[MrVandemar]

If you're an employee, and a member of the public is in your workplace, then you have a reasonable expectation that they will behave according to the rules of that workplace. Often these rules are for safety, and for sure it is absolutely reasonable to scold strangers if they have zero situational awareness.

I work in a medical practice. We have an expectation that people will obey rules for their and our protection. For example: we had a sign that, at our reception desk, that people should stay behind a line and not approach too close.

There was a thick, clearly visible tape line on the floor.

There was a two large signs on reception desk asking patients to stay behind the line.

This is during the heightened awareness of the pandemic. People were asked to change their behavior in many ways.

Patients would just come up to the reception desk and lean over the desk.

Damn right I "scolded" them for it. I mean, I didn't roast them, but I used a tone of voice, and asked them to step away from the desk, and pointed out the signs. Some of them were cranky about doing so ... when SARS was rampant!