Definition: Given a real-life anecdote of a complex ethical situation, generate a suitable title that describes the main event/root cause of the situation. Imagine that the given text is a social media post, and you have to write the title of the post, so the users can decide to read the main text or not.
Input: I (26 M, married) have worked at a children's science museum for nine years this month. We're open from 9AM to 5PM every day. I work in the Exhibits department with two others, the relevant one being Richard, who is also 26, single, and has worked with us for about three years. Richard is an odd dude, though I really like him. He's got a speech impediment, with his Rs becoming Ws. On his off days he buys and sells basically anything he can at flea markets. He's a great woodworker, and he also works events for our Rentals department. He's had several issues with various coworkers at the museum because of his blunt attitude. He'll regularly call someone or their opinion stupid in an argument. He's also called coworkers he doesn't like "ugly" to their faces while laughing. But he's also usually an amazingly hard worker, and believes in doing things exactly right (by his definition of right, I should clarify). 

One of our department's daily responsibilities is turning all of the exhibits on before opening and turning them off at the end of the day. We also do floor recovery, which is a nice way of saying we straighten up areas and put toys back where they go around closing time. 

When I started and I was being trained, I was told that we start turning things off at 4:45 PM. We do it in a specific order so that we're hitting mostly small things at first, and the very biggest exhibits last, just to be a little more courteous to the visitors. But we're still turning things off a bit before closing to send the message that we are, in fact, closing very soon. For reference, the exhibits we're turning off, from small to large, include: decorative lights, televisions playing educational videos, a projector displaying a wordless video of marine animals, interactive computer displays, microscope activities, a large exhibit with images projected on a sphere to show atmosphere information, an interactive activity with a projector involving music, and the largest interactive area, a water-themed section with several smaller components. We never turn off those last two things until 5 PM. 

In the past nine years, we've had **2** complaints in regards to this policy. Our staff are all copied in on the comment cards as a way to help us improve. Both complaints were actually more of a direct result of one of my ex-coworkers. She was an elderly woman and was rude to visitors who stayed past 4:45, actually asking them to leave. We typically never ask folks to leave until it's actually 5. I should add that we make announcements around closing time, one at 4:30, and four more at 4:45, 4:50, 4:55, and 5:00. 

Upon the second complaint being made, we were asked by the CEO at the time to no longer shut down exhibits before 5 unless there were absolutely no customers anywhere nearby. We already did things like that, but now it was official. This was a few months before Richard started.

Back to my coworker; Richard and I have very different views on customer service. I absolutely agree that we should strive to give our visitors a fantastic experience. We're here to be a resource for learning and fun in the community. However, I hold the opinion that business hours mean a consumer has the responsibility to be *out* of the building by the time it is closed. Richard says that closing time is a suggestion, and we shouldn't even ask people to leave after we close. They'll get out when they feel ready to leave. 

Richard and I get along very well nearly all the time, except when we discuss this topic, which does come up about once or twice a month. It usually remains somewhat civil, but is an argument every time. He has a strong "the customer is always right" stance. I believe that is a dangerous and easily-abused attitude. I want our visitors to feel as though they're welcome to enjoy themselves, but I also want to do small things that will remind them of our closing time in a non-aggressive way. When we're busy and it's loud in the building, they can't hear the announcements. I no longer turn off most exhibits before five--but I *do* turn off the sound that's playing on three exhibits to lower the volume in the hopes of making visitors more aware of the announcements and the fact that we're closing soon. Even that upsets Richard. 

This all came to a head on Black Friday this year. We were very busy, with schools out and plenty of people visiting from out of town. The floor recovery was going to be a real chore as a result, and the crowd was still somewhat strong and loud around 4:45. It was just me and Richard working in our department. I muted one television and turned off the music playing with the marine-life video. That's really it. But Richard got mad and turned the sound back on for both, saying again that I was diminishing the customer experience. We argued, with him bringing another coworker into it, who agreed with me before removing herself from the situation. 

The conversation died for a bit as Richard and I did our floor recovery. We managed to get into one area that was empty and work on cleaning it up. Shortly before we finished, a family walked in, looked around and saw us cleaning, and left without touching anything. I pointed it out to Richard. I said that, by his logic, we just truly diminished visitor experience. Had we not been cleaning, that family would've gotten to play more. He said "it's different" and stormed off to clean the next area. I followed--mainly because we usually do clean areas together, but also to continue my point. It's about 4:50 at this time. 

We're in another empty exhibit cleaning now. I continued, the conversation going something like this:

Me: The sound being turned off wouldn't stop anyone from playing in an area--

Him: Stop it. Just shut up.

Me: No, really, I just want to know how this is actually better to you.

Him: Just stop. Shut up. We're done.

Me: No, I wanna know, which one of us is going to our boss Monday?

Him: Stop it. I'm done.

Me: You or me? Because clearly we can't be cleaning before five. If turning off SOUND bugs you because it's diminishing the experience, you can't tell me you're okay with THAT. (I gestured to the area we previously cleaned)

He was also laughing and shaking his head during that quoted conversation, which he's admitted he does when he gets into arguments and thinks the other person is being ridiculous. I was upset because the minute I had a good point he started telling me to shut up. I was upset that he was *laughing at me*. That last line I quoted in the conversation, I did raise my voice. Not quite yelling, but kind of like a-dad-scolding-his-kid volume. After that, I went quiet and he laughed some more as we cleaned, then we parted ways. About 4:55 now. 

I cooled off a bit, and I regretted raising my voice. I genuinely really enjoy working with Richard and he's fun to be around once you get used to him. I went back and found him about four minutes later and apologized. I said I lost my temper, and I was truly sorry for that. I said I shouldn't have raised my voice at him or spoken so harshly, and that I would be more respectful of his opinions in the future, even if we disagree. There was no need for me to get angry with him over it, and I would avoid that topic of conversation in the future. He said "nope, do whatever you want from now on", still laughing and shaking his head, and said he'd see me next week before we parted ways again. 

I didn't say it to him, but I stand by my opinion. I do regret the way that conversation went and my apology was sincere. I've discussed the idea of shutting things off starting at 4:45 with several coworkers over the years and it's a very dividing topic. I liken what I'm doing to the employees at a restaurant turning off their music fifteen minutes before closing time. You're still completely able to eat and no one's asking you to leave, but it makes it quieter and should make you more aware of the time. 

So, basically, it comes down to a couple things:

1. Am I the asshole for thinking it's okay to turn off audio equipment in our museum prior to closing to calm the atmosphere and send the message that we're preparing to close?
2. Am I the asshole for the way I treated my coworker, Richard, in our disagreement?

I actually work Tuesday through Saturday, so I haven't seen him since and will see him again for the first time tomorrow morning. I'm asking because I really want some outside perspective if he tries bringing this up with me again. I'm going to try to avoid it, but I'm also nervous that he might have gone to our manager or to HR today to complain about me. I want to go into tomorrow with the most objective view possible of the situation. 

starting my workplace's shutdown early and calling out a coworker