Broadcasting The Not-So-Broad Definition Of Purchasing

California, Criminal & Illegal, Editors' Choice, Funny Stories, Grocery Store, Karma/Comeuppance, Los Angeles, USA | Right | November 20, 2020

One day, a somewhat strange announcement comes over the intercom at my store.

Coworker: “Attention, shoppers. I just wish to inform you that you are required to pay for your shopping. Cashiers are available at the front of the store to assist you with your payment for the goods you receive.”

A couple of customers near me laughed, and we moved on, and I ended up tracking down my coworker later to ask what the announcement was about.

Apparently, he’d caught a lady trying to walk out with a full cart, and she had tried to play dumb and claim that she hadn’t realized she needed to pay for them. She just repeated that, over and over, making no move towards the registers, so my coworker picked up the nearby radio and made the announcement while staring her down.

He said she turned the most satisfying shade of red at having her “supposed ignorance” broadcast like that and ended up immediately sulking over to the cashier stand he had been trying to direct her to without any more fuss.

This story is part of our Best Of November 2020 roundup!