Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Awkward conversations, pt. 12

Scene: the CVS near my office. I am on a five minute break at work. There are about four customers and two cashiers.

I place my Chex Mix and Coke Zero on the counter.


Cashier: Hello. I'll go ahead and take what you have in your pockets, too.

I stare at the guy for a minute. He smiles at me weirdly. I take my car keys from my pocket and hand them to the cashier. He pretends to scan them, then rings up my other items.

Cashier: That'll be $4.50 please.

I pay. The cashier hands me my items and my keys. I say "Thank you," and leave.

---End scene---

Am I wrong in thinking that interaction was totally bizarre? Did the cashier really think I was shoplifting, or was he just trying to make conversation? Who did the better job one-upping the other person? Me, for actually emptying my pockets, or the cashier, for pretending to scan the contents? (I am afraid, Internets, that the winner in that contest may have been the cashier. After all, I wasn't really being intentionally ironic when I handed him the keys - I was mostly just horrified that he thought I might be a shoplifter.)

8 comments:

Diary of Why said...

OMG. Weird. Definitely fodder for a very polite letter to the manager of that particular CVS.

bcsmithereens said...

A possible new item to add to your repertoire?

Elizabeth said...

How strange! I wonder if he was just trying to be funny?

Jane said...

In retrospect, I think he was trying to be funny. But it was just so weird. And I was really trying to avoid conversation beyond the basic "Hi how are you? Fine, thanks. You?" So it just threw me for a loop.

Kim said...

You should have asked if he says that to all the girls. What charm!

Anonymous said...

Definitely bizarre. What a weirdo! I'd also have been totally confused.

Jenna @ Newlyweds said...

So weird but would be great material for your routine! Loved your video, great job!

mrs.notouching said...

Even if he was trying to be funny he is a total idiot. I worked as an HR manager in retail - accusing or even implying that a customer might have stole something without evidence is a HUGE deal. You pretty much can sue the store for it or at least get a nice gift basket from the store manager (worked for most of our customers who've been wrongly accused)
Anyway, he is lucky you didn't raise hell...