At at a photo assignment recently, a photographer, representing the pet supply chain Petsense, physically shoved me out of the way without asking me to move. I found it both personally and professionally offensive.

If he had shoved my wife the way he did me, with her arthritis, she might have fallen and been seriously injured.

At the request of those involved, some of the specifics of this entry have been edited. I will say, however, that I was not prepared for the hostility this entry elicited. My colleagues and friends were universally supportive of my reaction to this affront to my professional position.

On his excellent blog the other day, David used the phrase, “It’s as true as a pile of mirrors.”

Man, that guy is sharp. I can tell you that if that douchebag photographer had shoved David out of the way instead of me, that guy would need a cane to walk for the next six months.

Here’s something else: just prior to shoving me out of the way, he took out a refs whistle and blew it several times to get everyone to line up.

It’s still kind of amazingly sad to me that the corporate powers that be are circling their greedy little wagons on this one. Maybe they are forgetting that I am not just a photographer, but also a customer and a community member. I’ve been a part of this place for nearly 21 years, and I am admired and respected.

Still, they don’t have it in them to say, “We’re sorry, Richard. That guy shouldn’t have shoved you.” Instead, the photographer ended up calling my editor and accusing me of having a drinking problem (to explain why I stumbled away from him), then accused me of having an inner ear problem (when told I wasn’t drinking at 9am). He ended up peppering the conversation with profanity and hanging up on my editor.

One community leader actually had the chance to take up for me, but ended up throwing me under the bus. He’s the kind of guy, apparently, whose priority is not doing what’s right, but doing what is most profitable. Oddly, this guy, and Petsense, seem to have disregarded the fact that we are influential members of this community, and now ex-customers of Petsense.

Shame.