Sometimes it's hard to figure out the "right" thing to do. But when the meat clerk at a California Safeway saw a man kicking his pregnant girlfriend, he didn't have to think. He knew he had to intervene. Too bad Ryan Young's bosses don't see it that way.
The hero has been suspended from his job without pay! What a way to reward the good guys, huh?
A store spokeswoman told the media the heroic store clerk is off the job because of actions that went on during the confrontation, but they won't get into specifics. We do know that Young struck Quyen Van Tran -- who later plead no contest to misdemeanor battery for hurting the woman -- during the altercation, so I can only guess that the store bigwigs are unhappy that an employee hit a customer.
Under normal circumstances, I'd agree with them. I've worked in retail, in a grocery store specifically. Your job is to yes the customer to death. You definitely don't get physical with anyone.
But this was not your "normal" circumstance. The same cops who arrested Tran have commended Young for protecting the pregnant woman. Even they think he's a hero.
There is something to be said for the kind of person who puts their own neck on the line for someone else. Ryan Young knew he could be hurt himself, but he saw there was a woman being physically abused. He put himself out there to help someone else. And yeah, he got physical. Because sometimes, right has shades of gray. Sometimes we have to do something not so great in order to have things turn out OK.
Being able to figure out what's right and being brave enough to make it happen is an act an employer should not only value but celebrate. He's a team player. He's a good guy.
He should be a public relations dream for a company. Instead, because a company is second guessing a guy who jumped in to do what's right without a second thought, he's become their nightmare, with angry citizens picketing to get this hero his job back.
Which side are you on? Should Young be punished or should he be celebrated?
Image via katerha/Flickr
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Comments 38
its a stupid rule, but most companies do enforce that you cannot- regardless of situation- use violence. this goes for robberies, assaults, bad days, not enough shrimp in the salad bar, etc. it opens them up to lawsuits. sad, but a side effect of todays society.
I think that there is a lot more to this story than the article lets on. Did he simply hit the man? Did he shout profanity at him? Did he use more force than was maybe necessary? I highly doubt that he would have been suspended for JUST protecting this pregnant woman, and I think this is another example of CafeMom only giving as much of the story that is needed to create drama.
The original article says that he intervened and when the man kicking his pregnant gf wouldn't back down, then he got physical. Seems to me like he tried to handle it the way the company would have wanted to but that words just weren't enough. I applaud him for being a good person and helping this woman!!!