1) This piece had me laughing hysterically. Thank you.

2) I believe that instead of national service, everyone should have to work in some area of customer service for a while - either something like this, or as a waiter/waitress, on a supermarket check-out, etc. That way the collective stupidity and lack of empathy directed at retail staff would hopefully diminish, and they might stand a decent chance of being treated with proper respect. As the saying goes, a person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter is not a nice person.