Alright, today at work (I work at McDonalds and go to school full time) a place I’ve been working for over a year, I’ve gotten my first death threat. It’s something I never saw coming. I work the drive thru, and yes I’ve dealt with my fair share of angry people, but nothing like this.

The lady had ordered two coffees. I handed her the first and then the second. The way the lids are set up, there is a little spot that will sometimes get coffee on the lid. Being stupid, she turned the coffee on its side enough that it had a little drop on her jeans. She FLIPED OUT. I start to help her, trying to calm her down. I don’t even get the manger thinking I can handle this. However, when she turned to me with a calm but angry look in her eyes and said “I’m going to fucking kill you” I didn’t know how to react. So I stood there with this lame smile on my face, trying not to really take in what just happened. My brain thought to get my manger right away, but I didn’t want to freak out. I wanted to handle it myself.

A moment later she drove off angrily and I turned to my manger and told her I just got a death threat. Just telling the manager, seemed to send my emotions into a kick. I started to tear up. It wasn’t that I was scared, but I was freaked out. I see myself as an overly nice person, never got in fights, hates conflict, a people pleaser.

So my questions are, have you ever gotten a death threat? How did you react? Also feel free to comment on what happened in my story as well.

~Touch of Insanity.

No listen here, suburbanite.

The Great American Land Whale is a mammal species descended from Homo Erectus. It is known for its bouts of unintelligible rage between meals, which it consumes seven to eight times a day. Like Homo Spaiens, the extant Homo Enormous has a complex social structure and language. Unlike Homo Sapiens, it is not well adapted to running or performing complex tasks. When is gets mad and proclaims its will to see someone dead it will forget the moment it returns to its place of residence and gets a fresh pair of discount jeans on she got at Kohls. In all probability she hasn't fired a gun or has a criminal history and lacks the ability to act good on the threat. Let alone the capability to know your schedule or your place of residence so won't come to your house to brutally implode your head with a lamp.

Therefore, like online, her words are meaningless emotionally invested shenanigans with no real physical meaning to them. I've been threatened to death by my brother in fits of intense anger and I'm still kicking.

Now when it comes to Homo Gangsterus you may have a more real threat of death or severe bodily harm. When one comes with its lower skin flaps dragging against the ground you best be running. Because if you do not take their display of dominance the right way then you will have suffered what the researchers in the field call, "Having a cap busted in your ass". Homo Gangsterus almost always comes armed in some fashion or a means to attract its mates - or homies - to exact vengeance or take action on territorial, social, or personal threats.

Also no one's going to be happy ever. Or not everyone. Welcome to the wide and wonderful world of public service.

haha great reply, made me smile, but now I'm going to break your heart. I'm Canadian, and she was snobby skinny bitch. Though, I feel your grasped her soul in a nutshell.

Chill out. Chances are those were completely empty words - just spur-of-the-moment anger. And when I say 'chances' I mean pretty much for certain. Plus, you say you're Canadian; she'll probably show up tomorrow to apologize.

Unfortunately, those stories are all too common in customer service. Instances of being acted upon are rare and, at worst, you're more likely to get a notice from corporate headquarters, based on how they perceive the situation. So if nothing else, as frightening as it was, you'll probably be alright even if she comes back. Though I hope she doesn't, that shit's scarring.

I can only remember one real genuinely angry death threat. Reacted about the same as you - teared up and freaked out - with a few differences aside.

She was just letting off anger/steam.
It's not serious, she's not going to act on it.
Like Dinh humorously put it, she probably forgot about it the second she left.

Plus speaking as a fellow Canadian, you're even safer than in most places.
Canada is not a violent place, you'd have to be in the center of toronto or ran into the rare "expelled delinquent" person to feel your life is at risk.
And I highly doubt she's an expelled delinquent, and if you're in Toronto... well she's not one of the people that makes toronto more risky anyways. :P

Death Threats actually being acted upon are an insanely rare thing anyways, are normally well planned out and/or done in response to serious trauma such as constant bullying at school. Not over something small like a spilled coffee.

As for if I myself got a death threat? I probably did at some point, but stuff like that doesn't phase me. I just tune that stuff out as the person being a prick and move on.

Pepperm1nts said
Chill out. Chances are those were completely empty words - just spur-of-the-moment anger. And when I say 'chances' I mean pretty much for certain. Plus, you say you're Canadian; she'll probably show up tomorrow to apologize.

We keep a billy club under the cash register here where I work for the very rare instance someone gets violent. It's never moved from its shelf, except when we cleaned up down there.

It's all the same not unusual anymore to have someone come in and pull out a gun. Hell, I've had a grenade come out at one point.

Once they've threatened your life, all the niceties are out the window (heh). Shut the window. Call your manager. If she keeps causing shit, threaten to call the police

If you happen to land the sub-human garbage who thinks it is appropriate to get angry in public over nothing, and they get to the point where you can at least say you were afraid for your life, then you don't have to play ball with them anymore. Most people are going to side with you anyway (though I suppose that would be the shitty thing about a drive through. At least in the places where I have worked, I could play my cards right and turn everybody against the person who was angry. Maybe they will start honking if she gets loud enough.)

