Fresh Grocer Dec 12
56th Chestnut St
Phila. Pa. 19139
Verbal Abuse and Intimidation by Store Manager in response to Customer Slip and Fall in store.
Dear Sir/Madam:
I feel impelled to make a report concerning the hostile and antagonistic treatment my neighbor Albert Geiger, and I underwent by the manager of the Fresh Grocer Market located 56th Chestnut St, less than a mile from our homes.
On Tuesday evening, December 13, store manager Mr. James MacDonald, responded to an accident that occurred involving my next door neighbor Mr. Albert Geiger, who while accompanying me to the market slipped and fell in a pool of water that had evidently leaked from the steam tables, in the area of the store that sold cooked food..
The store manager Mr. James MacDonald displayed a blatant lack of courtesy and disrespect toward my friend who lay injured in a pool of water and to me as we waited for the arrival of an ambulance. His lack of sensitivity was alarming and degrading.
Mr. MacDonald was attempting to get some personal information from Mr. Geiger who was in obvious pain and was unable to get up. He asked for his name, address and age. We complied. But when he asked for Mr. Geiger's Social Security number in this public place with at least a dozen spectators Mr. Geiger became apprehensive. At that point Mr. MacDonald became even more detestable as his request for Mr. Geiger's social security number changed from a request to an angry demand. His voice got louder as he continued with what turned out to be an intense accusatory public interrogation draped in sarcasm, coupled with intimidation, while Mr. Geiger lay vulnerable on a wet floor clearly in pain and was becoming agitated.
At that point I felt it was my position to advocate for my neighbor Mr. Geiger and said to Mr. MacDonald, please stop asking him for his social security number, he already said he was not going to give it to you, here in front of all of these people. Mr. MacDonald took step toward me and ordered me out of the store With that I used my cell phone to re-call 911 because I was not leaving my neighbor on the floor, injured in a pool of water. As I was making the call we heard the siren of the ambulance approaching.
Once the EMTs placed my neighbor Mr. Geiger on the stretcher to be transported, Mr. MacDonald was calling for someone to bring a mop and I took some pictures of the floor where the slip occurred with my cell phone. My God! Mr. MacDonald became infuriated and demanded that I stop taking pictures and then ordered me to get the hell out of this store He came toward me in an extremely intimidating fashion and towered over me. Which forced me to walk backwards. It was like some sort of nightmare.
This behavior was far from the scope of Mr. MacDonald's managerial duties. I felt as though my life was in danger, that I was in danger of being personally assaulted by the store manager. I was really frightened as well as totally humiliated as Mr. MacDonald continued to tower over me and forced me to walk backwards out of the Entrance Doorway.
My neighbor Mr. Geiger and I are both home owners and stakeholders in the neighborhood where this Fresh Grocer is located, it is within a mile of our homes. I don't see how I will ever feel comfortable shopping in this market again, as long as I feel there is the possibility of my being verbally or physically abused by one of your employees and especially the store manager.
I am contemplating filing criminal charges because a verbal assault is just as devastating as a physical assault.
I am anxious to hear from the Fresh Grocer Corporation as to how this situation will be handled and what steps you will take to assure my freedom and safety to shop in your market in my neighborhood at the 56th Chestnut.
I also need to add, not only was Mr. MacDonald verbally abusive to Mr. Geiger and myself, he was as equally and overtly verbally abusive to an employee (a young African American Man) who was working near the steam tables where this accident occurred.
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