Shelly Ortiz, 25, has been working in food service since she was 15, but the pandemic brought her to a breaking point. Putting up with rude customers became a matter of survival. Tips plunged. Many flouted mask mandates and told her the virus was a hoax, even as the number of infections spiked. When men she served would say things like, “Pull down your mask and let me know how much I should tip you,” she felt like she had no choice but to deal with it, she said, lest she lose the little money that was coming in.

Source: Washington Post May 12, 2021 09:56 UTC