My husband and I have decided to run to our local convenience store for some late-night snacks. They’ve recently started selling a two-pack of mochi ice cream and it’s a treat I’m pretty fond of, so I grab a pack and take it up to the counter where the cashier starts ringing us out.

Cashier #1: *Getting to the mochi* “Mochi, huh? This has been real popular since we started selling it. What is it?”

Me: “It’s ice cream wrapped in a rice dough.”

Cashier #1: “Is it good when you’re sober?”

Me: “I… Wait… Sorry, what?” 

I’ve never had a question like this asked before and, to be honest, it completely throws me and I’m not quite sure I heard him right. Even my husband looks confused by how out of left field this question seems. A second cashier who is behind the counter making hot food answers.

Cashier #2: “You know, some food is just better when you’re drunk. Or high!”

I share a bemused look with my husband.

Me: “I mean it… it’s ice cream. I… I guess, yeah, it’s really good.”

Cashier #2: “Cool, I’ll have to try it sometime!”

Hope you enjoy it, dude, whether or not you’re sober.

My carbonated water machine has run out of gas so I bring the cylinder in to exchange it for a full one. I see a set of boxes of the cylinders I need, but in front of them is a sign that says, “If you are exchanging cylinders, do not take one of these boxes. Please go to the checkout to exchange.” So, I do. I tell the woman at my register that I am exchanging my cylinder and she starts processing the exchange as I’m extracting my old one from my bag. Then, the cashier at the next register speaks to me.

Cashier #2: “If you are exchanging, you just come up here; you don’t get one of those boxes.” 

My cashier and I both look at her, confused.

Me: “That is literally what I am doing right now.”

Cashier #2: “Those boxes aren’t for exchanging.”

Cashier #1: “She didn’t bring a box.”

Cashier #2: “You just come up to the registers with your old cylinder. We have to give you the new ones from ones we have behind the counter.”

Me: “Again, that is exactly what I am doing. I do not have a box. I read the sign.”

Cashiers #1 & #2: “There’s a sign?”

Me: “Yes.”

I tell them what it says.

Me: “And that is why I came straight up to the registers and did not bring a box.”

My cashier is finishing up my transaction.

Cashier #2: “You don’t take the boxes—”

My cashier interrupts her to start chewing her out a bit.

Cashier #1: “Why are you telling her to do something she already did?” 

They were still discussing it as I left. Not sure what was so confusing about me doing what I was supposed to, not having the thing I wasn’t supposed to, and already being helped by someone else who wasn’t having any trouble.

Many years ago, I was shopping in a music store. I found two albums I liked and went to the counter to pay. He gave me my total and I finished writing my check. He took it and put it in the cash register.

Me: “Do you need to see my driver’s license?”

Cashier: “No, people who buy classical music don’t bounce checks.”

I’m picking up a few groceries and a bottle of rum at a packed store. There are three people ahead of me. I’m only twenty-eight and everyone constantly tells me I look half my age. I know that the cashier will need to see my ID; I try to pull out my debit card and license while I’m waiting my turn. Unfortunately, after spending the few minutes I’m in line looking, I discover that I am missing my ID. The line behind me has grown exponentially. I address the cashier as soon as she is finished with the customer ahead of me, in an attempt to not waste anyone’s time.

Me: “I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to pass on the rum; I just realized that I misplaced my ID.”

Cashier: “I need to see your ID for the liquor.”

Me: “I know. I thought I had it, but I can just put it back.”

Cashier: “I do believe you that you’re old enough, but I do need to check, or I can get in trouble.” 

Me: “I know, I just realized after I got in line that I do not have it. I have a bad habit of not putting it back in my wallet after I use it. I do not have a problem coming back for the rum later, after I find it.”

Cashier: “I’m sorry, but I can not sell you this without seeing your ID.”

Me: “I understand. I can just skip it.”

She has not rung out a single one of my items, and I’m getting frustrated. I realize forgetting my ID is my fault but mistakes happen, and I told her at the beginning of the transaction that I was aware that I would not be able to purchase the rum. I cannot understand why she is trying to argue with me about it. Finally, she picks up the rum after wasting about two minutes asking for my ID.

Cashier: “Since you do not have ID, I’m going to have to put this behind the counter to be put back.”

After placing the bottle behind the counter, she finally starts to ring up my groceries.

Me: “Thanks for putting that back for me. Most likely my ID is in my car, but I didn’t want to hold up the line trying to run out and grab it.”

After only ringing up one item, she stops.

Cashier: “You know you cannot drive without a license.”

Me: “I know you’re not supposed to, but until I got in line, I thought mine was in my wallet. I’m sure it’s in my car or I’ll find it when I get home. It’ll be fine.”

Cashier: “If you get pulled over, you’ll go to jail for driving without a license.”

She has still only rung up one of my items, despite the fact that I have been at the front of the line for several minutes, and I am beyond frustrated.

Me: “I understand. I just realized it was missing after I got in line. I doubt I’m going to get pulled over in the two minutes it will take me to drive home. Can you please just ring me up, so I can go home and find my missing ID?”

Cashier: “Okay, but you can’t drive home without your license. You’ll need to walk or have someone come get you.”

I have given up and just stare at her.

Cashier: “You can’t drive without a license.”

I continue to just stare at her silently. After about thirty seconds of awkward silence, she reaches over and starts ringing up the rest of my groceries. After she finally starts to ring up my groceries, the transaction takes about one minute. I look apologetically at the now extremely long line behind me as I grab my one bag of groceries.

Me: “Thanks, have a great day.”

As I walk away, the cashier, ignoring the man that is next, takes a few steps toward me away from the register.

Cashier: “Don’t forget that you can’t drive home without a license.”

I just rolled my eyes and left the store. She continued to yell about my missing ID as I walked away, still ignoring the man that was in line behind me looking as frustrated as I feel. I got into my car and drove home without incident and found my ID after I got there.

I am shopping at a large grocery store during the health crisis. Some cashiers want you to bag your own groceries, some don’t. Since there is no clear policy, I try to just watch what the cashier does and follow along.

This cashier has an issue with the register she is on and has to bring me over to another lane, so I can tell she is irritated from the start. She scans my items but collects them behind the plexiglass barrier so I can’t reach them to bag. I keep my reusable bags all inside one for easy carrying. As she bags, the other bags tend to expand out onto the counter and I can tell she is flustered by this.

Almost at the end of the transaction, the cashier mumbles under her mask to me. All I can catch is the word “two.”

Me: “Oh, yes. you’re right. I do have too many bags there. I could bring in just two next time to make it easier.”

Cashier: “No! I said you could help by bagging, too!”

Me: “Oh, okay.”

By that time, she had finished bagging so there was nothing I could do. What did she expect me to do? Reach around the plexiglass to get the items and put them in the bags she had tucked away beside her, all while somehow keeping the proper distance between us? I realize she was irritated from the beginning, but she could have said something if she wanted me to bag my own stuff!