Technically, I work at a “hypermarket”, meaning in addition to groceries we sell a lot of other stuff, like things you’d find at a drug store, hardware, clothing, etc.
We sell devices for “massage” which yes, can be used for massage but also for, shall we say, pleasure-focused activities either with yourself or with a friend (or several). We also sell Trojan brand “hot spot” vibrating rings next to the condoms, lubes, pregnancy tests, anti-fungal creams, vaginal washes, douches, and other related items.
The first time I went to Price Club (predecessor to Costco) in the late 80s, the couple in front of me were buying a #10 can of Hersey’s Chocolate Syrup and half a gross of condoms.
I did relief work there a few times. They were not pleasant experiences, and I was not surprised that the chain went under.
My vote goes for duct tape, summer sausage, and Vaseline or KY Jelly.
My own personal strangest purchase that immediately comes to mind? Castor oil, epsom salts, and a bag of fun-sized candy bars. I told the uninterested teenage cashier that no, I didn’t have an eating disorder; the first two items were for my garden.
I remember reading a true crime book awhile back about a hired killer who was deeply disturbed when his purchases totaled 6.66 and actually got into an argument with the cashier about it. Good way to be remembered :smack:
I don’t know about making the cashier uncomfortable, but I remember one time being very uncomfortable myself. I lived at the East-West Center on the U of Hawaii campus as housing staff back when I was a grad student. I had already lived in Thailand before, and another American who had lived in Thailand when I did, but like me had returned to the US, stopped in Hawaii for a visit on his way back to Thailand for a vacation. We were shooting the shit one night, and he brought up his concern about being able to find big-enough condoms in Thailand. (No, really, this isn’t a joke.) So I told him, “Well, Mike, if you’re really worried, maybe you should pick some up here before you go.” So we moved on to other topics and discovered we’d run out of beer close to midnight. There was a supermarket not far from campus that stayed open until 1am, so we went to get more beer. But Mike also picked up this giant package of condoms. So there we were in my regular grocery store, two guys buying two six-packs of beer and a big ol’ case of condoms at midnight. My friend was rather innocent and didn’t seem to notice my turning red. I got us out of there as fast as I could.
I’ve had people grab something (anything) else from the counter when their purchases came to $6.66, and one woman refused the penny when her change came to $6.66.
Whenever purchases or change comes to $7.11, I always add “And that’s a different store.” If they come to $2.01, I say “Your total (change is $2.01. And maybe your area code.”
Yeah, it’s not a bad thing at all to make a minimum-wage employee feel responsible for laws and management they have no control over. Pressuring someone who is probably barely getting by to break the law, and blaming them for God? Gee, won’t you feel better when you’ve lost your job because I deliberately tried to make you feel bad?
Your assessment of your behavior isn’t harsh enough.
When I worked at Safeway I never really noticed what anyone bought; it was all just stuff. Scan it, toss it in a bag, repeat.
The only things that ever really stood out were the random late-night customers buying just a couple of items: a group of kids would come in at like 1130 at night and buy nothing but a cart full of the cheapest toilet paper, or when a couple would come in around the same time at night and buy just strawberries, whipped cream, and condoms. Mostly it was just tired-looking adults buying formula/baby food and diapers.
For making the cahier uncomfortable? I would say a leaking bottle of baby oil first down the belt followed by 100 individual, unwrapped double edged razor blades.
