Being color blind comes with a unique set of challenges that most people will never fully understand. Having trouble distinguishing between red and green, however, is very different from being able to see a person for what they are. And one color blind grocery store employee had absolutely no trouble spotting a customer who was a massive jerk.
Below, you’ll find the full story that was recently shared on the Petty Revenge subreddit, detailing how a woman ended up paying for her rude behavior at the store.
One customer thought it would be funny to mock this color blind employee for his vision deficiency
Image credits: gstockstudio (not the actual photo)
Little did she know, he had the power to get payback while ringing up her items
Image credits: Tim Bartel (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Ben Weber (not the actual photo)
Image credits: AffectionateAuthor13
Later, the employee responded to several replies and shared additional information on the situation
Color blindness is actually quite common, particularly among men
Apparently, the woman in this story was never taught not to make fun of others for what makes them different, particularly things that they have no control over. But despite the fact that color blindness is clearly something she’s not familiar with, it’s actually quite common. According to Verywell Health, “color blindness, or color vision deficiency, refers to the inability of a person to correctly distinguish certain colors,” and about 8% of men, as well as 0.4% of women, are color vision deficient in some way. Contrary to what many people assume, most color blind individuals don’t actually see the world “in black and white,” as complete color blindness is rare, but rather have challenges differentiating between certain colors.
The most common type of color blindness is red-green, which seems to be what the cashier in this story has. Within the umbrella of red-green colorblindness are several different types: protanopia, deuteranopia, protanomaly, and deuteranomaly. Protanopia means that a person cannot perceive red light, therefore they may easily confuse red with black, or dark brown with dark shades of other colors. Deuteranopia means a person cannot perceive green light, causing them to mostly see blues and golds, while often confusing some shades of red with some shades of green. Protanomaly means a person’s L cones are less sensitive to red light than they should be, resulting in red appearing as dark grey and all colors containing red showing up as less bright. Finally, deuteranomaly is when a person’s M cones are less sensitive to green light than they should be, resulting in them seeing mostly blues, yellows and muted colors.
Color vision deficiency is typically genetic, and there are no real cures available
The vast majority of the time, color blindness is hereditary, but occasionally, individuals can have “acquired color blindness” from diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, Alzheimer’s disease, or multiple sclerosis. And while there is no cure for color blindness, it can sometimes be helpful for individuals to wear color-corrective glasses. However, most people with color vision deficiency must also learn ways to cope with the disorder, such as teaching themselves strategies to differentiate colors and using smartphone apps that use a phone’s camera to name colors.
Being color blind may actually be considered a disability in the United States, attorney Brian Spitz writes on his site. In cases where color vision deficiency significantly restricts an individual’s ability to perform a certain activity, the Americans with Disabilities Act protects individuals with color blindness. So not only was the woman in this story being rude for no reason, she was also potentially mocking multiple types of disabilities, considering the language she used as well. And although the grocery store employee only encountered this customer one time, harassing an employee can sometimes be the basis for a workplace harassment claim, especially if it creates a hostile working environment.
While color blindness brings unique challenges, it does not keep individuals from being able to properly do their jobs
Despite the challenges that being color blind comes along with, it in no way would keep this grocery store employee from being able to properly do his job. He may, on occasion, need to ask someone which particular toy they’re looking at. But talking down to him like he was a dog was cruel and inappropriate. People with color vision deficiency lead perfectly normal lives. In fact, in the United States, color blind individuals can even drive cars, as they can learn how to read signs and lights based on their positions or shapes rather than their colors. And there are few jobs that would actually be impossible for a color vision deficient individual to hold.
Being color blind does not have to greatly impair a person’s life, and while a dog’s vision is likely comparable to a person who has red-green color blindness, that information is simply a fun fact, not a derogatory statement. We would love to hear your thoughts on this brilliant act of petty revenge in the comments below, pandas. Do you know what it’s like to be color blind? Or have you ever dealt with an offensive customer like this? Feel free to share your thoughts, and then if you’re interested in checking out another Bored Panda article discussing why customers are not always right, look no further than right here!
Readers applauded the man for his brilliant act of revenge, and some shared stories of their own experiences with color blindness
The post “Christmas Dinner Might’ve Been Canceled That Year”: Employee Gets Petty Revenge On Customer After She Insults Him For Being Color Blind first appeared on Bored Panda.