I got a death threat once, I was in the gas station at the grocery store where I work. The glass is bullet proof, the building was locked, I was perfectly safe. I am a vindictive asshole, I pulled out my smart phone took the bitch's picture, I wrote down her license plate, and called the police all while she was still ranting and raving. Bitch was arrested a few hours later. She's in jail.

Touch of Insanity said
Alright, today at work (I work at McDonalds and go to school full time) a place I’ve been working for over a year, I’ve gotten my first death threat. It’s something I never saw coming. I work the drive thru, and yes I’ve dealt with my fair share of angry people, but nothing like this.

The lady had ordered two coffees. I handed her the first and then the second. The way the lids are set up, there is a little spot that will sometimes get coffee on the lid. Being stupid, she turned the coffee on its side enough that it had a little drop on her jeans. She FLIPED OUT. I start to help her, trying to calm her down. I don’t even get the manger thinking I can handle this. However, when she turned to me with a calm but angry look in her eyes and said “I’m going to fucking kill you” I didn’t know how to react. So I stood there with this lame smile on my face, trying not to really take in what just happened. My brain thought to get my manger right away, but I didn’t want to freak out. I wanted to handle it myself.

A moment later she drove off angrily and I turned to my manger and told her I just got a death threat. Just telling the manager, seemed to send my emotions into a kick. I started to tear up. It wasn’t that I was scared, but I was freaked out. I see myself as an overly nice person, never got in fights, hates conflict, a people pleaser.

So my questions are, have you ever gotten a death threat? How did you react? Also feel free to comment on what happened in my story as well.

~Touch of Insanity.

No death threat, but was physically assaulted. I told the son of a bitch that respect was earned, not commanded and he needed to get out of my store.

My coworker was sneaking up behind him with something heavy at the time; he was drunk as hell and in my face yelling. The other coworker was the real candyass of this piece -- he had a phone right there and didn't dial 911.

Luckily, the big stupid drunk bastard got the hell out of my face and out of my store.

My advice is that if you are worried about your safety, do whatever it takes to get out of the situation. I had limited options and was fully expecting this cocksucker to swing at me -- he was that damn close and I wasn't going to go down like a total wimp. In your case, if you have anything between you and them, close it and yell for help.

Touch of Insanity said
Alright, today at work (I work at McDonalds and go to school full time) a place I’ve been working for over a year, I’ve gotten my first death threat. It’s something I never saw coming. I work the drive thru, and yes I’ve dealt with my fair share of angry people, but nothing like this.

The lady had ordered two coffees. I handed her the first and then the second. The way the lids are set up, there is a little spot that will sometimes get coffee on the lid. Being stupid, she turned the coffee on its side enough that it had a little drop on her jeans. She FLIPED OUT. I start to help her, trying to calm her down. I don’t even get the manger thinking I can handle this. However, when she turned to me with a calm but angry look in her eyes and said “I’m going to fucking kill you” I didn’t know how to react. So I stood there with this lame smile on my face, trying not to really take in what just happened. My brain thought to get my manger right away, but I didn’t want to freak out. I wanted to handle it myself.

A moment later she drove off angrily and I turned to my manger and told her I just got a death threat. Just telling the manager, seemed to send my emotions into a kick. I started to tear up. It wasn’t that I was scared, but I was freaked out. I see myself as an overly nice person, never got in fights, hates conflict, a people pleaser.

So my questions are, have you ever gotten a death threat? How did you react? Also feel free to comment on what happened in my story as well.

~Touch of Insanity.

Be bold, be confident, but also remember that your customers inherently know more about you than you them. Besides the name on your tag, they also know where you work, and generally speaking, when. When someone makes a threat, take it seriously, but also remember that they're probably just too stupid to be able to communicate their frustrations properly. In my industry we get a ton of the same responses too. Because of my position I am happy to tell people off from time to time, but I'm also not too proud flag a person with our security when they start making threats.

Words have power and if people don't get that, they should learn to appreciate the repercussions. A 'death threat', no matter how nonchalant, isn't okay in the situation you described.

Well said, Lo Pellegrino.

I did once evict a customer when he exchanged words with one of my employees, which included homophobic slurs (the employee in question is quite openly gay) and threats of violence. I honestly did try to reason with this gentleman, but he decided to get cute and push me, so I put him in an armlock and marched him out the door with help from one of my other employees. We took his photo and informed him that if he came back it'd become a police matter. Haven't seen him since, thankfully.

The reason this guy decided to pick a fight? We accidentally gave him the wrong drink.

Some people just have a chip on their shoulder, and think that it's okay to abuse people who they think don't matter, for instance wait staff at a restaurant. They're wrong, and you have every right to be treated with courtesy and respect. That person should not have threatened you over something inconsequential.

