The day I went too far

Me:"Please"
Tesco assistant:"What, I didn't hear what you said?"
Me: "I said 'please', as in "that's £6 please". As in 'please', 'thankyou', 'hello', don't treat me like I'm invisible".

Feeling guilty later on I started to think about the times I've been less than courteous when doing my job. Couriering is a service industry and one of the golden rules is that you can't, can't, be rude to the clients no matter how rude or unhelpful they are. And that includes clients' clients. It's not that easy at times and there have even been complaints about the look that a rider gave someone. Nowadays I usually content myself with the childish but satisfying use of my middle finger to point out where they should sign.
Then I remembered The Day I Went Too Far.
I had about 6 jobs on going east (it was a while ago if I had that many jobs on at once) and the way it worked out the first one I'd picked up was the last to be delivered; my controller hadn't said otherwise so that's just how it worked out. The last package was travel documents from one of our busiest clients to a woman at a large company on Bishopsgate. When I got there she was waiting in the huge lobby and had clearly been there a while. She was not happy.
Even before I could hand over the envelope she started, wanting, demanding to know why I was so late. I tried to explain that I wasn't late, there was no deadline and that I'd actually done the jobs quickly. But that cut no ice - it often doesn't, clients tend not to appreciate that there are other clients, other deliveries. No matter how patiently I tried to explain, and even apologise, she wouldn't calm down. I suggested that there wasn't much more I could tell her, that she was asking about stuff beyond my control. No, that wasn't good enough either. By now I had had enough of being blamed for something I hadn't done. I don't remember what it was she finally said to provoke me but I know what I replied: "I hope your plane crashes".
Riding back to the west end I was expecting the call at any moment and sure enough it came. My controller asked me to come to the office.
I was sent to see the courier manager. Obviously I knew why and was wondering how I was going to talk my way out of the sack. I decided to deny everything.
My manager at that time was an unimpressive man, he resembled a blond sparrow with watery eyes. A man who could, as the old joke has it, brighten a room just by leaving it. His interrogation skills weren't exactly top notch. He asked what had happened at Bishopsgate; there had been a complaint. I said, not much, the woman was annoyed because she thought I was late. He asked me what I had said. Not much, I replied, tried to explain but she wouldn't listen. All the time looking in to his piss weak eyes and waiting for him to say it. Which he did. He quoted what I had said.
Deny deny deny. A look of outrage and shock passed across my face; how could she? I never said any such thing, why would I? I may have said something about her catching her plane but... I think I even said that *ofcourse *if any courier said such a terrible thing they would deserve the sack we all know we have to bite our tongues at times.
He asked me again. I denied it again and I realised I was safe. He knew I was lying, I knew he knew and I knew he wasn't going to sack me. Maybe because it was a client's client and not a client. Maybe because I'd worked there so long. Perhaps he just didn't have the bottle. I was relieved too because now atleast I wouldn't have to try crying as a last ditch way to get him to give me another chance.
That manager is long gone and I'm still there. I think one year I had three final warnings. But I haven't, since, wished death on any client so I guess I learned my lesson.