Not what he said. He said that that is probably why workers don't correct customers, he never said that it is an acceptable excuse.
Exactly....I think that is a more reasonable assumption than "they are cowards".
Anyone who has ever worked retail (especially for a large company, like a big box store) would know that management and regional management is constantly pounding into peoples' heads that they need to please the customer.
I've even been told stories of a place like Nordstroms allowing a customer to return a tire to their store (Nordstroms doesn't even sell tires).
Do you know how conflicting that must be for some of these associates?
They know they can't make a customer angry, but at the same time, they know people shouldn't be pointing guns in unsafe directions.