Minimum wage - which hasn't budged since 2009 - is $7.25 an hour in Pennsylvania. So maybe a kid working at Sesame Place makes a bit more. But probably not much.
I'm a big believer that everyone should have at least one or two really crappy jobs in their younger days - jobs that are low-skill, boring, aggravating, bottom of the work heap. Sure, fancy internships where you get to sit around pretending you're working, but are really just sitting there all day trying to figure out how you're going to position the internship on your resume - are all swell and good. But there's really nothing like a crummy job where you actually work.
And you know what? I've never met anyone who regrets for a moment that, along the way, they had those rudimentary punch-clock jobs. (Of course, most of the people I know are cranky oldsters who'd give anything to peel back a few decades or more to be working one of those jobs again.)
But if you're a 17 year old kid working at Sesame Place who got punched in the face for asking some aholes to put on a face mask, you might be wishing you had lined up something a bit cushier for the summer. (Hope their face mask provided a bit of protection.)
Anyway, this kid was "aggressively punched", and it was a twofer: punched by a female and by a male. Who threw the haymaker? The left uppercut? Nice to see some equality of asshole-ishness, isn't it? I'm sure proud!
But these creeps aren't vibing Fred Rogers. Instead, they're showing their kids how to be belligerent, violent, no-nothing jerks. While, of course, interpreting their behavior as standing up for their rights, not getting pushed around by a punk kid, etc. Sheesh. Even Oscar the Grouch would be perplexed by this.
There was no push back when the teen first approached the guests to remind them to wear their masks, according to CNN affiliate WPVI. But later, when the employee reminded them a second time, the guests turned violent. It's unclear where in the park these encounters took place...
After punching the employee, both guests left, along with their party, accordintg to WPVI. It's unclear if they were asked to leave or left on their own account. (Source: CNN)
No one's been arrested yet, but there are surveillance videos and reservation forms that have let the police make a tentative ID.
Seriously, what is wrong with people?
You take your kids to Sesame Place, it's supposed to be a happy time. You get to see Bert & Ernie, and Big Bird. It's all about acceptance, inclusiveness, kindness, being good to people. I've never been, but I imagine that, alongside the "let's get you to spend money on crap" vibe, there's also a channeling of Mr. Rogers.
But these creeps aren't vibing Fred Rogers. Instead, they're showing their kids how to be belligerent, violent, no-nothing jerks. While, of course, interpreting their behavior as standing up for their rights, not getting pushed around by a punk kid, etc. Sheesh. Even Oscar the Grouch would be perplexed by this. And Elmo? Poor little Elmo? What must he be thinking?
I hope they catch the jerks who disturbed the Sesame Street peace. I hope the kid who got punched is okay. At least they'll have a good story to tell when they're an old geezer reminiscing about the crappy jobs they had when they were a kid.
Kermit the Frog taught us that it's not easy being green. This episode teaches us that, in a time of COVID, it's not easy working at Sesame Place.
As a mom who had Sesame Street on our TV every day and can probably still sing every song with a little prompting, I can’t wrap my head around how despicable this is. You’d like to think you wouldn’t encounter such jerks at a place called Sesame Street. But, no.
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