One of the box offices I work in is at 'Bankside Pier', which is by the Shakespeare Globe and... the Tate Modern! Among other companies using the pier, is the 'Tate to Tate' service (which, you may guess, goes from one Tate -- Modern -- to the other -- Britain), service for which there is NO box-office, as customers pay on board. Understandably, it's the most popular service of this pier. And it makes my days a nightmare. Example.
C.: 'One ticket to the Tate'
[note: never 'Hi', never 'Please')
T.A: 'For the Tate to Tate, you pay on board'
C.: 'Ah. When is the next one?'
T.A:'I don't know, I don't work for the Tate to Tate, but you have an information board behind you'
C.:'And how much is it?'
T.A.: 'I-DO-NOT-WORK-FOR-THE-TATE-TO-TATE (Grrr)'
Customer sighs heavily, puts lots of drama in looking annoyed (to which I want to say 'the Shakespeare Globe is behind you, not here'), pretends to be looking around, sighs again, and says: 'Where behind me?!'
T.A. (playing the idiot and pointing with a finger): 'There. BE-HIND-YOU'
Customer goes to the board. Pretends to read two seconds. Comes back and says, sounding offended and scandalised: ' There is not 'Tate to Tate' timetable there!!!'
I groan, heavily get out of my box, heavily shut the door, heavily walk to the Information Board, heavily put a finger on the appropriate part of the board, and triumphantly say:'HERE!'
Customer looks stupidly at the board, studies the timetable for a long while. Comes back to me and says with a satisfied grin: 'One return to the Tate Britain please!'
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