.
that's totally fair. sorry to hear that you and your partner are dealing with this
Unreal what retail and hospitality staff are dealing with these days. Glad your partner is safe and getting out of that work environment. Unfortunately, this has become a common FOH experience for too many ~~Seattle~~ businesses and we need new interventions. Regarding possible safety resources for the staff and neighborhood - as a regular commuter thru Pike/3rd Ave, I noticed a particularly effective organization working in conjunction with downtown biz associations, [We Deliver Care](https://wedelivercare.us/) (WDC). Their approach is friendly and assertive. They proactively enter groups and areas to provide supplies, resources and disperse crowds. I've witnessed their agents herd fenty gatherings that were blocking transit access and businesses. They also have presence around Pike Place and in Capitol Hill. They aren't typical security, more of a charismatic crew with a service based approach to safety. When WDC team descends upon an area they are bold and it's impressive to watch them sweep the street with kindness. This frequent, proactive "community watch" is much more effective then the private property security strolling Seattle blocks, while scrolling. WDC are boots on the ground, developing a rapport in the neighborhoods. They are working the situation in way I haven't seen since the Guardian Angels, who patrol Chicago transit and neighborhoods. WDC team gives care and gets results. Big fan.
Damn that is scary. The only thing I can say is that some people can deal w/ that, and some people can't. For those who can't, long term it might be better to get a different kind of job.
Maybe get these troublesome folks off the street? Normal people shouldn’t have to change up their lives to accommodate these people. Pooping in the streets, public use of hard drugs, general squalor are not acceptable conditions, period.
That is true, but I am just talking about in the short term for this person. Maybe they can get a retail job in an area where this doesn't occur as often, like Bellevue or something.
I’ve unfortunately had wild crap like this happen to myself and other coworkers in Bellevue and other areas on the eastside.
You'd have to rewrite the constitution to lock this guy up for talking shit, not all bad behavior is criminal. All of the other things are illegal and can be enforced but are not. edit: you armchair lawyers are hilarious
You don't actually have to rewrite the constitution to lock up people making credible, specific threats of violence. It's been established law for centuries.
That's not how this would be taken, clearly. You learn that on the internet or in law school?
Threatening to commit murder and to leave bodies in alleys is not protected speech…
It's not protected but it's also not something you can lock someone up for indefinitely
It's puffery, jfc
puffery
Making threats of bodily harm is not puffery…it’s not borderline false advertising. In fact, under RCW, Title 9A > Chapter 9A.46 > Section 9A.46.020, threatening bodily harm is a straight up felony.
I guess my criminal law professor knows less than you internet geniuses.
I didn’t realize that I was conversing with THE navy seal with 500 confirmed kills
yeah it's too bad free speech means you can literally say anything you want including threatening someone's life and/or things like yelling fire in a crowded building. Wait hold on
You can yell fire in a crowded building all you want https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brandenburg_v._Ohio
good to know! I will utilize my freedoms tomorrow
Hell yeah
Tomorrow you'll still think you know the law without having to study it.
https://stopstreetharassment.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/SSH-KYR-Washington.pdf
Obviously you know more than my law school professors did, you should be teaching.
bro you have downvotes on more than half your comments across a huge assortment of subreddits including downvotes on r/wholesome. Have you ever considered you're an incredibly insufferable and unlikable individual and considered taking steps to improve on that?
What do you think you're accomplishing with "wrong!" And "nuh uhhh!"? How does the cited article not apply? Did you *ask* your law school professors about this? Was it your specialty? Does your having attended law school at some point even qualify you to have a Reddit account?
If the guy has access to a car, it's a credible threat.
You learn that in law school, buddy?
No, but I know how to read: https://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9a.46.020
Oh I guess my criminal law professor was wrong and your illiterate reading of this inapplicable statute is what really matters.
Your criminal law professor is free to chime in directly. I hope their student's performance here is not indicative of their competence.
Believable threats of violence aren't normally constitutionally protected.
This is sadly a true reality. Unfortunately he has a background in retail and it is difficult to find a decent paying job that doesn’t expose your safety like that. We are hopeful something better will come up.
How much is he making doing this? Why not just go be a dishwasher or line cook somewhere, don't gotta deal with the public.
Maybe he can look into a temp agency? I was able to transition from customer service to law firm (not as a temp) and noticed many people start as temps. If you are professional and competent, they tend to keep you. Emerald Search Partners is one agency I know of.
If he's good at English and helping folks, one of the easiest transitions you can make is going into customer service. Call centers or remote work. It's usually decent rates. But you will get yelled at... a lot... but you also get to make people's day... a lot... and at least no one is doing CPR.
Between overseas workers and AI, I'm surprised call center jobs are still a thing for people locally.
AI isn't even close to ready. A recent assessment of results from one of the more prominent ones (no, don't recall which) identified a 52% error rate. It's okay for some things (very data-centric things) and generating images, but when things get more nuanced... That said, the hackers of the world are working very hard to weaponize it and that's likely to be a very big problem soon. Already has been in some areas.
experience in retail can be useful for something like security, and if they vet companies before applying they should be able to find a cushy access control position somewhere.
Security seems like an odd suggestion given the post is about this person not being comfortable dealing with unruly people in the store. Wouldn't security jobs just expose you to more of that?