All these people suggesting to call authorities, get violent or treat the threat as legit seriously makes me question how much experience they have with nasty/vicious people. :/

I can understand being freaked if you're not used to vicious people, it can come up as a red alarm. But anyone with decent exposure to such nasty people learn quickly it's far more bark than anything else, and that freaking out over it only serves to make yourself more scared and worked up over it.

Magic Magnum said
All these people suggesting to call authorities, get violent or treat the threat as legit seriously makes me question how much experience they have with nasty/vicious people. :/I can understand being freaked if you're not used to vicious people, it can come up as a red alarm. But anyone with decent exposure to such nasty people learn quickly it's far more bark than anything else, and that freaking out over it only serves to make yourself more scared and worked up over it.

I work in the Recreational Marijuana industry in Marketing and Public Relations. When I go onto the floor to see how our retail staff is doing, I've encountered irate, political opposers bold enough to actually spit on an employee. Likewise, I have had customers become pissed off because our coloured members of staff, including myself, could now 'sell pot legally', before going on to stating it should be an all white industry since those seem to do the best. Death threats? I've had a few, usually not too serious, but if someone is so apathetic that they believe that's alright to say to another person, in my opinion, they deserve to be taken seriously -- if nothing else, than to teach them that every human being they speak to deserves respect.

It has nothing to do with inexperience, Magic, and everything to do with righting a common disrespect for those in undervalued positions (ex. retail, food, etc.) where people think it's totally fine to demean and be downright nasty.

Personally I did try and brush it off. I was told by my manger that if it were to ever happen again close the window and get the manger. Even if it's not really meant and never would be carried out we'd have to take it seriously. Maybe, not calling the cops right away, but if it were to go to far, then we would call the cops. Though I've loved all your comments.

Also as taking death threats seriously, even if people really don't mean it, my younger sister in high school got into a pickle because of something like this. A group of her and her friends were writing death threat song lyrics that were implying to hurt and kill another student. the student's girlfriend called the cops and at 10:30 at night a cop showed up at our door and told her, even if she didn't mean it how serious it is. If you're reported making a threat to someone's life, if anything happens to that said person (can't remember for how long) the cops will always come to you and question you think you hurt them.

Lo Pellegrino said they deserve to be taken seriously

This is exactly what I'm getting at.

Now, I do have sympathies for your situation. Those people are assholes, your skin colour has nothing to do with your ability or right to sell a product at a certain store.
But taking it seriously is just that, taking it seriously. You are giving acknowledge and credit to it, which in the eyes of the one making the said threat only further validates the threats and let's them them they may actually have the power to do it (even if they in all likelihood wouldn't regardless).

I mean, if there are past actions to indicate they are actually able and willing to do said acts?
Such as say the guy giving the threat just got into a bloody fight, the guy threatening people of colour has actually closed places with people of colour or fired coloured employees?
Then that adds legitimate concern and worry, enough that it's not just empty words and you should be trying to act on it.
But the majority of the time it's not that, it's hot air. Hot air that only get's encouraged/reinforced when people take it seriously.

Touch of Insanity said Also as taking death threats seriously, even if people really don't mean it, my younger sister in high school got into a pickle because of something like this. A group of her and her friends were writing death threat song lyrics that were implying to hurt and kill another student. the student's girlfriend called the cops and at 10:30 at night a cop showed up at our door and told her, even if she didn't mean it how serious it is.

Honestly, I think the cops mainly take that stuff seriously because of pressure and diluting.
Pressure as in pressure from concerned/over-protective parents for the Cops to do something and diluting so they can try to sort out fake death threats from the real ones from when a case is underway.

Now, I do want to clarify.
I am not defending death threats in the slightest, they are shitty thing to do and no one should stoop to that level, ever.
But I don't think we're helping the matter by treating every one of them like it's a serious threat/ordeal.

Touch of Insanity said If you're reported making a threat to someone's life, if anything happens to that said person (can't remember for how long) the cops will always come to you and question you think you hurt them.

That's only logical. If the person was actually hurt/harmed, it means someone meant harm.
So logically the easiest place to look first are those who expressed desire to hurt them, even if the odds are low it's better than nothing.
It's a lead, police follow leads. Plus, they probably don't even think you hurt them most of the time. But they have to keep appearances of that they're certain/positive about what they think, it's a common tactic used by authority figures, parents, teachers, admins/moderators, bosses, you name it.

Magic Magnum said All these people suggesting to call authorities, get violent or treat the threat as legit seriously makes me question how much experience they have with nasty/vicious people.

Death threats are a dime a dozen where I work. I rarely get them because I work nights for an extra sixty-five cents an hour. I have a crappy job, but some pathetic prick with a rolex driving a Mercedes wants to give me crap, I will do my damndest to ruin his life. So the few times I do get them, all it does is me piss me the fuck off. So I retaliate by having their pathetic ass thrown in jail. Then I hope and pray they get raped by their cell mate(s).