Odd interaction at the 24 hour store

In My Humble Opinion
1

So, I had an odd, brief interaction at the 24-hour grocery store last night at 3 in the morning and I am not sure what to make of it.

Basically, as I was leaving with my groceries, through the automatic doors, a very young couple was coming in. The girl with colored hair was rushing in first followed by the bearded guy. The guy reminds me of some of the guys I met when I worked security at a Renaissance festival in my youth. He was very cocky and sure of himself, probably due to his good looks. She seemed to be too for the same reason. They also seemed high on something.

Anyway, I was wearing a plain navy blue T-shirt with nothing written on it. It is unremarkable in every way and I like it just fine like that. As the colored-haired girl was passing me she loudly proclaimed “I like your blue shirt!”

Because my default mode is to be polite I said “Thanks!” back to her. Then the guy passed me and he laughed maniacally like the interaction was the funniest thing that he had ever heard. He literally doubled over. I just just kept walking out the door.

I assume that he was laughing at her insincere compliment and at my naivety of taking her at face value when she was being facetious. If so, that is weird to me because it is them that are being the assholes and I have nothing to be ashamed of.

Or was she so high that she really did like my extremely plain and boring dark blue T-shirt? I doubt it. It seemed more like a way of pointing out how square I am. They were dressed quite “alternatively” for lack of a better word.

Shit, I am fine with being square looking. I went through my hippy period when I was young and probably had wilder times than they ever will. But who cares anyway?

So I am wondering just what they think they got over on me about and why being assholes to random strangers is so hilarious.

What is your take? What would you have said if you could think that fast?

2

Where are you finding a 24 hour grocery store???

3

Many, many places?

4

They have been extinct where I live since Covid. Everything is closed at the latest 11PM.
Except for gas station convenience stores.
You are lucky.

5

You answered your questions very near the beginning of your story.

6

Around me most of them are closed at night too with signs on the door “Closed due to staffing shortages.”

7

Yup. High or drunk, and thus making random observations which they find to be hilarious, but which are confusing and/or insulting to the sober.

8

I have to wonder why you would care at all about an interaction like that. They seem to have gotten under your skin a little.

If I had decided on first glance that they were high, I might have drily said “really?” or “that’s nice” or nothing at all instead of “thanks.” I don’t speak much to strangers, even after they have spoken to me, and my default mode with some people seems to be closer to morose silence than politeness. If they persisted, I might have treated them to my “i’m not interested in your nonsense” face (thereby giving them another laugh), then rolled my eyes as I walked back to my car, and then forgotten about it.

9

I had a very similar experience recently. Last week at work was Lab Week, and Monday was Pajama Day. I didn’t have any pajamas, so I wore a rather shapeless flowered dress that resembled a nightgown, plus some house slippers. Looking somewhat lunatic, I stopped at a dollar store and decided to just brazen it out. As I was shopping, a young man stocking the shelves said, “I like your dress!” I laughed and said thanks.
A few minutes later as I was leaving, I saw him again in the parking lot. He hollered, “You fine as wine in that dress, girl!” I just laughed again and waved goodbye. I have to admit though, I’ve wondered several times since then if he was laughing at me or laughing with me…

10

I had an experience once, going in a convienance store. Young guy asked me if I had a light.
I was confused til I noticed a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.
I said, quietly, “no, don’t smoke” went in these store got my water and came out. He’s still standing against the wall and said “What did you say, Lady?” Confused, again, thinking he thought I said something bad, I said louder “I don’t smoke”

As I got to my car he hollered “Yeah, you smokin’, Momma!” and just broke up laughing at himself.
I took offense about 3 seconds. He was high. No doubt.

11

Yep. Drugs. Decent (or better) drugs.

Anybody that knows you would never think you’d only utter ‘bad’ once.

12

True enough🤭

13

You are smokin!
For da record, Beck looks like nowadays Nastassia Kinski.

14

My take is that you were just a small part of an inside joke between the two. The stock boy in back probably got a “I like your apron!”.

15

I think they were both so stoned that a) a plain blue shirt looked gorgeous and b) absolutely everything was very funny.

Don’t worry about it.

16

Agree.

As for the intent or the sincerity (or lack thereof) of her compliment of your shirt:

  • I could list several possibilities that I find plausible
  • You will almost certainly never know
  • It almost certainly wouldn’t matter to you even if you did know (beyond assuaging your curiosity)
17

This explains everything.

18

I’ve been high on mushrooms with the giggles. Everything is funny, including the very fact that it is funny.

It’s not personal to you. It’s the hazard of being out and about at 3 am.

19

SWIM (Someone Who Isn’t’ Me) and a friend were tripping balls after a Grateful Dead show.

On their way back home, they stopped at the local 24hr grocery store for some snacks. It was probably 3am, the night shift stockers were probably the only people there, and had to double as cashiers.

The decor of the store was … really bright lighting with black and white, checkerboard panel floor tiles.

They had the music on … loud.

SWIM and their Dead show buddy wandered around aimlessly for an hour, giggling interminably, looking at All The Glorious Food on the shelves, and marveling at the simple elegance of the black/white motif.

The music … was kickin’

Our hapless but harmless heroes eventually left with about three hundred bucks worth of snacks.

The End.

TL;DR: Yeah. I could see that OP thing happening.

20

I’ve had the giggles without benefit of any substance at all. The kind where your face freezes into a Joker-like grin and tears run down your cheeks. Happened once when our choir was performing in a parish church in an English village. THAT was awkward.