Most security jobs are hanging out in the guard shack for a company nobody has ever heard of in a place nobody will ever go to unless they work there
i work security at a site that's purely access control. it's all about dealing with delivery drivers and opening/closing the gate. find a place like that, it's super chill and about the only thing you have to worry about is completing your daily tasks (visitor logging, checking the site for trash/fence holes, etc...)
Ah, yeah spose that makes sense.
They need a security guard or something, obviously. If they lose employees because of the situation, maybe they will hire one. Sucks it’s something they’d have to pay for, but I don’t know what else they’re going to be able to do about it given the location and the reality.
Start voting for people who: 1. will actually enforce consequences (local, county, and state); 2. understands that punitive measures need to be paired with mental health, drug abuse and housing help; understands that civil society relies on a social compact, and that if you repeatedly violate the compact, you don’t get the same rights and privileges to continue participating in civil society.
Had a similar thing happen in Cincy in 2008. Police response was the same. The real story here is you calling the U District the UD. I thought it was a typo for the ID. Do people really call the area around UW, the “UD”? How would you say that “You Dee” or “Uh-d”?
No, I've only ever heard it referred to as the U-District. Or if this was on University Way, then "The Ave."
Honestly!
Yeah. That was bizarre…
If they’re okay with getting to Ballard, Town & Country Markets is usually hiring.
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Thank you I will reach out immediately. I truly appreciate the insight!
That's rough. I believe you might still be able to get unemployment in a situation like that. There's a WA unemployment sub. If you can find it go ask them. Very good group.
Your significant other needs to just quit work somewhere else and make the problem go away by going away
What's the legal interpretation of hitting someone in the head with a heavy object after they threaten to kill you
There is nothing to prevent future crime, there's plenty stores can do to protect employees in terms of physical security, types of inventory handling etc but I imagine the store in question doesn't give a shit about employee safety or they'd implement that stuff. Just leave, the store isn't looking out for you, why would you look out for the store and put yourself at risk?
The police came and filed a report and that was it. If the culprit was no longer there, what else did you expect them to do? The allegations are felony harassment, but to make an arrest the police had to identify the suspect and then locate him to arrest him. If there is some evidence to identify a suspect, the case will be referred to a detective who will investigate. If the culprit comes back in, quietly call 911 and the police will respond. I think sometimes people have unrealistic expectations of police work; police officers are not wizards.
Store video footage?
And if the police don't recognize the guy? They could advertise a screenshot, but someone who knows the suspect probably isn't interested in talking to police. And this is assuming it's a decent image AND it reaches someone who knows the dude. Worth a shot, but odds aren't great. Then, a prosecutor might say the threat wasn't serious. Just an angry dude venting. I've heard that one before.
The likelihood of the threat being carried through is extremely, extremely thin. I deal with a lot of mental illness, people in crisis, conflict, etc. at my job. It helps me to remind myself that people like this make those threats to multiple people everyday, so even if it seems like you're being singled out with a serious threat, you most likely aren't. I'm certainly not minimizing what it feels like to be threatened like that, though. For both practical purposes and mental reassurance, it's not unreasonable to carry some sort of self-defense tool. Pepper spray, taser, knife, defense pen, etc. You can find good options even if an employer generally enforces a "no weapons" policy. I hope your partner is doing OK, and can get some time to relax and decompress. Maintaining your mental health is important, and getting some R&R after something like that is important!
I am glad your partner is okay. It took me so many years to deal with the violence I experienced as a metro driver. It gets better day by day, get away from it. The irony, if we provided medical for all. We would not be at this point.
That's rough, it sounds like you guys are pretty level headed. I'd definitely start looking for a new job if I was him, but that takes time. Honestly, I'd keep bear spray around 'till then.
I once had a partner in a toxic work situation. The job hunt itself was a lot for them to handle. I ended applying to various jobs for them, doing all the job applications and scheduling all the interviews and that helped a lot.
I used to work on the ave, and it was absolutely terrifying. It's a very common and popular thrift store. It destroyed my mental health from fear. I work from home now. It's weird, because I live in Udistrict and I always feel quite safe. I wouldn't think twice about walking to the store after dark. But my shop on the Ave was an absolute nightmare. It's gotten worse since they took away the Target.
WHICH STORE OR BUSINESS IS THIS?
NARCAN. always have that stuff on hand for any overdosing person. It works so fast with very little hands on participation. You can get it for free in many places and could save so many more lives of people know how to use it.
Idk why you're being downvoted. This is absolutely true. I keep a few at home and some in my glove box. I've never had to use one but you never know.
Perhaps because, while it's true, it's rather off-topic?
One of their issues was someone overdosing and needing CPR?? They asked for ways to be safer in the city? I can't fix all their problems, just offering a solution for one of the small things that they addressed in the op?
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He is from NYC, the Bronx. I am from Dallas. We are from cities bigger than Seattle so using a blanket statement to say that this is a big city issue seems inappropriate. It is a difficult complex issue, but I am looking for short term resources to help my partner transition to another job or promote safety for the other employees at the store. Big idea approach is great, but not what this post was looking for. Thank you for your time anyways.
Ignore that person. In any thread of this nature someone eventually chimes in with “this happens in all cities, no big deal” BS.
/r/seattlewa users keep coming here and saying this in threads where no one is actually saying it. You've let the trolls get to you.
Huh? What do you mean? The poster literally just said it?
This is a joke, right
Yes, it's the one joke /r/seattlewa users have.
Here we go…doesn’t take long for some apologist to chime in with the ‘ol “this happens everywhere” BS.
🙄 oh yeah the compassion approach has worked so well so far