Whip-it: Good?

Whip-it lady was back today.  Oh, you don't know about Whip-it lady?  That's because I haven't seen her in about 5 years.  For some reason, she took a little break from our store.

Right after I started working at my present job, I become familiar with this customer.  She was older, like somebody's grandma, very sweet, and she bought ALOT of nitrous oxide cartridges.  She came frequently and always bought at least one box of nitrous cartridges, if not 4 or 6 boxes.

Now, I have some minor experience with whip-its.  There was a brief period in my life when a couple friends and I would secure a box of nitrous and inhale the gas.  One of my friends was so dedicated that he even had the cracker to puncture the cartridges.  Though the high was fun, it was expensive, brief, and left me feeling quite dumb.  And not from guilt, but like I'd killed more than my day's quota of brain cells.

Based on my experience and the customer's behavior and noticeable decline in mental capability, I thought she was definitely abusing the nitrous.  Several of my co-workers felt the same way and, as a group, we decided not sell her nitrous anymore.  When she came in, we told her we were sold out.  Eventually she quit coming in.

When I saw her today, it took me a moment to recognize her.  Then I asked my co-worker if she bought anything and she did:  4 boxes of nitrous cartridges.  I told my co-worker the story and suggested that maybe we shouldn't sell them to her.

As I write this, I wonder if what we did was right.  Who am I to control someone's life?  Am I like the pharmacist that won't sell birth control because I don't believe in it?  For whatever reason, this lady needs to get high.  If she doesn't get the nitrous from us, she will get it from another store.  If can't get nitrous, she will probably get prescription pills (though it would appear from her behavior that she already does).  Why shouldn't we be her source?  She pays for it.

I guess I was hoping to keep her from harming herself.  It was sad to see her go from a sweet little lady to a kook, but that is her path.  She was so batshit crazy today; it was obvious that her hiatus from our store didn't stop her destruction.

Lady, go suck some gas!