Self-Check Out This Timing!

Around ten years ago, I started my first job at nineteen. Back then, I had a lot of enthusiasm for trying to move up in the company. After working my way up from bagger to cashier, I eventually got to run the self-checkout. This shift was a 6:00 pm to 2:00 am shift, with the store itself closing at twelve, leaving me to clean until 2:00 am and a few odd workers stocking out of sight.

One night, it was just about to hit twelve when one of the last customers to check out asked me to make change from my till at the podium. This was strictly against policy, and I told him I could not. After pestering me for a few minutes, this creepy forty-something-year-old man asked if there was “anything he could do to make it worth my while” in a very creepy voice. I went to get a grocery worker to help me, who was an older lady.

At this point, only one self-checkout unit was still open, which was for workers who wanted to quickly buy something before all tills were closed.

So, when the lady from grocery came up and told the creepy guy he had to leave because the store was now closed, he pointed out the open self-checkout which, in comedic timing, I had just been closing, and the unit announced loudly, “This checkout is now closed.”

The creepy guy yelled, “Oh, f*** you!” and finally left.