Meet John (he didn’t want to divulge his surname). John is a contractor.

Recently, John had to purchase some building supplies. He could’ve gone to a big box Home Depot, but instead, he chose to go to a nearby Home Hardware store.

The reason? John wanted to support “the little guy” during these dreadful lockdown times.

Alas, too bad the little guy turned out to be a really big [insert expletive here].

Here’s the deal: things went sideways for John when a Home Hardware staff member noticed he wasn’t wearing a mask (John has a medical exemption).

John received a tongue-lashing from the Covid-Karen and then, incredibly, she removed the goods he intended to purchase right out of his hands. Clearly, John was customer non grata, as he was then shown the door.

Once he was outside in the parking lot of the store, he pointed out to another employee the City of Toronto mask bylaw signage that notes that the face diaper rule does not apply to those with a medical exemption.

At that point, something downright surreal happened: the employee went back in the store and seconds later came back outside... whereupon he proceeded to cover up the mask exemption rule on the sign with a piece of duct tape — as if this tampering would somehow exempt the shop from the bylaw exemptions! (I know this sounds beyond belief, but we have the video evidence.)

We later interviewed John outside the Home Hardware store on Dufferin Street. Alas, when we attempted to get a response from the individual who is likely the owner, we were told to scram or face trespassing charges.

Customer. Service. Excellence.

Bottom line: Home Hardware may be the “home of the handyman.” But at this particular Home Hardware, it looks like the handyman got a little too handy. And that’s not dandy.