The Walmart employee was rolling her eyes. Security was heading her way fast. This lady was pissed off and good. She was yelling loudly, "It says $5.99 on the bin. This was in the bin so I expect it to cost me $5.99."
The staff here had dealt with her before. She always caused problems. The security man asked her to step over to the service desk to help complete her sale, but she wasn't having it. "No, I will NOT go to the service desk, just fix it here and now!!"
The staff didn't know her name, so she was simply labeled Karen. I didn't pay any more attention while I checked out. I'd seen these episodes in many places lately, especially since the pandemic. The world became a little more difficult and navigating this new world could get people angry. I hadn't been made to stay home since I was considered an essential worker. Therefore, my patience seemed more steady than most. Still, I could relate to people who lose their temper.
I paid up, left and realized I was following "Karen" in the parking lot. She was walking slowly and I could hear her sobbing. As I overtook her, I got a weird impulse to talk to her. "Are you alright?"
"No, I'm not ok. So fuck off!" She continued her crying but a bit louder now.