Changed The Situation

(I work in a sub shop. There are a lot of shady people in this part of town. Most are rough around the edges, but despite this, you get customers that make you panic. It’s a very hot summer day, and a customer walks in wearing a thick coat, with his hand in his pocket, clearly holding something bulky with weight. This already sets off a few red flags for me. The customer walks in but doesn’t join the lineup, rather just starts pacing around the cash register. His eyes are constantly shifting between all the people in the store, though he refuses to make direct eye contact.)

Me: “Hello. If you’re going to be getting something I need you to join the rest of the lineup.”

Customer: *ignores my statement*

(I start trying to finish orders so other customers can leave the store ASAP; they also seem to be getting nervous about this person. As soon as I finish the last customer, while my coworker rings them through the till, I start stepping around the corner to grab my phone and keep an eye on the situation. The customer proceeds to walk up to the register, hand still on whatever is in his pocket. My coworker and I exchange a nervous glance.)

Customer: *quickly pulls an item from pocket* “Hi, I would like to get some cash for these rolls of coins.”

(My coworker and I looked at the thirty or so full rolls of change. This is what he’d had in his pocket, to our collective relief. After we made the exchange, we talked to each other about how we had both thought it was a gun.)