FLOWERS FROM US NEEDS ANGER MANAGEMENT
I personally hate when I see people complain about a business on Nextdoor because I know, in truth, there is always two sides to a transaction and the complainer could be leaving out key details to make themselves look better and possibly the person posting is even actually in the wrong. So go into this knowing that this is not about bad service in and of itself and if I were a customer of this establishment, and I was dissatisfied, I would direct my concerns to them directly and not passive aggressively post disparaging stories online. This is not about a service. This is about an incident.
On Saturday 10/21/23, I was with my family and several other families with lots of children, attending a Trunk-or-Treat hosted by Crabapple Martial Arts Academy. This was their fifth year doing this. Last year was our first attendance and it went well without issue. This time, there was an issue. At 10:13 AM a van came around the back of the strip mall (where the even was taking place), and drove a bit faster than you would expect a van to drive when there are children and people around. It wasn't going 60 miles an hour, but it wasn't going 5-10 miles an hour either. It eased to a stop near a car three cars down from where I was. I honestly don't know if words were exchanged between the man and the mom at that car, but suddenly the van pulled forward very quickly, and the mom yelled out for the man to slow down cause kids were around (with admittedly an indignant tone, but the van was honestly, without bias, driving unsafely). At this point, the man stops in front of my car and starts addressing me that we need to get out of here and asking who is in charge. I just say that we are doing a trunk or treat and I'm not the one in charge. We start trying to explain everything is fine, and the man start screaming F bombs out, paraphrasing that we need to "Get the F away from his business". This is around nine year olds, eight year olds, seven year olds, six your olds, five year old, four year olds. The man has gone from zero to unhinged.
A bunch a parents take notice of the cussing and start yelling back at him, and I walk over to the door. I'm telling him, over and over, that there are kids around and he needs to calm down. He is just continuing to cuss and telling me to get the F away from him. I'm hoping to calm him, but he seems to be getting more aggravated. At this point, for safety and cause I'm afraid he may do something violent to me or a kid, I do the old anti-Karen move and whip out the phone. I don't get much, but this is what I got. Which I won't comment on cause you can watch the video.
The head teacher/owner of the dojo comes over and asks what happens and I explain. Of course he goes off to talk to the guy and apparently that is a screaming match as the instructor lays into the rightfully for behaving crassly, unprofessionally, and without manner or reserve in front of a bunch of children as well as the parents who are also, of course, the instructor's customers. After a few minutes, the guy, who I assume is the owner but could be just an unhinged employee, comes out and starts filming children doing the trunk or treat. I don't think he was doing anything gross or nefarious, as one might assume of a single man filming children without permission or request. I think he somehow thought he was in the right and wanted some evidence of the festivities.
I don't know why driving a little slower to park his van was such an imposition that he acted in a demeanor you might expect someone to act if they were kicked out of a store or fired from their job. Maybe he was upset at something else in his life and just taking it out on children. He could have taken the matter as an opportunity to introduce himself to the families, given out business cards, gotten some free candy. But given all the factors at hand, he decided to go full Andrew Dice Clay in from a five year olds and kids with autism and neurological-diverse conditions because it took two extra seconds to park his van.
I'm sure Flowers From Us probably does great floral work. The reviews seem to be positive. I personally won't do any business with them. I wouldn't post this had it just been adults. I wouldn't post this if I was the only one there and not multiple families of witness. You see videos online of people who loose it for all kinds of reasons, people who get in fights with fast food workers cause the fries are taking to long, people who drink too much and start harassing people on the street. This was this level of unhinged and unfortunately I didn't start filming to after the worst parts. All I'm saying is, there are lots of floral shops around, and I don't know prices or quality, but most of them won't tell your autistic kid to get the F out of there.
Can see video at https://youtu.be/Q1mK0OtJz5s read more